Product certification and the implementation of a management system are key steps to improving the quality and competitiveness of any company. If you are a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that wants to ensure compliance with international standards and increase customer trust, now is the time to act! Find out how to get financial support to help you certify your products and implement a management system, and discover all the details of the competition and conditions through our guide. Join the successful companies that are using these opportunities for growth and development.
Subject of the Invitation
Providing support to SMEs to increase international competitiveness by assessing the conformity and certifying products, services or processes in accordance with the requirements of internationally recognized standards or certification schemes.
Purpose of the Call
Facilitate access to international markets and increase the competitiveness of SMEs by implementing internationally recognized standards, as well as management systems, which demonstrate the level of quality and safety in the exchange of goods and services and contribute to customer trust.
Financial allocation
Total available grant amount : EUR 20,000,000.00
- costs of procurement (purchase) of standards, with the exception of the standard for the EU Ecolabel certificate, for which only the cost of preparing a study for the EU Ecolabel certificate is eligible
- project promotion and visibility costs
- costs of implementing horizontal activities
- costs of preparing a project proposal.
Minimum grant amount : EUR 3,000.00
Maximum grant amount: EUR 150,000.00
Support intensity
- Micro and small enterprises up to 75% of eligible costs
- Medium-sized enterprise up to 55% of eligible costs
Who can apply?
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that have been established at least one year prior to the application, that are registered to carry out the eligible activity in which the project activities are carried out and that meet the following administrative requirements:
- have at least one employee by working hours in 2023
- have positive EBITDA in 2023
- business revenues in 2023 are not less than 50% of the total project value
Unacceptable activities:
- Real estate business
- Gambling and betting activities
- Financial and insurance activities
- Legal and accounting activities
- Trade or production of goods for military purposes, defense products and non-military lethal means specified in the Regulation on the list of goods for military purposes, defense products and non-military lethal means
- Wholesale and retail stores
- Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities
- Sports, entertainment and recreational activities
- Production, processing and marketing of tobacco and tobacco products
- Aid conditional on the use of domestic products or services instead of imported ones;
- Primary production of fishery and aquaculture products;
- Processing and placing on the market of fishery and aquaculture products, if the amount of support is determined on the basis of the price or quantity of purchased products or products placed on the market
- Primary production of agricultural products
- Sector of processing and marketing of agricultural products, in one of the following cases:
- if the amount of aid is determined on the basis of the price or quantity of those products purchased from primary producers or placed on the market by the undertakings concerned
- if the subsidies are conditional on their partial or complete transfer to primary producers
- Activities linked to exports to third countries or Member States, in particular aid directly linked to the quantities exported, the establishment and operation of a distribution network or other current expenditure linked to the export activity.
Acceptable activities
- Certification of products, services, processes
Eligible activities that can be financed under this Call relate to the certification of products, process services, or the assessment of the conformity of products, process services, with a specific standard or specification.
Eligible project activities can be all actions within the framework of conformity assessment procedures.
Product certification activities, process services, can only be acceptable if the independent conformity assessment has been carried out by an accredited body.
- Management system certification
Eligible activities that can be financed under this Call relate to management system certification and include:
- investments in the preparation, implementation and certification of management systems (quality or business processes or services) according to the requirements of internationally recognized standards for management systems or in the field of services (ISO)
- investments in the preparation, implementation and certification of management systems (quality or business processes or services) according to the requirements of market-recognized certification schemes (such as FSC and/or PEFC certification, BRC standards, KOSHER, HALAL, etc.).
Certification/management system certification activities can only be acceptable if they are carried out by a body accredited for the introduction of business process and quality management systems.
Eligible categories of expenses
- Product certification
Eligible direct costs within the framework of the product conformity assessment procedure include:
- costs of preparing the prescribed technical documentation (technical file accompanying the file) if it is prepared by an external provider of technical documentation services
- costs of translating technical documentation into a foreign language, if necessary for conformity assessment
- costs of assessing the conformity of products, services, processes (testing, inspection, certification, measurement, calibration) by an accredited conformity assessment body
- costs of the product conformity assessment procedure and the issuance of conformity documents (for example: test report, certificate, declaration of conformity, inspection certificate, declaration of performance) by an accredited conformity assessment body.
Indirect costs incurred directly as a result of the implementation of the project by the applicant are calculated at a fixed rate of up to 7% of the total value of the eligible direct costs of the project.
Indirect costs arising from the implementation of the project include:
- costs of transporting the product to the accredited conformity assessment body
- procurement (purchase) costs of standards
- costs of project promotion and visibility
- costs of implementing horizontal activities
- costs of preparing a project proposal
- Management system certification
Eligible direct costs within the framework of the management system implementation and certification process include:
- costs of consulting services necessary for the introduction of a management system that will enable the acquisition of a certificate (snapshot, project definition, system model and goal setting, preparation of documentation and fulfillment of prerequisites for the introduction of a management system),
- costs of training employees necessary for the introduction of the management system that is the subject of the project proposal
- costs of certification of business process and quality management systems by an accredited body.
Indirect costs incurred directly as a result of the implementation of the project by the applicant are calculated at a fixed rate of up to 7% of the total value of the eligible direct costs of the project.
Indirect costs arising from the implementation of the project include:
Application deadline:
From February 4th, 2025, at 11:00 AM
Grants will be awarded trough an open grant allocation procedure in the modality of a permanently open call until the available funds are exhausted (commonly referred to as the “Fastest finger” principle.
Product certification is an opportunity for SMEs to enhance customer trust and improve their business operations. For any additional information or inquiries, please contact the expert team at 4Consulting, who will support you every step of the way.
You can find more information about the call for proposals on the official website:
https://eufondovi.gov.hr/objava-poziva-za-dostavu-projektnih-prijedloga-potpora-poduzecima-za-certifikaciju-proizvoda-i-uvodenje-sustava-upravljanja-referentni-broj-pk-1-3-04/
