1. Official call for expressions of interest from Business Finland
2. Basic conditions to be defined as IPCEI
3. European and Finnish general framework
4. Procedure for the selection of projects by the funding authorities
5. Timetable for the transmission of the documents in two stages
6. Other downloadable guidance documents – non papers from the Commission
All modern industry relies on digital technologies in some form or another. The key element of the new EU industrial strategy, the twin ecological and digital transition, combined with the need for more resilient and sovereign key digital technologies sector requires clear strengthening of the European microelectronics based value chains.
Microelectronics technologies are the basis for value creation in almost all sectors such as 5G and 6G networks, AI, mobility, autonomous driving, medtech, aerospace, defence and security.
The development and manufacturing of these technologies needs to be ensured in the EU.
This call for proposals is aimed at economic players based in Finland who wish to participate in innovative projects on a European scale through various partnerships in the European economic value chain.
The objective is to identify the actors on Finnish territory that could participate in those projects on a European scale, based on the conception and production in the European Union (EU) of microelectronic and connectivity solutions.
In this expression of interest we are calling for preliminary plans for projects which satisfy the terms mentioned above. It is of crucial interest to describe how the project could be a part of the European Microelectronics and Connectivity value network and to give the estimation of both R&D and first industrial deployment type of Investments.
Applications chosen for the new Microelectronics IPCEI will enter to the Second stage in order to pass the state-aid notification process by Commission. The material needed for that process is described in the next chapter. Please note the also the following chapters when considering your expression of interest.
A project submitted by a Finnish participants can be recognized as part of an IPCEI if it is drawn up in accordance with the regulations of the Commission Notice published in the OJ of 20 June 2014 (C188 / 14).
Only Business Finland and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (TEM), will handle the files received.
The call for expression of interest is open from 10th of Feb. to 3rd of Mar . 2021 16:00 Helsinki time.
Submission both to Business Finland (kirjaamo@businessfinland.fi, identifier "MC IPCEI BFOY/1/942/2021") and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (kirjaamo@tem.fi, identifier "VN/3285/2021").
In this expression of interest call the material should include:
Closing date according to the negotiations between European participants, Commission and Member States, app. Mar-Jun 2021.
The official European documents "Project Portfolio", "Funding Gap" and "Prodcom Analysis", which allow to assess the relevant market and the aspects of competition.
The submission of those documents is not a final submission of a project proposal at this stage, but an expression of interest, whereby the relevant authorities may request additional information throughout the process. The submission therefore does not have to be elaborated to the same level of detail as a final project proposal, but must be sufficiently informative to estimate the impact. At the very least, the realistic possible state aid must be clearly substantiated. This implies that a funding gap analysis must be developed, which forms the basis for the calculation of the maximum permitted state aid for IPCEI projects. This amounts to an NPV (net present value) analysis. Work package details are less essential at this stage.
The funding gap must be drawn up as realistic as possible. After all, when granting aid, the Commission imposes a claw back whereby at the end of the funding period the funding gap is tested against reality with a possible recovery of the subsidy if the real funding gap turns out to be much lower.
In terms of content, it is especially important that the innovativeness of R & D & I projects is substantiated and that projects of first industrial deployment are in line with R & D & I activities and contain a clear R & D & I component. In environmental or energy projects, a clear case must be built up that demonstrates a great importance for the strategy of the Union or a significant contribution to the internal market.