Digitalscheck Liechtenstein (three-phase digitalization grant for SMEs)

What it funds

The Digitalscheck supports a digitalization project on a concrete use case, in three phases applied for separately. Digital KONZEPT covers the as-is and to-be analysis of the chosen processes, the catalog of measures with cost estimates and the implementation plan. Digital INVEST covers custom software development and, for standard software, implementation only. Digital TRAINING covers staff training on the system delivered. All three reimburse internal and external personnel costs, with a different rate and cap per phase: the investment phase has the highest cap and the lowest rate, the concept phase the highest rate. The rules are in the official Amt für Volkswirtschaft guideline (Richtlinie).

Requirements and what is left out

• Be based in Liechtenstein, active there for at least three years and subject to unlimited tax liability there: that is the guideline's establishment condition.
• Have no outstanding AHV or tax debts, and not be insolvent.
• Each check is granted once per SME, and a group of connected companies gets one project.
• The concept cannot be fully outsourced; investment and training always require internal and external resources together.
• Hardware, standard software licenses and subscriptions, research and development, a generic digital strategy, travel and costs incurred before approval are all excluded.
• Training delivered only on the job is not eligible.
• The grant falls under de minimis: other de minimis aid from the current and previous two fiscal years must be declared.

How to apply

1. File an application with the Amt für Volkswirtschaft for the phase you want to start, on the official forms with a budget.
2. Complete the documentation within two months, or the application is rejected as incomplete.
3. Wait for the grant approval: only then can the phase start and its costs count.
4. Close the phase within its maximum duration with the final report, paid invoices and timesheets.
5. After review you receive payment, then apply again for the next phase.

What this budget builds

The three-phase sequence is already a method, and I follow it this way. In the concept I describe the chosen processes as they are and as they need to become, and derive measures ordered by dependency: data integration across internal systems and toward customers and suppliers first, then whatever reads that data for analysis and control. The implementation plan becomes the specification for the investment, where I build the custom software that connects the systems alongside the internal staff, and training closes the project on the system that was built rather than on a generic tool.

This entry is informational and is not advice: I do not handle grant applications, and before committing to a purchase it is worth reading the official source above or talking to whoever files the application.