Digital export bonus: an incentive for the internationalization of manufacturing companies

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in agreement with the ICE, provided for the digital export bonus, a measure that aims to support manufacturing micro enterprises in the internationalization of their products.

The recipients of the bonus

The digital export bonus is aimed, as mentioned, to companies, individual firms, artisans, networks and consortia with the ATECO C code from 10.00 to 33:

such as food, wood and furniture industries;
relating to the manufacture of clothing, leather and fur articles, or the manufacture of metal products;
other activities: jewelery, machinery and equipment, printing, leather, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, electro-medical, etc.

The object of the incentive

The digital export bonus consists of a non-repayable grant, granted under a de minimis regime – therefore within a total amount of € 200,000.00 received over three years – that the individual company/company or consortium/artisans must use for the purchase of digital solutions useful for internationalization, such as, for example:

the creation of e-commerce sites and/or mobile apps;
the implementation of a communication, information and promotion strategy, in order to amplify the company’s online presence through digital marketing activities (eg: e-commerce, campaigns, social presence, etc.) suitable for the sector of competence;
consultancy services for the development of organizational processes and human capital;
registration and / or subscription to SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms, to manage visibility and content marketing expenses.

The amount of the bonus

The digital export bonus is granted through a grant equal to:

€ 4,000.00 in favor of micro-enterprises that make expenses, for the purchase of products/services indicated above, of not less than € 5,000 (net of VAT);
€ 22,500 in favor of networks and consortia that make expenses for the purchase of the above products/services, not less than 25,000 euros (always net of VAT).

The contribution is paid, in a lump sum, following the reporting of the expenses incurred by the company at supplier companies registered in a special dedicated list.

The list of supplier companies

The Director General of ICE Agenzia, in article 7 of Resolution no. 21 of 25.11.2021, provided for the preparation of a list of supplier companies authorized to provide the services covered by the digital export bonus.

Companies competent in business development and digital transformation processes for export, which have provided services or services in the last three years, relating to one or more of the eligible expenses, for an amount of at least 200,000 euros, will be able to request the ” registration on the aforementioned list by the day, through the website https://padigitale.invitalia.it.

The legal representatives of the supplier companies, to submit the application, must be in possession of SPID, PEC box and digital signature.

This list will be formed following the expiry of the deadline for submitting applications for registration on the list, which will be established shortly with a specific provision of the ICE.

How to submit the application

Applications to obtain the digital export bonus must be submitted by the legal representative of the applicant company, exclusively online, via the website https://padigitale.invitalia.it.

It is necessary to have the SPID, an active PEC account and a digital signature.

The measure can count on an endowment of 30 million euros and the deadline for the submission of applications will be set shortly with a specific provision of the ICE.

The importance of legal support

Applying for access to an incentive, especially for new entrepreneurs, can prove to be a difficult obstacle to overcome.

Our advice, especially in the early stages, is to rely on serious, qualified professionals with proven experience in business consultancy, who will guide you with confidence in choosing the safest financing methods and in line with your commercial strategy.

Our Firm, thanks to the expertise and experience in consulting and assistance to SMEs, both in the legal and commercial and corporate fields:

provides all entrepreneurs interested in creating their own start-up or defining an optimal business strategy, advice and specific assistance in bureaucratic and commercial practices;
assists its customers in the market analysis phase, in the preparation of the business plan and in the search for the economic resources necessary to finance the start-up;
supports the company at every stage of development, recommending the best commercial and legal strategies to be implemented, and assists you from the stage of preparation of the application, up to the granting of incentives..

Contact us immediately at the numbers +39 0683521985 or +39 3711453121, or write to us at info@studiolegalecoscia.it for specific advice.