Who this is for: Businesses gathering quotations for machinery, prototypes, automation or industrial software in Italy.
A quotation needs to answer more than how much the investment costs. It should explain what is supplied, which activities are included and what will be delivered. That information supports both the technical purchasing decision and a review of expenses against a possible funding scheme.
More detail does not automatically make a cost eligible. It does make the conditions easier to examine and reduces the chance of discovering later that an important part of the investment was never properly described or assessed.
Break down the supply without losing the overall outcome
Separate equipment, accessories, installation, integration, testing, training and any ongoing support. For a digital project, distinguish licences, configuration, development, migration and subscriptions. The breakdown should reflect real activities. Relabelling an expense to resemble a supported category does not change what is actually being purchased.
Keep an overall scope description too. A set of isolated items does not explain whether the system will work in the required conditions. The document should show how each part contributes to the outcome and which tasks remain with the company or with other suppliers.
Check each item against the specific scheme
Review the nature, intended use, timing and required evidence for each expense under the instrument selected. Do not automatically transfer rules between programmes. Nuova Sabatini's FAQ, for example, describes particular conditions for assets and their productive use, rather than a universal definition of eligible expenditure.
Use explicit internal statuses: not yet reviewed, consistent with the requirements checked, excluded or awaiting clarification. Record the provision examined and the review date. A different configuration, supplier scope or contractual date can require another assessment even when the overall project objective remains unchanged.
References: MIMIT — Nuova Sabatini, domande frequenti
Connect each cost to a function and a piece of evidence
The finance team should be able to recognise in the quotation the same activity discussed by engineers. Give major items stable identifiers and reuse them in internal summaries. The structure below is a coordination aid, not an official form required by every funding programme or procurement procedure.
Scroll horizontally to see every column.
| Item | Technical question | Information to request |
|---|---|---|
| Asset or system | What function does it perform? | Configuration and specifications |
| Integration | Which systems must it connect to? | Interfaces and responsibilities |
| Testing | How will delivery be accepted? | Criteria and planned test record |
| Recurring services | What continues after commissioning? | Term, price and conditions |
Compare offers covering an equivalent scope
Check exclusions before comparing totals. One supplier may include commissioning at the factory while another finishes at delivery. Clarify revisions, incidental charges and conditions that could generate additional costs. The cheapest initial quote may simply cover fewer activities, so the difference needs to be understood rather than assumed.
Record material differences in a short technical note covering function, coverage, timing and unresolved risks. If the call requires a particular supplier-selection process, follow its current rules. A well-structured internal comparison supports a decision but does not by itself prove compliance with a specific funding procedure.
Maintain continuity from quotation to order and delivery
Archive the accepted quotation and connect subsequent changes to it. If a component or activity changes, record why and assess the effect on function, cost and timing before proceeding. Make the latest version easy to identify without removing the history needed to understand the investment.
Invitalia's R&D reporting guidance requires expenditure evidence and a connection to the project. Establishing that documentary continuity when purchasing begins helps the later comparison between what was planned and what was actually delivered, while leaving the scheme-specific evidence requirements to be checked separately.
References: Invitalia — Contratti di sviluppo, linee guida di rendicontazione R&S
Review a supplier quotation
- The description and configuration identify what will be supplied.
- Equipment, initial services and recurring charges are clearly separated.
- Exclusions and tasks retained by the company are explicit.
- Delivery dates, payment terms and acceptance criteria are identifiable.
- The version to approve is connected to the selected scheme's expense review.
Common questions
Is the supplier's statement that a cost is eligible enough?
The supplier's technical information is useful, but the assessment must also consider the company, scheme, dates and evidence. A commercial description does not replace a review of the applicable conditions.
Should excluded expenses be removed from the project?
Not necessarily. They may be essential to the operational result. Keep them in the complete budget with separate funding cover so the company can assess the real cost of the investment.
Sources and further reading
Apply this to your project.
Tell us what the proposed supply covers. We can connect quotations, technical choices and the expense questions that need checking.
Request an investment eligibility review