Cepyme asks the Government for a "comprehensive plan" to help companies and raise the amounts of the Digital Kit

Artigas asserts that around 35,000 companies have requested the second call for aid for digitization

MADRID, 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of Cepyme, Gerardo Cuerva, has urged the Government on Tuesday to prepare a "comprehensive plan" of aid to companies and has also requested that the amounts of the Digital Kit be increased.

Cuerva, who has participated in the meeting "The SME: protagonist of the transformation of the economy", organized by Europa Press and Sage, has highlighted that in the current economic situation, with the energy crisis derived from the invasion of Ukraine, the rise of interest rates and the uncertain environment, SMEs run the risk of "lack of liquidity".

Along these lines, he stressed that most of the current aid plans "do not go the last mile", that is, they do not end up reaching the companies.

"Measures that are valid in an unconnected way, without global planning, are not worth it. The situation has changed and we have to adapt to the times," Cuerva stressed.

However, the president of Cepyme has stated that one of the aids that is arriving is that linked to the Digital Kit, which includes 3,000 million in aid that will be distributed in different calls with the aim of promoting the digitalization of companies.

Although the aid is arriving, Cuerva has asked the Government to increase the amount of it. Thus, for example, it has assessed that 12,000 euros are insufficient to carry out the digital transformation of a company with between 10 and 49 employees. "We need the amounts to increase," she insisted.

For her part, the Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence, Carme Artigas, who has also participated in the meeting organized by Europa Press and Sage, has highlighted that there are 1,500 million euros of the Digital Kit without an assigned call that could be allocated to those increases in amounts or to companies that have lagged behind in applying for aid.

It has also ensured that around 35,000 SMEs have already requested the second call for the Digital Kit aimed at companies with between three and nine employees and that it has a budget of 500 million euros.

Likewise, he highlighted the success of the first call for the Digital Kit, aimed at SMEs with between 10 and 49 employees and also endowed with 500 million euros.

"We have done very well in the first tranche. Almost 60% of all Spanish SMEs (between 10 and 49 employees) have asked us for the Digital Kit. Unprecedented, I think there is no subsidy in the history of this country , nor of the European Union -because they are asking me all the time how we have done it-, that it has exceeded 25%", he underlined.

However, he has emphasized that the greatest challenge in allocating the funds associated with the Digital Kit will occur in the next call, which is expected to be launched between the end of October and the beginning of November and will be allocated to professionals and freelancers. .

On the other hand, Artigas has pointed out that one of the objectives is also to "reduce the deadlines" for assigning aid.

"There have been 70,000 requests for the Digital Kit (from the first call) and there are 30,000 SMEs from the first tranche that already have the voucher in their hands. We have given them six months to close the agreements with digitizers, but we have to get them to do it in less," he stressed.