PRIORITY AXIS 1 – An innovative and eco-efficient productive system
PRIORITY AXIS 2 – Research, Technological Development and Innovation for Competitiveness
PRIORITY AXIS 3 – Information and communication technology (ITC) for private and public sectors
PRIORITY AXIS 4: Increasing energy efficiency and security of supply, in the context of combating climate change
PRIORITY AXIS 5: Technical Assistance
PRIORITY AXIS 1 – An innovative and eco-efficient productive system - Indicative operations on the following areas of intervention:
Productive investments and preparation for the market competition of enterprises, especially of the IMM, taking into consideration all environmental conditions
a) Support for the consolidation and modernisation of the productive sector by tangible and intangible investments
- Support of investments in technology, equipment, cars, machineries, production premises
- Support for investments regarding the acquisition of patents, trademarks, licences and know-how
b) Support for the implementation of international standards
- Support for the implementation and certification of quality management systems;
- Support for the implementation and certification of environment management systems (or EMAS registration);
- Support for voluntary certification and eco-labelling of products and services;
- Support for the developing and accreditation of testing laboratories and standard calibration.
c) Support to access to new markets and internationalization
- Consultancy services to IMM for management systems improvement (logistic services for promoting products and services and identification of external suppliers / clients, websites, access to business networks);
- Support for participation in fairs, international exhibitions and economic missions.
Access to finance for IMM
Sustainable entrepreneurship development
a) Development of business support structures of national and international dimension
- Supporting business infrastructures of national and even of international dimension, with selection in terms of: partnership (cluster potential), national or international dimension, and the quality of the development strategy.
Hard type of activities(building new infrastructures, consolidations, rehabilitations or modernisations, as well as equipment acquisition), but also soft type of activities (services for strengthening the entrepreneurship culture, as well as for: dissemination and information, exchange of experience in the field of the best practices, counselling and coordinating activities, know-how transfer, seminars and workshops).
b) Consultancy support for IMMs
- IMMs will be supported for the acquisition of consultancy in fields like: elaboration of projects/business plans; products/services and enterprise strategies development; consultancy for investments and financial issues, marketing and promotion activities, HR management, information technology and e-business, innovation and intellectual property rights.
c) Support for enterprises’ integration in supplier chains and clusters
The purpose of the operation is to strengthen networking and cooperation relations between enterprises, reinforcing value chains and supporting the process of cluster development. Support will be granted for the development of joint projects in the fields of production, consultancy and specialized services and logistics.PRIORITY AXIS 2 – Research, Technological Development and Innovation for Competitiveness - Indicative operations on the following areas of intervention:
Research partnerships between universities/research and development institutes, and enterprises for generating results directly applicable in economy
- Joint CD projects between universities/research institutes and enterprises
- Complex research projects encouraging the participation of high-level international experts
Investments in CDI infrastructure and the development of administrative capacity
- Development of the existing CD infrastructure and the creation of new infrastructures (laboratories, research centres) – support for the development of CD infrastructure in universities and CD public institutes, by upgrading the existing laboratories, creation of new infrastructures (laboratories, research centres/institutes) and by supporting the construction of trans-European research infrastructures in Romania (UE priority through joint PC7, FEDR financing – regarding this operation, and through other funds).
- Development of the centres of excellence – support for investments in developing and strengthening relations between universities, CD institutes and innovative IMMs into dynamic economic fields.
- Development of CD network centres, coordinated at a national level and affiliated to European and international networks supported by GRID electronic platforms, through the acquisition of hardware and software specific applications. Also this operation will contribute to the improvement of the research and educational network capacity ROEDUNET to approach the GEANT standards.
- Strengthening the administrative capacity – supporting the administrative and management capacity of the institutions identified by the CD as needing support through the periodical evaluations, which will be carried out under the supervision of the ANCS.
Access of enterprises to CDI activities (especially for IMMs)
- Support for innovative start-ups and high-tech or high added value spin-offs (based on CD results obtained in universities or research institutes) in order to ensure the transfer of knowledge and technology and to assist the respective enterprises in marketing the products and services derived from the research. The enterprises to be assisted will be selected based on a careful analysis of their business plans.
- Development of CD infrastructure in enterprises and creation of new CD jobs – support for the development of the research capacities in enterprises, in order to raise their level of innovation and their market competitiveness and to create new CD jobs. The procurement of instruments, equipment, computers, software, etc necessary for CD activity will be financed.
- Promoting innovation in enterprises – Innovation through CD is supported in enterprises in order to apply in production new or improved products, technologies and services. The operation will finance the acquisition of CD services and application rights of CD results and will stimulate the CD activities in enterprises and their further development into technologies, products, services.
PRIORITY AXIS 3 – Information and communication technology (ITC) for private and public sectors – Indicative operations on the following areas of intervention:
Supporting the ICT use
- Supporting access to Internet and to connected services. It is envisaged to offer support to IMMs and NGOs for connecting to Internet through broadband connections and purchasing related hardware and software;
- Supporting local authorities for setting up a broadband network and Public Internet Access Points (PIAPS) in the market failure areas (under-served rural and small urban areas);
- Supporting IMMs for setting up a broadband and PIAPs in the market failure areas (under-served rural and small urban areas);
- Supporting broadband connections for schools.
