Extroversion – Competitiveness of Businesses II

The programme

The Program Extroversion - Business Competitiveness II is part of the Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship Operational Programme (EPAN II) of the NSRF 2007-2013 and aims to create the necessary conditions for the strengthening of outward-looking entrepreneurship, mainly of small and medium-sized enterprises and large enterprises as a key option for upgrading the country's production base towards high value-added goods and services.

Who it concerns

At Outward Bound - Business Competitiveness II they can submit a proposal either individually or as a co-participant/partner in a group scheme:

Α)  Existing  and  New  Micro, Small and Medium enterprises that are active in Greece in eligible Sectors in the Manufacturing, Construction and Services sectors AND have been established and started their eligible activity on or before 01-08-2012.

B) Existing and New Very Small, Small and Medium enterprises that are active in Greece in eligible SMEs in the Trade sector AND have been established and started their eligible activity on or before 01-08-2012.

C) Existing and New Large enterprises that are active in Greece in eligible Sectors of Manufacturing, Construction and Services AND have been established and started their eligible activity until 01-08-2012, as well as :

D) Groups of (at least three) Existing and/or New Micro, Small and Medium enterprises that meet the eligibility conditions of case (A) above and submit for evaluation and inclusion, in addition to a distinct investment plan AND a cooperation agreement for joint actions exclusively for the purposes of the programme.

Program budget

The programme is funded with a total amount of 30.000.000,00€ (Public Expenditure). This amount is divided into € 18.000.000,0 for individual or cooperative business plans submitted by existing micro and small enterprises, € 9.000.000,0 for individual or cooperative business plans submitted by existing medium-sized enterprises and. 3.000.000,00€ for individual or cooperative business plans submitted by large enterprises, under the terms and conditions of the Programme Guide, from the following operational programmes:

• An amount of 7.800.000,00 € from the Operational Programme "Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship" approved by the decision no. C(2007) 5338/26-10-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF under the Convergence Objective for the eight regions of Greece (CC1 GR161 PO001). The programme falls under priority axis 2 "Strengthening Entrepreneurship and Externalisation" under thematic priority code 09 "Other measures to stimulate research and innovation and entrepreneurship of SMEs".
• An amount of 10.850.000,00 € from the Attica Operational Programme approved by the Attica Regional Operational Programme No. C(2007) 5443/5-11-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 R161PO006).
• An amount of 8.000.000,00 € from the Operational Programme Macedonia-Thrace (Central Macedonia) approved by the decision no. C(2007) 5337/26-10-2007Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO008)
• An amount of 1.600.000,00 € from the Operational Programme Macedonia-Thrace (Western Macedonia) approved by the decision of the Commission No. C(2007) 5337 /26-10-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO008).
• An amount of 1.600.000,00 € from the Operational Programme of Thessaly - Sterea Ellada - Epirus (Sterea Ellada) approved by the Operational Programme No. C(2007) 5332/26-10-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO001).
• An amount of 150.000,00 € from the Operational Programme for Crete and the Aegean Islands (South Aegean) approved by decision no. C(2007) 5439/5-11-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO002).

Amount of subsidy

The Programme supports projects with an investment budget of investment budget of investment budget of investment budget as follows:

• from 20.000€ to 200.000€ for investment projects of enterprises that do NOT fall under economic activity codes 62, 63 and 70 - 70.22, 73 - 73.11.11, 74 - 74.10.1, 74.10.2, 91 (NACE 2008).
• from 20.000€ to 100.000€ for investment projects of enterprises falling under economic activity codes 62, 63 and 70 - 70.22, 73 - 73.11.11, 74 - 74.10.1, 74.10.2, 91 (NACE 2008).

Expenses subsidized

The eligible costs for the programme are:

• Mechanical equipment - Special installations
• IT / telecommunications activities
• Design, certification and compliance activities for products/services and packaging/labelling. Quality and certification actions.
• Outreach activities (other than studies) in target markets.
• Technical and Advisory Support actions.
• Actions (other than studies) to protect or acquire and use patents, intellectual property and transfer of know-how at European and international level.
• Actions to develop skilled staff and human resources (only for new small and micro enterprises).
• Other Actions (only for new small and micro enterprises).

Important dates

The start date of the online submission is set at 05-08-2013 until 10-10-2013 at 14:00

Necessary supporting documents for submission

• Submission form - participation application form (investment project) signed by the Legal Representative of the company and stamped by him/her
• Balance sheets - results of operations for the calendar years (fiscal year), 2010, 2011, 2012 (fiscal years, 2011, 2012, 2013) for those companies that have completed three (3) fiscal years.
• Tax returns and detailed tax information E3, E5 (depending on the form of the business), for the calendar years (fiscal year) 2010, 2011, 2012 (fiscal years 2011, 2012, 2013).
• Legal Documents of the Business
• To document export activity: VAT statements for the calendar years (fiscal year) 2010, 2011, 2012 (fiscal years 2011, 2012, 2013) or corresponding adjustment for two years or one year of operation.
• Approved statements from the Labour Inspectorate for the staff mentioned in the E7 forms. Final Statement of Settlement of the amounts of tax, stamp duty and OGA contribution due on income from employment services (Form E7 and attached detailed statement)
• Where required: A declaration of change of business from the competent D.O.Y. which will only include the mapping of the old activity codes to the new ones (i.e. from K.A.D. 97 to K.A.D. 08) without any other change in the registry data of the liable person being declared.
• A valid business licence or a legal exemption from it. In case the operating licence has expired, a certificate from the competent authority that a complete file of supporting documents for its renewal has been submitted.
• Details of the partners/shareholders of the investee. In the case of participation of venture capital companies with up to 25% of the share/corporate capital, the submission of articles of association, a declaration of participation in the corporate structure and agreement with all elements of the proposal file is required (see also Article 3, Annex III).
• Quotations/Promotions, costs of participation in exhibitions, etc., for all costs, with a detailed description of costs by type and a breakdown of costs per unit of measurement, where required.
• Declaration of compliance with the De Minimis Regulation and a specific Declaration Form on the elements relating to the qualification of the enterprise as a Small or Very Small Enterprise according to the EU definition.
• Codified Declaration of Responsibility of article 8 of Law 1599/86 with the authenticity of the signature of the legal representative
• Business Plan Documentation (Evaluation Criteria) (photocopies).
• Mandatory submission of a short and comprehensive strategic planning form (Business Plan) to which the investment project corresponds.
• In the case of partnerships: For each partner all of the above (since each partner will have a separate business plan and separate membership) AND A detailed cooperation agreement to which all partners make reference and submit and which includes at least the elements mentioned and provided for in the chapter on the cooperation agreement. 6 herein.
• In the case of affiliated and/or cooperating enterprises in accordance with the definition of SMEs in Annex I of Commission Regulation 800/2008 of 6 August 2008, the tax information (E3, E5, E7, balance sheets) and the documents required in each case regarding the corporate/shareholder composition, legal representation and management, for all the enterprises that are cooperating and/or affiliated with the enterprise that submitted the business plan-proposal for funding under this programme, together with the relevant LIS, will be submitted.