An aid scheme is a document that sets out in advance the rules for granting support to an undefined circle of recipients – the purpose, eligible applicants, eligible expenditure, maximum intensity, period of validity and method of record-keeping. Aid is then granted to individual applicants on this basis without separate approval. The opposite is individual aid granted outside a scheme, which is generally subject to separate assessment. For the applicant, the scheme is a source of answers that are often missing from the call: the precise definition of eligible expenditure, exceptions for certain sectors, and cumulation rules. A call always refers back to the scheme, and in the event of a discrepancy, the scheme takes precedence. It therefore pays to read it before preparing an application, just as with the call itself. Schemes are also updated, so always verify which version applies to your call.
See also: State aid, Cumulation of aid, State aid notification.
