The Government creates the 'Kit Consulting', with 300 million in aid to digitize SMEs and focused on AI

The Government's objective is to reach around 15,000 companies and to be able to apply by mid-June

MADRID, 6 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Government has created the 'Kit Consulting' program, endowed with 300 million euros and through which it will offer aid to SMEs with between 10 and 250 employees to contract advisory services aimed at their digital transformation, especially in areas such as intelligence artificial intelligence (AI) or cybersecurity, as government sources have explained to Europa Press.

The amount of aid that each SME can receive will depend on the number of employees it has and will take the form of a 'digital advice bonus' of 12,000, 18,000 or 24,000 euros.

Specifically, the aid for SMEs with between 10 and less than 50 employees will be 12,000 euros, for companies with between 50 and less than 100 workers it will be 18,000 euros and for companies with between 100 and less than 250 employees it will be 24,000 euros. .

In this sense, the beneficiary company must use the bonus granted in one or more of the 10 advisory services included in the program catalog.

The portfolio of this government initiative includes advisory services in artificial intelligence, data analysis (basic and advanced), digital sales, business or production processes, business strategy and performance, cybersecurity (basic, advanced and preparation for certification) and in digital transformation.

In this sense, companies that request advanced advisory services (both in data analysis and cybersecurity) must have previously completed the basic level.

In this context, the sources consulted have stressed that the focus of the program is on helping SMEs in the implementation of artificial intelligence, given that it is these types of companies that "really have to transform in order to achieve the benefits of "business productivity" that is expected to be achieved through the use of this technology.

Specifically, the Executive hopes that the 'Consulting Kit' will reach at least 15,000 companies and that SMEs will be able to start applying for aid in mid-June.

Like the 'Digital Kit', this aid program will be managed by Red.es, an entity attached to the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, and the 300 million euros with which this initiative is endowed will come from the NextGeneration EU funds.

Among the requirements that SMEs will have to meet to be able to access this aid program is the obligation to have tax domicile in Spanish territory and be considered a small or medium-sized company.

Applicants must also be registered in the census of businessmen, professionals and withholders of the State Tax Administration Agency or in the equivalent of the Foral Tax Administration, which must reflect the economic activity carried out by the company at the time of requesting the subsidy.

Nor must they be considered companies in crisis, be up to date with tax and Social Security obligations and not be subject to a pending recovery order following a previous decision of the European Commission that has declared aid illegal and incompatible with the common market.

Likewise, it is required that the applicant SME not be subject to any other of the prohibitions provided for in the General Subsidies Law and not exceed the de minimis aid limit.

On the other hand, the services included in the program catalog will be developed by a series of digital advisors, who will be the only ones authorized to sign the provision agreements with the beneficiary SMEs and who are the ones who actually receive the aid payment once maybe they have justified their work.

The period for joining the program by digital advisors will remain open throughout the duration of the 'Consulting Kit'.

To be a digital advisor in the 'Kit Consulting', interested companies must have invoiced at least 100,000 euros in the year prior to their request to join the program or have an average income in their last three years higher than that threshold.

They must also have their tax domicile in a country in the European Union and be up to date with their tax and Social Security obligations, among other requirements.

For the launch of the 'Consulting Kit', the Government will have an automated processing system driven by, among other elements, artificial intelligence, with the aim of reducing the bureaucratic burden and thereby reducing the number of documents to be presented and shortening the concession terms.

Thus, applicant SMEs will not have to provide any documentation, although they will have to authorize Red.es to consult ex officio the requirements and obligations required to be a beneficiary of the program.

Added to this is the launch of an artificial intelligence platform with which the Government will be able to verify the justifications for the advisory services provided and with which it will be able, for example, to detect plagiarism or check the quality of the documents presented.