Frequently Asked Questions (FAq)

Below you will find answers to the questions we get asked the most about applying to the calls for Tourism SMEs and service providers in the frame of the Tourbit Digital Acceleration Programme. 

Note that in case of inconsistencies with the Guidelines for Applicants for the call for proposals for tourism SMEs or the Call for Expression of Interest for the Admission of Service Providers, these documents always prevail. Answers provided in this webpage are of purely informative character but do not have legal validity. 

CALL FOR TOURISM SMEs

APPLICATION procedure

1. where do i have to send my apPlication?
Your application has to be submitted online:
– For service providers here
– For tourism SMEs here
2. Can I submit my application in local language?

Yes. We recommend you submit your proposal in English. All other programme languages are however also permitted (Spanish, Catalan, Slovenian, French, Flemish, Islandic, Finnish and Portuguese)

3. What if my company does not have a VAT number?
If your company does not dispose of a VAT number please introduce your National Fiscal Identification Number in the respective field instead.
4. I have already submitted my application but would like to change some details. Can I access it again?
Please revise your application carefully before submitting. Applications need to be reopened manually by the administrator, wherefore it can only be done in justified cases and before the deadline of 5 April 17:00 h CET. To do so, please send an e-mail to: info[at]tourbit.eu
5. Can I submit a proposal together with other SMEs?
Consortium proposals are not foreseen. You can however describe in your application form collaborations you foresee with other actors and how you will imply them.
6. Do I have to apply with a service provider already chosen?
No, the service provider(s)/mentor(s)/expert(s) will be chosen once the proposal has been selected. Tourbit has identified a pool of mentors for the Digital Acceleration Programme from which the SME can select.
In case you have an expert who could be part of that pool, we suggest you recommend them to apply to our open call for service providers.
7. How can i get in touch to have more information?
Email us to info[at]tourbit.eu, or get in touch with your national contact point. That will be great to hear from you!
8. [for catalonia] is the grand compatible with the "kit digital"?
Yes. Both funding are compatible.
9. If i've got a challenge but i don't know the provider to solve it, can i apply and wait for tourbit's help to find the best solution?

Yes of course, this is the point of the Digital Acceleration Programme, you will be able to choose a provider from the pool of service providers and have the chance to meet them during the online Tourbit matchathon (1-2 June 2023).

10. is there already a list of the pool of service providers that SMEs can check?

Not yet, Tourbit team are working on it. If there is a specific provider you would like to work with, you can encourage him/her to apply and we will analyse its profile and admit it to the pool if it qualifies.

11. If i Have a project that costs more than the grant, can i apply in order to receive funding just for a part of it?

Yes, you will simply have to fund the rest of your project by yourself and clearly state which part of the project corresponds to the part that you would like to receive the funding for.

Requirements of participation

1. How can I know if my company is an SME?
You can find the SME definition according to the EU recommendation 2003/361 here, including the user guide and the self-assessment tool.
2. I am self-employed, can I apply?
Self-employed people can only apply if they have a registered company (one-man/woman company). Tourbit project cannot hand out financial support to individuals. Self-employed people without a formally registered company are therefore not eligible.
3. Can an association receive the funding?
An association does qualify as an SME according to the EU recommendation 2003/361, so they are eligible!
4. I am not sure if the category of my smes belong to one of the nace category elegible?
Here are some explanations, available in this full document, for all eligible NACE categories:

  • Hotels and similar accommodation (NACE I5510)

  • Holiday and other short-stay accommodation (NACE I5520)

  • Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks (NACE I5530)

  • Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities (NACE N79)

5. What if my company does not have a NACE Code?
Foremost, you need to make sure that your company qualifies as an SME according to the EU recommendation 2003/361. If so, and you fall under one of the eligible categories below…
– Hotels and similar accommodation (NACE I5510)
– Holiday and other short-stay accommodation (NACE I5520)
– Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks (NACE I5530)
– Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities (NACE N79)

… but do not have a corresponding NACE code, you will have to provide an alternative justification, like e.g. your association’s statutes, to proof your activity under one of the categories. If this is your case, please reach out to your national contact point.
This option is not applicable for companies that dispose of a NACE code in general, but it is different from the indicated eligible ones.

6. Is there any eligibility criteria linked to the age of the company ?

No, there is no limit for the age of your company to present your proposal. No minimum years of existence are required.

7. MICRO COMPANIES OF LESS THAN 10 EMPLOYEES CAN APPLY?

Yes, micro enterprises are eligibles as they are falling under the definition of SMEs (less 10 employees and less than 2M€ turnover or total balance sheet).

8. I've got a sme with commercial activity in one of the territories of the partnership but registered in another location, can i apply?

No, we are sorry but according to the guidelines, you must be registered as enterprise in one of the territories of the partnership: Spain (Catalonia),
France, Slovenia, Belgium, Finland (Lapland), Iceland, and Portugal.

9. Can an SME be both an applicant and a service provider?

No, a SME CANNOT present a proposal to the call for tourism SMEs & to the call for service providers. 

eligible costs

1. Can the grant be used for the development of a mobile application?
Yes! An app is a digital tool/solution and any technological solution that help you to develop your digitalisation project can be used.
2. Is monthly subscription eligible ?
No. Tourism SME cannot invest in a software that has an annual subscription.
3. can i use the grant to finance an existing digital tool?
No. The grant is to support digitization projects that are implemented through the contracting of services from a supplier that is part of the pool of service providers of the Digital Acceleration Program.
In other words, existing digital tools can’t be financed afterwards.
4. can i use the grant to finance a paid advertising campaign?

No. None ads are eligible (Social Media, Google or Apple Ads).  

5. Can I work with several mentors / service providers? Can I use the funds to apply for different projects?
Yes! You can split the grant between multiple experts or service providers of the Tourbit pool. You can also have an investment in a software and get the services of a mentor.
6. If I start part of my digitalization project now, are digitalization expenses retroactively supported?

 No, expenses are only eligible from the start of the programme: 15 June 2023.

CALL FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS

APPLICATION procedure

1. where do i have to send my apPlication?
Your application has to be submitted online:
– For service providers here
– For tourism SMEs here
2. Can I submit my application in local language?

Yes. We recommend you submit your proposal in English. All other programme languages are however also permitted (Spanish, Catalan, Slovenian, French, Flemish, Islandic, Finnish and Portuguese)

3. Can a mentor be on two european projects ?

Yes, no problem! You can be part of the pool of service providers of Tourbit project or one of the sister COSME projects: Resetting, Tourism 4.0 and Digitour

4. can I, as service provider, approach SME's to motivate them to apply to the call?

Yes, you can encourage SMEs to apply to the call. Please also submit your proposal as service provider to the pool in parallel.

5. how many service providers will you approve max?

There is not a maximum of service providers/mentors/experts that will enter the Tourbit pool of service providers. As long are they meet the requirements of the call, service providers will be admitted to the pool.

Requirements of participation

1. If I am an expert from outside of the participating project countries, can I still apply as service provider?
Yes, if you fulfil the admission requirement set by the call for service providers. You have to be registered in the European Economic Area (= EU countries + Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein) or Switzerland.
2. Who can be a service provider under Tourbit?
Everybody who fulfils the minimum criteria established by the call for service providers can apply and if admitted will be included into the “pool of service providers”. More details can be found in the call for the admission of service providers. Tourbit project admits services providers/mentors/experts to a general database (the “pool”), the final selection of service providers does however lie with the SMEs, who will select their preferred services providers/mentors/experts from the pool.