PIA & miniPIA

Purposes and beneficiaries

MiniPIA

The Mini Integrated Facilitation Package (MiniPIA) is a financial instrument of the Region of Puglia aimed at businesses in the tourism sector that intend to expand and modernise their facilities, or to implement new initiatives through the enhancement of the historical-cultural heritage and landscape.
Applications can be submitted from May 2024.

Beneficiaries:

• Enterprises of any size, including newly established ones, and Enterprise Networks/Consortia.

PIA

The Integrated Package of Incentives (PIA) TOURISM is a financial instrument aimed at companies in the tourism sector, consisting of different types of measures to finance:

1. Investments in properties for tourism use

2. Technological innovation and training projects

3. Environmental protection

4. Specialized consultancy and internationalization

Applications for funding access can be submitted from March 2024 to December 2027

Beneficiaries:

• SMEs, Business Networks consisting of at least 5 companies

• Medium and sarge companies must have approved at least two financial statements by the application date

• Small companies must demonstrate they have achieved an average turnover of at least 1 million euros in the last three years, or have signed commercial agreements with 4-star hotel management brands.

Small enterprises on the date of application must demonstrate a turnover of at least EUR 1 million on average in the last three years, or have signed commercial agreements with 4-star hotel management brands.

Financeable initiatives

MiniPIA

The Mini Integrated Incentive Packages must involve investment programs with amounts between €30,000 and €5 million, intended for:

• The creation of new tourist hotel facilities (including diffused hotels), or non-hotel accommodations (with at least 5 rooms) through:

1. Extraordinary maintenance works and/or consolidation, restoration and conservation of properties of historical or artistic interest subject to the restrictions of Legislative Decree 42/2004, or entire properties located in "A" historic center zones and abandoned for at least 3 years

2. Extraordinary maintenance works and/or consolidation, restoration and conservation of rural buildings, Farmhouses, Trulli, Towers, Fortifications, Vintage Cottages and Country Houses

• The establishment of new tourist hotel or non-hotel activities (with at least 5 rooms) through:

1. The recovery of partially built and unfinished accommodation facilities

2. The recovery of abandoned buildings, or those requiring extraordinary maintenance and building renovation to be converted into accommodation facilities, hostels, as well as sports, cultural and/or recreational facilities

• Expansion, modernization and renovation of existing hotel facilities (including diffused hotels), as well as non-hotel residences already operating for at least 6 months and located in a single real estate complex dedicated to accommodation with at least 3 and max. 6 units

• Creation or modernization of beach facilities;

• Creation or expansion, modernization and renovation of campgrounds and tourist docks

• Creation, expansion or improvement of sports infrastructure

• Creation of theme parks

Investment Programs (whose expenses cannot exceed 90% of the entire Package) must be mandatorily integrated with digital and/or technological Programs covering at least one of the following interventions:

1. Innovation Projects (digital, technological, strategic, organizational and management of tourism businesses)

2. Training Projects (for qualification of skills in digital transformation, sustainable tourism, ecological transition, green reconversion)

The Project may also include:

• Environmental Protection Programs

• Specialized consultancy (including internationalization)

• Expenses for participation in trade fairs.

If the investment program is submitted by a Business Network or Consortium, the project must aim to increase tourist flows for the participating companies, potentially through a Temporary Manager, and address:

• Digital investments

• Training courses

• Multifunctional packages (Specialized consultancy and expenses for participation in fairs)

Eligible expenses

Within the productive investment program, the following expenses are eligible:

1. Value of land and its development

2. Masonry works and similar (including property value)

3. Machinery, equipment, furniture and newly manufactured equipment in line with Industry 4.0 requirements and/or the European Green Deal;

4. Preliminary feasibility studies

5. Design and work supervision expenses

6. Patents, licenses and know-how and technology transfers

7. Computer programs

8. Salary costs related to new employees for a max. period of 2 years

Within innovation projects, eligible expenses include:

1. Consulting services for the introduction and use of innovative technologies and solutions provided by research organizations, technological districts, innovation specialists

2. Training activities by entities accredited with the Puglia Region

3. Specialized consulting services, including a Temporary Manager, for website promotion, marketing strategy definition, certification acquisition

