The call aims to promote the RDI activities of domestic businesses in order to boost their in-house development activity with the expected result of developing new exportable products, services and technologies. Projects are expected to produce quickly marketable products, services or technologies with real innovative content as a result of scientific or development achievements, and thus increase the share of advanced, competitive products and services with high added value in the export portfolio of the enterprise in a sustainable business model.

The call is open for projects to be implemented in Central Hungary only, financed from the domestic sources of the NRDI Fund and mirrors the EDIOP call financed from EU sources and announced earlier with for similar purposes. The available budget is HUF 10 billion.

Submission of project proposals

Project proposals should be submitted online, by logging in and completing the online application form on the Participant Portal (Pályázati e-ügyintézés) which can be reached through the www.palyazat.gov.hu website. Along with the request for funding finalised in the online application form, applicants have to submit a duly executed statement certifying the electronic submission of the application, in line with Point 9 of the Application Guidelines.

Unless executed using a qualified electronic signature, the hard copy of the statement should also be sent by regular mail to the NRDI Office no later than 3 days after the electronic submission. Electronic submissions are accepted from the activation of the online application form until 14:00 CET, 8 June 2017.

Who can apply

Applications are eligible if submitted by business companies which

• have at least two completed business years;
  
• have registered seat, business premises or branch in Central Hungary and maintain double-entry accounting; or the Hungarian branches of business companies with registered seat in the European Economic Area maintaining double-entry accounting; 
  
• do not apply the regime of simplified entrepreneurial tax (EVA) or small taxpayers’ itemized lump sum tax (KATA);
  
• reached an annual net income from HUF 1 billion to HUF 50 billion in the last full completed financial year preceding the year of application
  
• realised at least 30% of their total sales revenue from exports in the last full completed financial year immediately preceding the year of application 
  
• employed from 100 to 3000 employees at a consolidated basis (domestic and foreign combined) in the last full completed financial year immediately preceding the year of application.
  

The call is not open to consortia. Projects to be implemented outside the Central Hungary region are not eligible.

Eligible objectives and activities

The following activities are eligible for funding independently:

• applied (industrial) research
  
• experimental development
  

Activities not eligible for funding independently:

• publicity and information activity
  
• project coordination activities
  
• public procurement
  
• participation in expositions or fairs
  
• construction, expansion, rearrangement or modernisation of buildings necessary for the project, and development of the basic infrastructure
  
• procurement of equipment and immaterial assets
  
• overhead costs
  

Project proposals have to directly or indirectly comply with the objectives and specialisation directions of the National Smart Specialisation Strategy.

Available funds

Applicants can apply for a non-refundable support of min. HUF 200 million, max. HUF 1 billion. The detailed rules of funding intensity are specified in Point 3.3 of the Application Guidelines.

Duration of the project

Funded projects shall be implemented within 30 months from project launch. Projects launched before applying to the call are considered ineligible. The applicant shall maintain the project results for 5 years, or in the case of SMEs, for 3 years.