Developing and increasing the efficiency of public electronic services
- Supporting the setting-up of e-government solutions along with the necessary broadband connectivity (if the latter is needed);
- Supporting the setting-up of ICT solutions in order to increase the information systems’ interoperability;
- Supporting the implementation of E-learning solutions;
- Sustaining the setting-up of e-health solutions along with the necessary broadband connectivity (if the latter is needed).
Sustaining the E-Economy
- Support for integrated ICT business systems and other electronic business applications;
- Sustaining the development of e-commerce systems, and other Internet based solutions for businesses
PRIORITY AXIS 4: Increasing energy efficiency and security of supply, in the context of combating climate change
Efficient and sustainable energy (improving energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of the energy system)
- Supporting investments in installations, equipment for industrial operators, in order to improve energy efficiency leading to energy savings.
- Supporting investments in expanding and upgrading electricity, natural gas and oil transportation grids and electricity and natural gas distribution grids, in order to reduce losses and secure the continuity and safety of transport and distribution services.
- Supporting investments in flue gas de-sulphurisation installations, burners with reduced NOx and filters on refurbished/upgraded groups of large combustion plants.
Valorification of renewable energy sources (RES) for producing green energy
- Investments in upgrading and building new power and heating production capacities by valorisation of renewable energy sources: biomass, micro hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, bio fuels and other renewable resources.
Diversification of interconnection networks in view of strengthening security of energy supply
- Supporting investments for interconnecting the national electricity and natural gas transport networks to European networks.
- PRIORITY AXIS 5: Technical Assistance – Indicative operations on the following areas of intervention:
Support to the SOP IEC management, implementation, monitoring and control
a) Management and implementation
- research, studies, surveys, polls to support the higher quality and more effective implementation of the SOP IEC (improving the integration of the sectorial policies with the SOP IEC);
- using external experts (long or short term consultations) on professional, operational, methodological, organisational/institutional issues at every management level; using external and specialised experts (long or short term consultations) for supporting selection process of projects;
- using contractual staff, employed by the Managing Authority and Intermediate Bodies in order to support their functioning in connection to structural funds management and control;
- elaboration of training mechanisms and methods for performing training needs assessment, developing training plans;
- providing specific training for the employees of the organisations participating in the planning, management and implementation of the SOP IEC, both for the Managing Authority and Intermediate bodies staff; training in order to support the project selection and verification, both for the Managing Authority and Intermediate bodies staff;
- improving administrative capacity of MA and IBs staff in selected fields of global interest such as environment, climate change, etc.
- improving the IT skills of the staff of the Managing Authority and Intermediate Bodies for the successful implementation of the SOP IEC;
- supporting skills development and professional exchange of information (e.g. study tours, internships, specialised courses etc.), national and abroad, in relation to planning, management, implementation, monitoring issues and to the evaluation of the Operational Programme, both for the Managing Authority and Intermediate bodies staff;
- providing information and assistance to potential beneficiaries on the application process (preparation, requirements, feedback) – courses, workshops etc. in order to support project generation;
- organisation of seminars, trainings, workshops for discussions and debates with the representatives of economic and social partners in order to increase the effectiveness of the OP;
- providing assistance in SOP implementation, while eventually establishing a form of partnership responsible for implementation on regional and local levels;
- providing adequate logistic support (i.e. office space, vehicle etc.) for the functioning of the entities involved in SOP IEC management and implementation.
b) Monitoring
- technical service and secretariat support for the Monitoring Committee and its sub-committees/working groups (preparation/duplication, translation of documents, organising meetings, preparing minutes, interpretation, maintaining contacts etc.);
- training of members of the Monitoring Committee;
- collecting data from sources other than national statistics (expertise on the methodology of effective and efficient monitoring of elements of the SOP IEC).
c) Control process
- system control and risk management of the intermediate bodies;
- carrying out an external audit (organisational and financial) by independent auditors as commissioned by the financial control unit of the OP Managing Authority;
- carrying out on-the-spot checks.
- Support for communication, evaluation and IT/other equipment acquisition
a) Communication
- issuing and distributing information, promotional and educational awareness raising material (publication and distribution of the official texts of the SOP IEC with a manual containing guidelines for the use of the OP assistance package, as well as information on the scope of intervention and the effects of aid);
- organising conferences, seminars, trainings and workshops (trainings and workshops for Intermediate Bodies of the SOP IEC, trainings and workshops for the recipients of the assistance, press conferences, regional conferences and information meetings for the representatives of business associations, groups and organisations, media etc.);
- workshops/seminars for the staff of the SOP IEC Managing Authority, who will carry out promotion and external communication tasks;
- setting up an information exchange system (through the media, brochures, folders, CDs / DVDs, development of a dedicated web site, etc.) for potential beneficiaries, economic, commercial, professional and other institutions on the content of the assistance package and accessibility of the structural funds for implementation of specific projects, on OP implementation, the changes made.
b) Evaluation
- covering eligible administrative costs for the operations of the Evaluation Unit (excluding salary costs);
- supporting costs of evaluations carried out by external evaluators;
- covering translation costs for the purpose of SOP IEC evaluation process;
- bearing costs of expert assistance, including experts’ fees, drawing up of expertise, analyses, studies and ideas to develop and improve methods and standards.
c) IT / other equipments
- purchase of computers, other than for SMIS;
- purchase of the necessary office equipment, such as copiers, faxes, audiovisual conference equipment (including overhead projectors, equipment for presentations etc.);
- purchase of software for management, monitoring, controlling and evaluation purposes.