LEADER Heraklion

The program

The program funds private investment projects, local population training actions and cooperation schemes in selected municipal and local communities of the Heraklion area, under the LEADER local program. It is addressed to businesses, individuals, private bodies and local public-sector bodies operating or investing within the intervention area.

This call covers only the private-character, education and cooperation sub-interventions of the local program (not public infrastructure works). Depending on the sub-intervention, it covers investments in processing and tourism businesses, local population training actions, and the formation of cooperation schemes among small local businesses or local bodies, including "Smart Villages" action plans. Beneficiaries must operate or implement the investment inside the program's intervention area, as defined per municipal or local community.

The program is financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Greek state budget, under the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027, and is managed by the Local Action Group "Anaptyxiaki Irakleiou AAE OTA" as Intermediate Body.

At a glance

How applications are evaluated

Applications are first checked against eligibility conditions (such as correct choice of sub-intervention, location within the intervention area, a complete and functional physical object, and compliance with state aid rules), and then scored comparatively against selection criteria set per sub-intervention. The evaluation is comparative, not first-come-first-served, so the submission date alone does not determine approval.

Duration and obligations

Expenses are eligible from January 1, 2023 onward, provided the physical object of the project was not completed before the support application was submitted. Beneficiaries commit to following national and EU publicity rules, to accepting on-site inspections, and, for modernization projects, to the lapse of the long-term obligation period for the fixed assets being replaced.

Call details: Action Π3-77-4.1 "Support for Local Development through LEADER" (OPSKE call code KAP-045) · "Crete" Local Program TAPTOK LEADER Heraklion 2023-2027 · Call No. 1348/November 3, 2026 · Joint Ministerial Decision 161876/June 22, 2026 (Government Gazette B' 4030)

Who it is for

The call addresses different categories of beneficiaries depending on the sub-intervention. At minimum, an application must meet the following conditions:

• A beneficiary may be a natural person, an existing or under-establishment legal entity, a private body with the relevant purpose stated in its articles, or a local public-sector body or association.
• Under-establishment legal entities need draft articles of association and the AFM (tax ID) of one of the parties forming the scheme, with the written consent of the others.
• For the cooperation sub-interventions (Π3-77-4.1-7.1 and 7.3), the cooperation scheme must have at least three members (or five members specifically for 7.1), an internal operating regulation, and a designated lead partner; schemes may be under establishment or set up after January 1, 2023.
• For sub-intervention Π3-77-4.1-7.1, beneficiaries must be formal business entities whose members operate within the application area, and the cooperation scheme must be headquartered there.
• For sub-intervention Π3-77-4.1-7.3, informal business forms are also accepted, with the application submitted using multiple AFMs.
• For sub-interventions Π3-77-4.1-2.2 and Π3-77-4.1-2.3, beneficiaries must have an establishment within the region of the intervention area and operate within it.
• The de minimis state-aid ceiling of €300,000 per single undertaking over a rolling three-year period applies.
• The beneficiary must be able to cover the own contribution of the investment, as shown in the project's financing plan.

Who is excluded

The following cannot be beneficiaries:

• offshore companies;
• bodies with final fines for "high" or "very high" severity labor law violations (three fines/three inspections) or undeclared work (two fines/two inspections);
• public employees or staff of public-law or private-law legal entities without the required leave from the competent service council, or where this is prevented by their entity's articles;
• natural or legal persons subject to dissolution, liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings;
• natural persons who have not turned 18 by the time of submission (this restriction does not apply to SAs, private companies, IKEs and cooperatives).

Program budget

The Π3-77-4.1 intervention is financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the national budget, under the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027. This call specifically concerns the private-character, education and cooperation sub-interventions of the TAPTOK LEADER Heraklion 2023-2027 local program.

Subsidy amount

The aid intensity varies by sub-intervention. Specific rates are set for cooperation schemes:

For local population training actions (sub-intervention 2), the maximum project budget cannot exceed €20,000, with a support rate of 100% of eligible costs through a standard unit cost scale. For setting up a cooperation scheme under sub-interventions 7.2 and 7.3, the preparatory phase is costed with a simplified cost of €7,500 (or €9,000 for 7.3) when the scheme acquires legal status, and €6,000 (or €7,500 for 7.3) when it is formed only through a private cooperation agreement; for 7.1 the corresponding cost is €6,000.

Private investment aid is generally granted as de minimis aid: aid considered not to affect competition in the single market, capped at €300,000 per single undertaking over a rolling three-year period, under Regulation (EU) 2023/2831.

Eligible expenses

The eligible expense categories, as given in the call's expense table, are as follows:

Expenses are eligible from January 1, 2023.

Important dates

• 11/03/2026 — Publication of the 1st call (Ref. No. 1348)

Frequently asked questions about LEADER Heraklion

Who can apply for support?

Natural persons, existing or under-establishment businesses, private bodies and local public-sector bodies operating or investing within the intervention area of the LEADER Heraklion local program, depending on the sub-intervention the proposal concerns.

From when are expenses eligible?

Expenses are eligible from January 1, 2023, provided the physical object of the project was not completed before the support application was submitted.

Does the order of submission matter?

Not directly. The evaluation is comparative: applications are first checked against eligibility conditions and then scored against selection criteria, rather than ranked by submission order.

What if I have received de minimis aid before?

The new aid, added to any previous de minimis aid received by the "single undertaking" over the last three years, must not exceed €300,000.

Can I submit more than one application?

As a rule, only one support application per AFM per sub-intervention is allowed under the same call and local program, with exceptions for first- and second-tier local authorities and for cooperation sub-interventions 7.1 and 7.3.

How many members must a cooperation scheme have under the cooperation sub-interventions?

At least three members for sub-intervention 7.3 and at least five members for sub-intervention 7.1, according to the clarifications in the Administrative Control Guide.

Useful files

• The call (PDF in Greek, 66 pages, 1.5 MB)

Interested in this program?

The espa.io team prepares and submits the application. Book an appointment with an adviser, or send an email to info@espa.io.