Objective(s) and scope
Innovation aid for shipbuilding is a subsidy from the Finnish government which aims to safeguard and enable innovations in the shipbuilding sector. The aim of this aid is to stimulate novel or significantly improved solutions in the Finnish shipbuilding sector, seeking to support companies that undertake experimental development projects to create innovations that are new within the industry or that offer superior performance compared to the current leading solutions. The overarching aim is to bolster the competitiveness and sustainability of Finnish shipbuilding, enabling firms to develop advanced vessels, offshore structures, or processes that incorporate new or improved technologies.
This aid covers eligible costs directly tied to the innovative component of a project, such as development, design, testing, prototyping, and experimentation. The aid may only be granted for activities carried out after the application has been made with projects that have already commenced are ineligible.
Financing value
The grant may not exceed 25% of the eligible costs.
For a single project, there will be a possibility to grant up to EUR 25 million. Innovation aid for shipbuilding is a grant paid in instalments in accordance with the schedule defined in the financing decision, based on the progress of the project.
Low capital (EUR 0-5 million)
Mid capital (EUR 5-50 million)
Eligibility criteria (if available)
The aid can be awarded to companies registered in Finland that are engaged in shipbuilding, vessel repairs or structural modifications, and companies engaged in building floating and moving offshore structures, under the following conditions:
- If the recipient of the aid has an office in Finland and the project involves significant Finnish interests.
- If the project concerns the experimental development of innovative products and processes which are technologically new or markedly better than the currently best equivalents in the EU’s shipbuilding industry, and which involve a risk of technological or industrial failure.
- If the innovation aid has an incentivising effect on the innovation activities of the recipient.
- If the recipient is thought to have the preconditions for continued profitable operations.
The aid can be awarded to projects with the following content:
- Experimental development using existing knowledge to develop new or improved products, processes or services, prototypes and pilot projects including digital products, processes or services. Experimental development does not cover improvements related to existing products, which can be classified as normal and necessary development.
- Shipbuilding, which involves building self-propelled commercial vessels containing innovations.
- Ship repairs, where the repairs of self-propelled commercial vessels are carried out in an innovative way.
- Structural modifications of ships, where the structure of self-propelled commercial vessels is significantly changed (gross tonnage > 1,000 tonnes).
- Construction of floating and moving offshore structures intended for the exploration, utilization, or production of oil, gas, or renewable energy.
Eligible costs include the costs of the innovative components of the activities defined in the project plan that:
- Have been paid and entered in the accounts of the beneficiary.
- Are in net amount and VAT exempt
- Have arisen from the project during the duration of the project (accrual basis)
- Necessary and reasonable for the implementation of the project.
