SMALL and medium-sized businesses will soon be able to seek government grants for 'digitalisation' – ranging from creating a website through to online security and a long list of other solutions.
Economy minister Nadia Calviño initially said half a million euros would be freed up between 2021 and 2023 inclusive to help smaller companies keep up with modern technology, but has since announced the pot will be at least €3 billion.
Firms eligible for the so-called Kit Digital ('Digital Kit') will be those with between 10 and 49 employees, and various legal and financial requisites must be met.
These include being solvent and up to date with tax and Social Security payments, being legally registered as a company for a minimum length of time – as yet undefined – and not have a European Commission 'recovery order', or having been in receipt of an EU grant found to be 'illegal' or 'incompatible with the common market framework'.
In designing the package, Sra Calviño's department drew on research that showed 'notable differences in technology use' between major corporations and small, single-branch businesses: Only 14% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Spain have a 'digitalisation plan', the minister says, and just 20% have a website.
A date has not been set for the plan to be launched, but details have already been revealed about how to apply for funding once it goes live.
Companies need to register on the website Acelera PYME ('Accelerate SME') and complete a 'self-diagnosis test' to find out what their digital and technology needs are.
This way, the ministry will know how far the firm has already embraced modern technological solutions, if at all, and will be able to offer a package of tailored services, complete with details of how much it would cost to implement them.
The company then consults the catalogue of solutions, chooses a series of offers, and then files a formal application via the ministry's 'digital office', Red.es.
A helpline, (0034) 900 909 001, has been set up, and which is toll-free in Spain.
Once the application has been accepted, firms then make contact with 'digitalisation agents' – a corporate figure created by the ministry – to get set up.
Any firm that meets the requirements laid down by Sra Calviño's department can apply to become a 'digitalisation agent', as long as they are domiciled in Spain, have been in operation for at least two years, have had an annual turnover of at least €100,000 in one or both of the previous two years, be solvent, and not have any tax or Social Security debts.
