The Technical Assistance Facility for Industrial Modernisation and Investment (TAF) has provided project promoters, under the S3P-Industry platform, the opportunity to work with business, corporate finance and legal experts from leading business advisory firms to improve their business plans and investment readiness of their interregional projects.
Tailored advice on a wide range of topics was provided, including appropriate financial structuring and mix of funding sources, investment vehicles, governance rules, business models, review of marketing and sales strategies, financials, cash flow analysis, due diligence preparations and intellectual property rights. Interregional investment projects from different S3P-Industry Partnerships were supported.
Best practice for interregional investment projects
The final conference of the Technical Assistance Facility for Industrial Modernisation and Investment provided participants the opportunity to learn and exchange about the process of developing and financing interregional investment projects, based on the lessons learnt and good practices from the S3P-Industry community’s experience with advisory services which have been providing tailored advisory services to project promoters.
During the conference, the testimonials of beneficiaries and business and legal experts presented and discussed the key steps and must-dos in the process of investment idea generation and business plan development
In addition, the conference hosted a panel discussion focused on the Smart Specialisation Platform’s approach to interregional investment project development and financing, reflecting on the characteristics of the projects in the S3P community and the implications of the S3P experience for future EU support mechanisms.
Tools for interregional investment
2 separate webinars took place on the key elements of the TAF Toolbox on Interregional Investment to disseminate the tools and case studies developed for this purpose.
The webinars introduced the tools, together with presentations from beneficiaries and experts who shared their personal experiences and lessons learnt pertaining to the covered topics. The webinars also offered an opportunity to exchange with the presenters and the audience.
Funding sources for interregional investment projects
In the context of the EU 2021-2027 budget, the TAF team organised a series of webinars focusing on potential funding sources for interregional investment projects. Experts provided an overview of the benefits, difficulties in getting access to and other particularities of different funding sources available for the 2021-2027 period under the EU long-term budget. The sessions focused on the following funding sources
- Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) initiative
- Horizon Europe
- InvestEU
Governance and development of platform business models for interregional investment projects
A webinar addressing the specific needs identified among the S3P-Industry stakeholders on how to address challenges looked at 2 key areas: governance aspects of interregional investment projects; and development of platform business models. The workshop presentation on governance and platform business models is available.
Toolbox on interregional investment and case studies
The experience gained through the delivery of the advisory services to S3P-Industry stakeholders has shown that project promoters face similar challenges when developing interregional investment projects.
A Toolbox on interregional investment developed for stakeholders provides further guidance. It translates the lessons learnt from the support into tools with examples from supported projects. 5 tools provide tips, methods, best practices and risks to avoid when developing investment projects, drawing from the experience of experts and beneficiaries of the facility.
The EU Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) funds the Technical Assistance Facility. The European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA) manages the Programme.