The programme Upgrading of existing businesses in the service sector (retail trade - catering -privateeducation) is expected to be announced in the next period of time by the NSRF.

The action concerns the upgrading of existing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the retail and services sector (retail, catering, private education) around the four categories of interventions:

1. Interventions for energy saving
2. Interventions for the integration of information and communication technologies in the service provided
3. Interventions to enhance the health and safety of the premises
4. Interventions to strengthen the supply chain

Eligible expenditure Retail trade-Food service-Private education

The starting date for eligibility of expenditure will be the date of publication of the notice. The eligible costs will relate to:

• Building Infrastructure with emphasis on environmental protection and energy saving.
• Building works, electromechanical and special installations in the company's premises that are directly related either to energy saving or to the protection of the environment.

Indicative:

• Upgrading of the central heating system with environmental care
• Replacement of glazing and / or frames with new ones of high energy efficiency
• Thermal insulation of buildings
• Constructions, configurations, extensions, layouts of the building facilities, which aim to facilitate the accessibility of people with disabilities
• Interventions for the improvement, upgrading and landscaping of the surrounding area
• Equipment and software with emphasis on technological upgrading of businesses through increased ICT use and energy saving

Indicative costs for technological upgrade:

• Upgrading of technological infrastructure, integration of ICT equipment
• Supply of transportation and installation of new modern machinery and other IT equipment such as computers, computer equipment and electronic networking
• Software license costs
• Creation - construction of a new website and adaptation of an existing website to serve people with disabilities
• Creation – development of a-sops, moville portal, moville apps
• Costs of adopting cloud computing services
• Development and implementation of specialized customer or personnel management programs of the company
• Renewal of equipment related to the safety of the site and the security of the provision of the service

Indicative costs for environmental protection and energy saving:

• Replacement of electrical and electronic appliances with new energy labels A
• Installation of external shaders
• Installation of an energy management system
• Installation of a lighting level control system with presence sensors
• Installation of a RES system or heat pumps for the production of domestic hot water or heating-cooling of spaces
• Replacement of an old burner-boiler system with a new one of high efficiency or with a natural gas system
• Equipment and work to reduce water consumption
• Equipment and works to upgrade the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system

Also eligible under the programme will be eligible costs for:

• Study and preparation of manuals for the development and certification of management systems
• Provision of monitoring and management services of the investment project
• Specialized studies in the context of the supply chain (logistics)

The indicative budget of the action amounts to 50,000,000 euros (public expenditure). The total budget of the aided investment projects is estimated to be 111,1 million euro.

The financing of investment projects covers 40% of the eligible costs and is increased by 10%, reaching 50% in the case of recruitment of new staff.

See more information about the action here.