Discover the ERDF OP 2014 - 2020

The ERDF is one of five European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) that, since 2014, operate within a common framework and pursue complementary policy objectives. These funds are the main source of investment at EU level to help Member States to restore and increase growth and ensure a recovery for employment, while ensuring sustainable development, in line with the objectives of Europe 2020.

Through these funds the European Union pursues the policy of regional development - cohesion policy - to achieve the fundamental objective of economic and social cohesion among the regions of Member States.

In particular, the European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the sustainable structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.

ERDF Operational Programme 2014/2020

The Operational Programs (OPs) are the implementation documents of development and cohesion policies financed by the Structural Funds, as part of a strategic framework defined at national level. The ERDF Operational Programme of the Autonomous Province of Trento, was approved by Decision No 905 of the European Commission of 12 February 2015 and modified by Decisions No 829 of 12 February 2018, No 1058 of 20 February 2020, No 8323 of 20 November 2020 (corrected by No 9567 of 21 December 2020) and on the 24th June 2021.

Summary Report of the Priority axes and the actions provided for by the ERDF Operational Programme

The ERDF Operational Programme 2014-2020, after a negotiating process between the provincial administration, the national authorities and the European Commission, was approved on the 12th February 2015 and modified on the 12th February 2018, on the 20th February 2020 and on the 20th November 2020. An integral part of the document is the Provincial innovation strategy for smart specialization (Smart Specialisation Strategy - S3) = https://ricercapubblica.provincia.tn.it/Smart-Specialisation-Strategy which identifies the priority areas of research and innovation to be tackled, with the aim of ensuring greater effectiveness and greater results orientation of interventions, particularly those aimed to research and innovation.

The new programming of the Autonomous Province of Trento for the 2014-2020 phase focuses on five priorities for intervention - axes, with the addition of technical assistance for programme management.

The priority axes reproduce the thematic objectives for the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the priorities of the regional development policy.

Total resources allocated to the Autonmous Province of Trento for the implementation of the ERDF Operational Programme amount to 92.210.724 euro.

PRIORITY 1 - Strengthening research, technological development and innovation

Key action 1.2.2 - “Supporting the purchase of services for technological, strategic, organizational and commercial innovation of businesses" aims at promoting demand for innovation by enterprises. To this end, incentives granted to enterprises will finance the expenses for the development of new products / processes and innovation in the organization including management structure and positioning on regional, domestic and foreign markets, marketing strategies.

BENEFICIARIES: Enterprises and private research institutions

PRIORITY 2 - Promoting competitiveness of small and medium enterprises

Key action 2.1.1 – “Supporting the creation of new businesses either through direct incentives, or through the provision of services or through micro-finance": provides funding in the early stage phase, which is the funding before the start-up stage, to companies, also those that will be set up, in order to study, assess and develop an initial project, as well as support for consolidation of existing businesses in a entrepreneurial growth phase. In particular, the initiatives will be realized in form of aid and support for the creation of business initiatives through "seed money".

BENEFICIARIES: Legal entities (newly-established companies or to be established)

Key action 2.2.1 – “Aid for investments in equipment, facilities and intangible assets, and for accompanying corporate reorganization and restructuring processes": support to tangible and intangible productive investments aimed at promoting productivity growth, consolidation and reorganization of innovative companies through rationalization, modernization and replacement of a plant or a production process allowing a significant improvement in the company's performance in terms of production efficiency, competitive positioning and penetration of new markets.

The action is also aimed at promoting the acquisition of know-how, intangible assets and skills by companies.

BENEFICIARIES: Mostly small and medium-sized enterprises

PRIORITY 3 - Supporting transition to a low carbon economy

Key action 3.1.1 - “Incentives aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by enterprises and production sites, including the installation of plants producing energy from renewable sources for own consumption, giving priority to high-efficiency technologies”: support to the improvement of energy efficiency in the production facilities and  processes in order to achieve energy savings.

BENEFICIARIES: Enterprises, especially SMEs, of the Autonomous Province of Trento

Key action 3.2.1 - “Promoting eco-efficiency and reduction of primary energy consumption in public buildings and facilities: renovations of individual buildings or building complexes, installation of smart remote control systems, control, management, monitoring and optimization of energy consumption (smart buildings) and polluting emissions through the use of technologies mix: support for infrastructure work improving energy efficiency of public buildings (productive facilities and/or high-school education) assuming an exemplary value on the territory for the use of energy saving technologies and systems, helping to disseminate the culture of environmental sustainability.

BENEFICIARIES: Public Entities

PRIORITY 5 - Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management

Key action 5.1.1 - "Interventions for securing and increasing the resilience of the areas most exposed to hydrogeological risk": the interventions financed are included in the framework of the structural measures, scheduled by the Flood Risk Management Plan. These works will be carried out along the water courses or on the mountainsides, with the aim of the prevention and the containment of floods, as well as creating the conditions of equilibrium between the erosion phenomena and the transport of sediments downstream along the hydrographic network.

BENEFICIARIES: Public Entities

Key action 5.2.1 - "Interventions of micro-zoning and seismic securing of strategic and relevant public buildings located in most risky areas (Action 5.3.2 of the Partnership Agreement)": the financed interventions consist in the upgrade some strategic infrastructures (bridges - viaducts) to the recent seismic norms.

BENEFICIARIES: Autonomous province of Trento

 PRIORITY 6 - Enhancing access to, use and quality of ICT

Key action 6.1.1 - "Contribution to the implementation of the Digital Agenda for Ultra Broadband Strategic Project and other planned actions to ensure a connection capacity of at least 30 Mbps in the territories, accelerating their implementation in production areas, and in rural and inland areas, in compliance with the principle of technological neutrality and in the areas permitted by EU legislation": the Provincial Administration intends, through the use of the ERDF, to complete the ultra-wideband and optical fiber connection to the network backbone of public school buildings, as well as any additional public buildings close to school buildings.

BENEFICIARIES: Public Entities