Background information

On 13 July 2021, the Minister for the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania issued an order approving the Procedure for funding projects under the measure Creative Vouchers COVID-19 of the Operational Programme for the European Union Funds’ Investments in 2014-2020. The measure aimed at encouraging companies to invest in product/service design solutions with a view to increase the attractiveness and demand of their products/services and the productivity of the companies. When implementing the projects, applicants are able to purchase services in the cultural and creative sectors, so that the benefits of the measure will also be passed on to the cultural and creative industries that have been particularly affected by the pandemic.

Content of measure

According to the Procedure, applications are open to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that have been in operation for at least one year. They must have an average annual income of at least €50,000 in the three fiscal years preceding the submission of the application or during the period after the company was registered. The maximum amount of funding available per project is €70,000 and the minimum amount is €20,000. The maximum amount of the grant may not exceed 75% of the total eligible project costs.

Applicants may apply for the defrayal of expenditure on the purchase of services in the cultural and creative sectors, which include the development of a new product/service design or the replacement of an existing product/service design with a new one.

Applications may be submitted until 31 August 2021 to the Lithuanian Business Support Agency.

Use of measure

According to the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation, a total of 895 applications were received for the amount of €49.3 million. However, only a total of around €7 million of EU Structural Funds has been earmarked for the implementation of the measure. In total,126 business projects received support, 492 projects were put on a reserve list for which additional funding will be sought.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	SMEs	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government EU (Council, EC, EP) Public support service providers	European Funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Informed	Informed
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

No information available.

Views and reactions

No information available.

Sources

• 13 July 2021: Order No 4-770 of the minister of the Economy and Innovation (eimin.lrv.lt)
• 23 December 2021: 126 business projects benefitting from creative vouchers issued by the ministry as pandemic-related support (www.lrt.lt)