Call to support tourism networks and for the development of tourism product clusters

There Marche region aims to support the creation of projects capable of triggering real and lasting processes of development of the tourist offerto facilitate the use of the holiday experience, to develop differentiated and innovative tourist products and services, to increase the recognizability of a territory by improving and innovating the local reception system, encouraging sustainability and deseasonalization.

Therefore, to support the creation of real tourist products consisting of innovative services and/or integrated experiential tourism proposals within the tourist’s reach, to be marketed on national and international markets, capable of responding effectively to the needs of the current tourism market, it is was launched on Call to support tourism networks and the development of tourism product clusters.

PLAFOND AVAILABLE

€2,000,000 for projects presented by business networks;

€1,000,000 for projects presented by individual companies.

BENEFICIARY COMPANIES

They can benefit from the benefits provided by this announcement micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) qualified as tourism businesses, individually or in aggregate among themselves or with companies in other sectorshaving the ATECO codes reported in the specific Appendix of the notice, in the form of a network contract, temporary association of purpose or temporary grouping, according to the requirements indicated in Appendix B (minimum 3 partners and maximum 6). The businesses:

must be registered in the Business Register and/or in the Economic Administrative Repertoire4 at the territorially competent Chamber of Commerce, or, in the case of freelancers, be holders of an active VAT number falling within the sectors of activity indicated in the ATECO codes provided for in the notice (both as main or secondary ATECO code);
have the headquarters of the investment located in the territory of the Marche Region or undertake to establish it by the date of the first payment of the contribution, be in the full and free exercise of their rights.
have the resources and financial mechanisms necessary to cover the management and maintenance costs for operations involving investments in infrastructure or productive investments, in order to guarantee their financial sustainability;
be in compliance with the provisions on tax matters, social security and welfare contributions according to current legislation.

ELIGIBLE INTERVENTIONS

For the purposes of this announcement they are: business projects aimed at offering innovative services and products capable of attracting and encouraging tourist demand are eligible, also with a view to sustainability and deseasonalization, connected to one or more clusters. The Marche Region, with DGR 370/2014, has recognized and promoted some thematic clusters (Parks and active nature, Genius of Marche, Marche by Bike, Marche Family, Marche in Moto, Marche in Blu, Marche taste and traditions, Art of knowing how to do, Rolling hills and ancient villages, Marche Cinema, Marche Wedding, Wellness spas and well-being, Trekking, Business and Meeting, School tourism, Science and technology), which act as director for the aggregation of local and regional development projects from a tourism perspective: for the purposes of this call, additional thematic networks, including those linked to the territory, and innovative areas of intervention may be recognised.

The interventions may, therefore, concern by way of example and not exhaustively:

the valorisation of “know-how” understood as artisanal excellence of the Marche, in different thematic areas ranging from food and wine (historic and typical local restaurants), to agri-food products (wines, oil, cheeses, etc.), to typical, artistic and traditional, to manufacturing companies and related outlets and shops selling clothing, textiles and footwear as well as museums that promote the products of these activities;
the development of an organized system for Family tourism, connecting the different realities already present for the creation of a highly attractive product on the tourist market;
the valorisation of companies operating in active and outdoor tourism, through new advanced services capable of giving further impetus to the development and recognisability of an area;
the development of companies operating in Wellness Tourism, understood not only as wellness tourism (SPAs, thermal centers etc.) but from a holistic perspective, also enhancing the places of the soul (nature, art, culture, spirituality etc.) ;
the development of the offer of educational tourism services that can derive from the need to organize visits to the area for students and international project partners, in collaboration with local stakeholders; the promotion of experiential and place-based study and international exchange programs (e.g. bootcamps, student competitions and other location/place-based learning approaches).

The interventions may be accompanied by digital cluster platforms which, by encouraging collaboration between transversal professional areas, integrate and develop the organization and marketing of services.

ELIGIBLE EXPENSES

Are considered eligible expenses starting from 01.01.2024 for projects started and not completed before the submission of the application.

The eligible expenses must refer to the interventions for which the contribution request is submitted, be coherent and appropriate to the aims of the project and functional to the achievement of the indicated objectives:

A) MATERIAL ACTIVES:

Capital goods and equipment (instrumentation, machinery, systems, connection costs, hardware systems and IT equipment);
Costs of materials, supplies and similar products directly attributable to the activities carried out;
Masonry and similar works (within the limit of 20% of the total eligible expenses).

The total expense items falling into the “A” types cannot be less than 40% of the total project cost.

B) INTANGIBLE ASSETS:

Design (within the limit of 20% of the total eligible expenses);
Professional consultancy (management, commercial, specialist consultancy, marketing, internationalisation, etc.);
Patents – licenses;
Other services strictly relevant to the nature of the project to be financed;
Computer programs, Know-How, non-patented technical knowledge concerning new product technologies and production processes.

C) STAFF:

Employees: cost of specialist staff only for the portion of actual use in the project;
Non-employee staff: or with fixed-term or indefinite-term subordinate contracts, co.co.co, doctoral scholarships, research grants, etc.

The amount is recognized as a flat rate in the percentage of 20% of the direct costs (A and B) different from the personnel costs of the operation and determined in a simplified manner through the application of the “standard unit cost.

D) GENERAL COSTS:

General expenses (office and administrative): indirect costs functional to the implementation of the project calculated with a flat rate of up to 7% of the eligible direct costs.

INVESTMENT LIMITS

The following are not eligible for financing:

projects presented by single companies that develop a contribution of less than €20,000.00 (total eligible cost of the minimum investment project €40,000.00);

projects presented by associated companies that develop a contribution of less than €60,000.00 (total eligible cost of the minimum investment project €120,000.00.

The maximum contribution that can be granted in this announcement, in compliance with the ceiling established by the second paragraph of the art. 3 of Regulation 2831/2023 “De Minimis”, is: