Study to determine flat-rate revenue percentages for the sectors or subsectors within the fields of (i) ICT, (ii) research, development and innovation an (iii) energy efficiency to apply to net revenue generating operations co-financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) in 2014-2020 : executive summary

This study provides the information basis that will feed into the activities of the European Commission when formulating the delegated act referred to in Art. 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013. The objective of the study is to determine the flat rate revenue percentages for sectors or sub-sectors within the fields of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Research, Development and Innovation (RDI), and Energy Efficiency (EE) that should be applied to revenue-generating operations co-financed by the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds over the period 2014-2020. The flat rate approach implies that Member States (MSs) may choose to apply a flat rate revenue percentage to proportionally reduce the operation's eligible expenditure, as an alternative to project-specific calculation of discounted net revenue (or to application of reduced co-financing rates for particular priority axes).1 On the basis of historical data, market profitability assessment and additional evidence from interviews with Managing Authorities (MAs), beneficiaries and market experts, the present study discusses the extent to which the application of flat rates is feasible in the selected sectors and sub-sectors and, when relevant, suggests the rates that should be applied.