Evaluation innovation voucher 2005/2006 - Management Summary

Samenvatting

In 2004 the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) introduced the innovation voucher following a recommendation from the Innovation Platform. Innovation vouchers can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to fund research from a public knowledge institution. The aim of the voucher is to improve access for SMEs to the knowledge available within public knowledge institutions. It also aims to provide an incentive for public knowledge institutions to tailor knowledge more specifically to demand. The objective of the evaluation is as follows:

To determine whether the primary objective of innovation vouchers - to stimulate the use of the available knowledge within knowledge institutions as a means of promoting innovation by SMEs - is actually being achieved.

In our view, the innovation voucher is a useful and above all unique instrument of its kind. Its power lies in its accessibility and wide reach. For this reason the instrument is also widely deployed for service innovation.

Additionality including time effect is 79.8% for the large voucher and 81.5% for the small voucher. It is difficult to compare the additionality for 2006 and 2005 vouchers because of the major changes instigated in the voucher scheme during 2006 (introduction of SME contribution, introduction of small and large voucher, number of vouchers). The vouchers tend to be used by more innovative SMEs. It also tends to be the less innovative SMEs that apply for vouchers and ultimately fail to redeem them. As at 31 December 2007, 59% of the large vouchers and 54% of the small vouchers had been declared to SenterNovem by knowledge institutions. This percentage redemption rate must be considered in the light of the instrument´s accessibility. If it is easy to apply for a voucher this can easily result in vouchers not being redeemed. Reasons given by entrepreneurs for deciding not to redeem vouchers included lack of time or additional information becoming available. It might be possible to offer the option of additional guidance for less innovative SMEs in coming into contact with knowledge institutions. The evaluation does not demonstrate that entrepreneurs who have used a voucher then go on to issue repeat assignments without a voucher, although entrepreneurs do express a willingness to remain in contact with the knowledge institution. The voucher has prompted many knowledge institutions to adopt a more active approach to SMEs. As such, the voucher does make a valuable contribution to interaction between SMEs and knowledge institutions.

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