4. Environmental protection consulting services

5. Internationalization services

6. Expenses for participation in trade fairs

Types of structures that can be subject to financial incentives (Mini PIA Tourism)

• Properties of historical or artistic interest subject to Legislative Decree 42/2004 (entire property, not partial)

• Properties located in "A" historic center zones and abandoned for at least 3 years (entire property, not partial)

• Rural buildings

• Farmhouses (Masserie)

• Trulli

• Towers

• Fortifications

• Vintage cottages

• Country houses

• Properties authorized for accommodation facilities, partially built and unfinished

• Abandoned buildings, or those requiring extraordinary maintenance and building renovation to be converted into accommodation facilities, hostels, as well as sports, cultural and/or recreational facilities.

PIA

The Integrative Packages concern investment programs with amounts between €5 and €40 million intended for:

• New tourist hotel and non-hotel facilities with at least 7 rooms through the recovery of unfinished structures initially intended for tourism activities.

• Expansion/modernization and renovation of existing hotel facilities, aimed at raising quality standards and/or classification.

• Creation of hotel facilities with accommodation capacity of not less than 7 rooms through extraordinary maintenance, consolidation and restoration of historic buildings with declaration of cultural interest (art. 13 Legislative Decree 42/2004).

• Construction of new hotel facilities with capacity of not less than 7 rooms through extraordinary maintenance, consolidation, restoration and conservation or building renovation, to be used for accommodation, conference, sports, cultural and/or recreational facilities.

• Structures, facilities or interventions through which the territorial tourism offer is improved with the aim of promoting the deseasonalization of tourist flows.

Expenses concerning the property (for purchase, restoration and furnishing) cannot exceed 90% of the entire Integrative Package and must also include expenses related to:

• Innovation Projects (digital, technological, strategic, organizational and management)

• Training

• Environmental protection

• Specialized consultancy

• Internationalization (including participation in industry trade fairs)

• For SMEs only, the project may include:

1. Specialized consultancies

2. Expenses for participation in trade fairs

3. For Business Networks only, the PIA can be represented by a project aimed at increasing tourist flows, including international ones, expanding the business of each participant, and can consist of digital investments, training courses, multifunctional packages, etc.

Financial incentives

MiniPIA

This instrument allows you to receive a non-repayable grant (provided that the company obtains financing from an affiliated bank) for the investment program, in the following amounts:

• 25% (30% with premiums) for Large companies

• 35% (40% with premiums) for Medium-sized companies

• 45% (50% with premiums) for Micro and Small companies (with turnover up to €10 million and fewer than 50 employees)

For other types of expenses, the contribution is equal to:

• Up to 40% for investments aimed at Innovation

• Up to 60% for training interventions

• Up to 55% for investments in environmental protection and energy savings

• Up to 40% for specialized consulting services, internationalization and trade fairs

In addition to the non-repayable grant, the company can obtain an additional 10% of ESL aid in the form of a guarantee on the financing provided by the bank.

Cumulability: The combination with other aid measures having a general and uniform character not constituting State Aid is allowed, as provided by art. 8 of the GBER.

PIA

The financial instrument of the Puglia Region allows receiving a non-repayable grant for property-related expenses in the following amounts:

• 30% for large companies

• 40% for medium-sized companies

• 50% for small companies (with turnover up to €10 million and fewer than 50 employees)

The above percentages of aid may be increased by an additional 10% due to certain priorities.

The contribution can be increased up to:

• 50% for technological innovation

• 70% for training

• 65% for environmental protection and energy savings from alternative sources

• 50% for consulting services

Bureaucratic process

The bureaucratic process for applying for the PIA is divided into three phases:

1. Access phase

2. Preliminary investigation phase

3. Project Submission Phase

The Integrated Facilitation Programmes can be started after the submission of the Application (Access Phase) through the web-based platform of the Apulia Region, which is assigned a Protocol Code (CUP).

This is followed by the Preliminary Assessment Phase by Puglia Sviluppo on the basis of the evaluation criteria, at the end of which the Measure admitting the proposal to the next phase (Project Submission Phase) is adopted with the communication to submit the final project within the next 60 days.

If resources are exhausted, applications are admitted subject to a reservation.