Temporary Subsidy Scheme for Aviation in Transition (LiT): R&D Collaboration Project

Industrial research is systematic or critical research aimed at acquiring new knowledge, expertise and skills for the purpose of developing new products, processes or services. Or to significantly improve existing products, processes or services. 

The project must involve the development of components for complex systems. The project may also include the construction of prototypes in a laboratory environment and/or in an environment with simulated interfaces to existing systems as well as of pilot lines, when necessary for the industrial research and notably for generic technology validation.

Experimental development is defined as the acquisition, combination, shaping and application of existing scientific, technological, business and other relevant knowledge and skills. These activities must focus on the development of new or improved products, processes or services. This may also include activities that involve the conceptual design, planning and documentation of new products, processes or services.

Experimental development may also comprise prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments representative of real life operating conditions where the primary objective is to make further technical improvements to products, processes or services that are not yet largely defined. This may involve the development of a commercially viable prototype or pilot that is, by necessity, the final commercial product and which is too expensive to produce solely for the purpose of demonstration and validation.

Please note: Routine or periodic changes made to existing products, production lines, manufacturing processes, services and other commonplace activities are not considered as experimental development, even if such modifications could be considered improvements.

If you have been awarded the subsidy for your R&D Collaborative Project, you will receive an advance payment of 80% of the subsidy height. We will pay this advance payment in a single instalment to the main applicant. The payment schedule can be found in the subsidy decision. The subsidy height will be paid to the main applicant of the project: the main applicant is responsible for transferring the subsidy funds to the other participants.

For some projects, you will be required to report on the progress of the project. Whether this is necessary will depend on the project duration:

• You must submit a progress report 12 months after the start date of the project.
• The progress report is submitted annually.

• Report on progress

If you wish to make a change to your project’s plan or budget, please report this change immediately. Failure to report a change to your project plan may result in sanctions, such as the full or partial repayment of your subsidy.

• Report change

If you have completed a project, you must apply for final approval of your subsidy. You can do so using the Final Report form. Your application for final approval must be submitted within 13 weeks of completing your project.

If your subsidy height is €125,000 or more, you must also include an accountant’s audit report in addition to a final report. If you completed your project before the end date and wish to get final approval for the subsidy earlier, you must first submit a request for a change to bring forward the end date of your project. 

Once this change has been approved, you can apply for final approval of your subsidy. You must include a final report of the entire project with the application form.

• Apply for final approval

We carry out random checks to verify that you have complied with the obligations for subsidy recipients. We may ask you to provide evidence. We may also ask you to demonstrate that the activities for which you received the subsidy have been carried out. If you have not met the obligations, we may reduce the subsidy height or withdraw it entirely.