Within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and in investment 3 of component 13, the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service intends to expand the instruments of support to SMEs in their digital transformation processes for SMEs between 10 and less than 250 employees.
To this end, it is intended to offer assistance to the contracting of a advisory service for the digital transformation of the SME, integrated within the Kit Digital ecosystem, using its same management model and complementary with this assistance.
Advisory service for digital transformation
With this help, the SME will be able to enjoy an advisory service with which to develop some of the following specialized digitization strategies:
- Strategy for business improvement and redesign, through services, techniques and business intelligence technology.
- Strategy for the improvement and optimization / automation of processes analyzing the implemented solutions, the improvement of their integration (fine-tunning) and the identification of new solutions and opportunity for improvement.
- Strategy to evaluate the impact and take advantage of the opportunities of disruptive technologies in the company: IA, Big Data, Cloud.
- Strategy for the orientation of the company to the data (data-driven), which will help to explore the opportunity to manage the data cycle in the company and obtain value for data-based decision making.
Alternatively, it is contemplated the possibility of being able to develop a 360º strategy, of a more generalist nature, based on a comprehensive analysis of the company and the opportunities for improvement derived from digitalization.
The provision of the service will have a maximum duration of 5 months and will consist of two phases:
- A first phase for the diagnosis and elaboration of a plan/roadmap of a digital transformation strategy of eligible SMEs, for 30%/40% of the bonus amount.
- A second phase of development of the selected strategy, for the rest of the bonus amount.
Characteristics of the aid
The aid will be granted in the form of a bonus, for an amount that can range between € 12,000 and € 20,000, depending on the size of the company.
The beneficiary SME may use the voucher in the contracting of a digital transformation advisory service available on the market, provided by companies that have joined as Digitizing Agents. The adhering suppliers must prove at least two of the following requirements:
- carry out economic advisory activities, for example those classified in the CNAE 6202 of “Computer consulting activities”,
- certify a minimum accumulated turnover of 100,000 euros in the previous two years and in consulting services to SMEs for digitization,
- Belong to an association of consulting companies.
For the payment of these services, the beneficiary SME may deduct the voucher up to the nominal amount granted, having to assume with its own funds the cost of the service that exceeds this amount, as well as the full payment of VAT associated with the total cost of the service.
From the granting of the voucher, and until the certification of compliance with the subsidized activity, the period of 9 months may not be exceeded. In this period, the service provider must carry out the activities of the two phases, within a maximum period of 5 months, and justify the aid.
The payment of the aid, as in the Digital Kit model, will be made to the supplier against the justification of each phase and once the evidence that proves the reality of the activity has been verified. Two payments will be made to the advisory services provider: a minimum of 30/40% to the justification of the completion of the first phase and the rest with the justification of the second.
The activities and supporting documentation will depend on the strategy selected. In general, the contribution of parts of hours, deliverable of the activities carried out and the evidence of the sessions/meetings held will be required. The validation and payment of each phase will require a certificate of conformity signed by the beneficiary SME and the service provider. It will be a requirement to accredit the availability of analysis tools/subscriptions to specialized analytical data sources to perform the first phase analyses.
Objectives
In this context, in order to confirm the interest in this line of aid for the support of the transformation of SMEs and identify opportunities for improvement of their characteristics and in their management procedures, it is proposed to consult the market in a Manifestation of Interest.
Specifically, this expression of interest aims to:
- Know the state of digitalization of SMEs, and their forecasts and expectations of long-term digital transformation using advisory services.
- Identify the areas of improvement in digital transformation in which SMEs need an advisory service.
- Obtain relevant and accurate information to define the characteristics of the aid that allows to improve the attractiveness of the aid and ensure the expected impact.
- Check the capabilities, interest and availability of companies that provide consulting/consulting services in digital transformation.
Two different questionnaires have been planned for its development: one aimed at the target companies, namely SMEs with between 10 and less than 250 employees; and another questionnaire aimed at companies providing advisory services for digital transformation.
Expressions of interest
SMEs and companies providing advisory services for digital transformation are invited to contribute to this Manifestation of Interest, based on the following criteria:
- This Expression of Interest is open both to SMEs between 10 and less than 250 employees interested in their digital transformation and to companies that provide or would provide advisory services in digital transformation to this type of SMEs, since knowledge of the opinions of both sectors is necessary to evaluate the possibilities of the expansion of the program.
- The information collected through these expressions of interest has the sole objective of having an adequate knowledge of the current level of digitization of SMEs and their needs for digitization in the short and medium term through external advisory instruments, identifying possible barriers to access to aid by SMEs and advisory companies, and assessing the interest for this public aid with the terms and conditions in which it is proposed.
- Once the deadline for the receipt of expressions of interest associated with this document is over, the responses received will be analyzed in order to subsequently, where appropriate, articulate the most appropriate collaboration and financing instruments.
- Calls for aid after this expression of interest will at all times be subject to the criteria of publicity, concurrence, transparency and non-discrimination.
- The non-presentation of a statement of interest or response to the consultation will not limit the possibility of presenting proposals in a possible future call for proposals.
Presentation of expressions of interest
Expressions of interest may be sent using the following forms until February 29, 2024 at 20:00 (those received after this date will not be taken into account).
Questionnaire SMEs. MDI Support for the digitalization of SMEs through advisory services for digital transformation.
Consultancy questionnaire. MDI Support for the digitalization of SMEs through advisory services for digital transformation.
The expressions of interest sent will be anonymous and no personal data is requested in the questionnaires. However, participants are requested to refrain from including personal data in the text fields that could be enabled for this purpose in any of the issues. If personal data are found, it is reported that the response will be discarded immediately.
The proponents may submit one or more expressions of interest, taking into account that it must be contributed as a single legal entity.