The Ministry of Industry will finance companies that help workers learn about new technologies

The INTRO program supports, with non-repayable grants and loans, companies that provide computer equipment, connectivity and internet training to their employees outside of working hours.

The INTRO program (Program for the Initiation of Workers on Line) aims to increase competitiveness by supporting business plans for the training of their workers and, in the process, contributes to the increase in internet penetration indicators in homes.

This program is intended to finance business projects for training their own workers in the field of telecommunications and the information society, aimed at familiarizing them with the use of new technologies through the delivery of equipment and systems that allow access to the Internet and information society services beyond the company's own physical environment.

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade will allocate 3 million euros in non-repayable subsidies and 15 million in loans for this program this year. The maximum intensity of the subsidies will be up to 70% of the cost of the action, except in the case of large companies which will not exceed 50%. In the case of loans, their equivalent in subsidy (15-20%) is calculated approximately.

The subsidies must be for the period 2005-2007 and the loans will be granted without any interest for the acquisition of equipment, terminals and internet services with a maximum repayment period of 7 years with a two-year grace period.

For more information, you can access the Ministry of Industry website www.mityc.es or the information telephone numbers: 902 446 006 as well as the headquarters of the Secretariat of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society, telephone 91 346 15 00.