Vietnam/EU Creative Industries & IT

Trade and Investment Fair

Ho Chi Minh City April 2006

Name of Applicant Company

·          Please type your answers and return to the project manager.

· Application forms must be returned by 23rd March

(Please note that there are  40 financial packages available to eligible participants on a first come, first served basis)

(1) Organiser/ Project Lead Partner

* The term ‘Creative’ refers to a business involved in any aspect related to creative practice, such as: art, photography, media, publishing, design etc.

Part 2: (To be completed by Applicant)

Formal acceptance of your application will be confirmed to you by the Project Manager following acceptance of eligibility by the local project steering committee operating in either UK or Vietnam

(5) Company address

     (please include postcode)

(6)  Company representative

      and position

      Name of parent or holding

        company (if applicable)

(7) About your company

 (8)  Please state your main objectives for participating in this event and any other information about your business of relevance to this application.   (Max 30 words)

 (9) Please provide a description of your business for the event brochure. (Max. 40 words)

(10)   Has your company visited Vietnam before? If so, how many times? 

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NOTES & CONDITIONS

Conditions of the Event are:

1.       All Companies or businesses must be EU-based and promoting bi-lateral trade and/or investment.

2.       Only one representative per company or business may receive a financial package although others are welcome to participate at their own expense.

3.       The financial package will be available from The Innovatory for EU based companies (co-financed by the EU Asia Invest Programme).

4.       A special financial package for eligible companies includes a four night trip with five star luxury accommodation at the conference hotel between 25-30 April 2006. The flight and hotel B&B price is £260.00 for four nights (later return flights can be arranged at no extra cost) the price includes attendance at the conference and evening banquet on 27 April 2006.

5.    In order for participants to be eligible for the financial package they must:

i.     Have fewer than 250 employees

ii.     Have an annual turnover of less than €40m (£25m)

iii.    Attend two workshops and a briefing meeting in the UK before travelling. 

iv.    Attend the conference day

v.     Complete and return a questionnaire at the end of the event.

vi.    Send a cheque for the full amount payable to ‘Hoxton Bibliotech’ for £260.00, which contributes to the Financial Package and secures the Event booking. The cheque will be deducted from the overall package cost. The cheque is due once eligibility and acceptance has been confirmed by the Project Manager, following Steering Group approval.

6.     Market visit support is classed as a state aid and is therefore subject to EU regulations governing state aids.  While the EU strongly regulates state aid to businesses we have the option to exempt some aid under the EU’s De Minimis block exemption scheme. This permits no more than euro 100,000 in total to be received by an enterprise in a 3 year period.  You must therefore use the table at the end of this form to confirm that your business has not received more than that amount of state aid in the 3 year period leading up to this application.  You should use the table below to tell us about any state aid you have received over the relevant period and include the grant for which you are currently applying in the table.

7.     Companies who are receiving a travel grant from any European sources of funding in respect of this event may not claim an additional financial package.

8.     The Innovatory reserves the right to withhold any or all of the financial package or require part or full repayment of any financial package already paid if any participant: ceases trading; goes into liquidation, administration, receivership or bankruptcy; becomes the subject of a proposal for a winding up order or any other informal insolvency procedure; is or becomes indebted to any government department.

9.     The Innovatory reserves the right to withhold any or all of the grant or require part or full repayment of any grant already paid if any participant: fails to comply with the conditions of the Scheme or causes embarrassment to Her Majesty’s Government in the UK, the host country or other participants of the group. 

Although participants are normally free, having observed these conditions, to arrange their own business itineraries please note that the scheme is about group participation.  Members can obtain real benefits from opportunities to network with each other.  We hope that you will therefore participate within the spirit as well the rules of the event and take part, wherever appropriate, in joint calls and hospitality.  The Innovatory and VCCI can provide you with details.  Your involvement in any debriefing session at the end of the market visit also provides The Innovatory, VCCI and partners with invaluable feedback.

Applicants are encouraged to take full advantage of all practical sources of help and advice in preparing for this market visit.  The better-prepared participants are the better value-for-money they will gain.  Any UK-based briefing meeting held before departure by us and partners can help in this respect.  Also, apart from information held on our website, www.theinnovatory.com or www.asiatrade2006.biz ,a wealth of help is available from overseas networks.   You can obtain details from:

·          Business Link Partnerships in England Tel: 0845 600 9006

·          Scottish Enterprise Tel: 0141 248 2700. Website: www.scottish-enterprise.com

·          Wales Trade International Tel 029 20801046. Website: www.wales.trade.com

·          Invest Northern Ireland Tel: 028 902390903. Website: www.investni.com

I confirm that:

§          I have read and understood the notes and conditions of the event above and that I wish to apply for financial support

§          I have not applied for or received any other European Union grant in respect of participation in this event

§          I confirm that this business has not received State Aid in total (to include this offer of assistance) greater than €100,000 over the 3 year period leading up to today’s claim.

§          If accepted for inclusion in this event I agree to observe and comply with the conditions laid down by The Innovatory and VCCI

STATE AID RECEIVED OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS (please complete if applicable)