8701 Busness Grants

[quote=fudgieoto;81674]Hi i have read somewhere a long time ago, about the possiblilty of being able to apply for a business grant for set up mainly......but i can't remeber where i saw it.

I was wondering if someone could possibly shed some light on it and help me with my search

regards

Gill[/quote]

if you're lucky enough to be young certainly under 40, and depending on your regional governments policies there will probably be some schemes particularly for artisan type activities -plumbers electricians carpenters etc
if you digit regione puglia you'll probably in their internet jungle find out this kind of thing another place worth visiting would be your local (LECCE) camera del commercio ( just don't expect customer service oriented people but suspicious perhaps even rude civil servants) the chambers of commerce are usually quite updated on these things as are even some accountants-commercialisti. don't look at it or think of it just as people doshing out money many of these schemes are more likely to take an oblique form like fiscal reductions - or reduced ssn payments for a period of time or subsidized mortgages ( but this last one be careful as my friend had to pay out wacking interest because the regional government never actually paid the banks the difference from the proposed 1% mortage rate and the bank rate) so not all that glitters etc.

All i will say is GOOD luck and do not rely on receiving it if accepted. I succeded after many weeks ^ months of hard work form filling being eligable for funding, only when time came to ask for the money told none left for now.

my personnal opinion is that at the start of a business it really is not worth the real frustration of wasted time dealing with Italian gov agencies when you could concentrate on the actual business. If you do try reallystudy all the details they ask for and follow them exactly, down to the type of postal service you use to send the forms, any excuse and thy will refuse, very frustrating from experience they really are sticklers for following rules to the letter, and then getting it wrong themselves.

Good luck
Steve

I too would say in most cases it is not really worth the effort for what your get.

Here in Cagliari there are plenty of "So called" Grants but in actual fact most of them are 50% grant and 50% loan and 100% of the money has to be spent.

And the amount of hoops you have to jump though even once you get it make them more trouble than they are worth.

Personally I get the feeling that they are a con since almost 50% of the money comes back to the government in tax anyway when you spend it and the other 50% is a nice little earner for the banks.

Not tried personally but I did recently see a reference to Sviluppo Italia (Develop Italy), so maybe a search on that. Or maybe your Italian bank manager or accountant will have information?

I heard about a loan for "donne imprenditore" so I went to the ufficio coloquamento, and asked for an appointment to see the person in charge . I was told she was away for 3 weeks to go back in 3 weeks to see her then OR yes the receptionist would call the Dottoressa and make me an appointment to see her straight away in her private studio it would cost something like a 130 euro for the pleasure . I changed my mind about the loan for various reasons , but should I not have done so seeing her privatly may have payed of and helped with regard to getting it through.

I think you do need some sort of help to get anything like this ,but as mentioned above it can end up more trouble than its worth.

Hi Chardonnay,
even though you changed your mind I would have advised contacting your local branch of either;
CNA
[url=http://www.cna.it/]CNA Confederazione Nazionale dell'Artigianato e della Piccola e Media Impresa - Home Page[/url]
Confesercenti
[url=http://www.confesercenti.it/]Confesercenti Italia. Sito Ufficiale[/url]
Confcommercio
[url=http://www.confcommercio.it/home/]CONFCOMMERCIO - Home Page[/url]

They give out (initial) free advice, are competent and helpful. At least in my experience!

Weren't there grants to set up an agritourismo business? I think I was told once that you can get help to put in en/suite bathrooms and up grade your facilities?