Identity of the Action for the Support of unemployed persons

The Action, Supporting unemployed people for self-employment and establishing new businesses that will be active in the priority sectors of RIS3 in the Region of Central Macedonia is funded by the Operational Programme (OP) of Region of Central Macedonia under Priority Axis 8: "Promoting high-quality sustainable employment and supporting worker mobility".

The purpose of the action is to support business ideas for self-employment and the establishment of very small new businesses in the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy (SDGS) areas of the Metropolitan Unit of Thessaloniki – as reflected in APPENDIX VI: SDGA INTERVENTION AREAS – and in the other areas of the Regional Unit of Central Macedonia.

The Action aims at smart specialization with a view to maintaining and strengthening the human capital of the Region which has or can develop innovative characteristics, within the framework of the strategic pillar "Empowerment of human capital in the direction of innovation – knowledge based on the needs of the market". The support for self-employment and entrepreneurship will concern exclusively the priority areas of RIS3 in the Region of Central Macedonia:

• Agri-food sector
• Tourism
• Materials and Constructions
• Clothing – Textiles
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Energy Technologies
• Environmental Technologies
• Transport and supply chain

The institutional framework of the Action is Regulation (EU) No. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 (O.J OJ L 352/1, 24.12.2013) on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid.

Budget for new businesses

The total budget of the Public Expenditure for the support of unemployed persons amounts to 2.960.000 euros with the possibility of increase of which :

a) 1,924,000 euros will be allocated to the intervention area of the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy (SDGS) of the Metropolitan Unit of Thessaloniki:

• Municipality of Ampelokipi - Menemeni, Thessaloniki, Kalamaria, Kordelio - Evosmos, Neapoli - Sykies, Pavlos Melas
• Pylaia Municipality of Pylaia - Chortiatis
• D.K. Kalochori of Delta Municipality

b) 1,036,000 euros in the remaining areas (Regional Units-PE) of the Region of Central Macedonia (PE of Imathia, PE of Thessaloniki (other areas except the areas of SDAA), PE of Kilkis, PE of Pella, PE of Pieria, PE of Serres, PE of Chalkidiki).

The Public Expenditure of the Action is funded by the Greek State and the European Social Fund (ESF) of the European Union under the Operational Programme "Central Macedonia" 2014-2020.

Eligibility - Beneficiaries

Participation is open to unemployed people who wish to set up micro enterprises (Annex VII: Definition of SMEs) that will be active in the priority productive sectors of RIS3 in the Region of Central Macedonia (e.g. unemployed people, former freelancers and former owners micro and small enterprises in productive sectors of RIS3 for the MSM, unemployed young scientists with specialisations related to the productive sectors of RIS3 for the MSM) with objects related to the eligible areas of activity defined in the Detailed Call for Action. A prerequisite for the support of new businesses is the organization of their activity in independent professional spaces. An independent business space is defined as a space that is a separate property, has its own utilities (e.g. electricity) and is not used in any way as a residence (main or secondary).

The commencement of activity at the Tax Office takes place after the date of publication of the Detailed Invitation under the conditions of paragraph 4 "BENEFICIARIES – TERMS & CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION" described therein.

Basic Conditions for the Participation of New Businesses

Businesses that want to join this Action must cumulatively comply with a set of obligations, as follows:

• Be unemployed registered in the unemployment registers of OAED and have an unemployment card valid on the date of publication of the Call.
• Be born between 01/01/1991 and 31/12/1955.
• Be Greek citizens or citizens of another EU member state or expatriates who have the right of residence and employment in the country or third-country nationals who have a residence permit at least for as long as the action lasts.
• To start their activity at the competent Tax Office after the date of publication of this Call, after the submission of the application for participation in the Action and at the latest within three (3) months from the date of issue of the decision to include their proposal, according to the list of approved applications (initial and any supplementary). An extension of one (1) month may be granted after a relevant, sufficiently documented, application for an extension of the 3-month period on behalf of the potential beneficiary and after a relevant approval / decision of the EF.
• Start a business ONLY in eligible Activity Code Numbers (C.R.C. 2008), as defined in Annex II. Those SMRs should be maintained throughout the period of implementation of the business plan. In case of addition of SMRs during the implementation period of the business plan, they should only be eligible.

SMRs and the types of new enterprises

• The business activity that the potential beneficiaries will develop must be organized in an independent professional space. An independent business space is defined as a space that is a separate property, has its own utilities (e.g. electricity) and is not used in any way as a residence (main or secondary).
• To operate legally within the intervention area of the Action.
• The beneficiary must not be employed as an employee in the same or another enterprise/employer from the date of commencement of the business and during the implementation of the action until the final control.
• To be professionally active by setting up businesses exclusively in one of the following legal forms:
  • Sole Proprietorship
  • Limited Liability Company (LTD)
  • General Partnership (OE)
  • Limited Partnership (EE)
  • Private Capital Company (IKE)
  • Cooperative of employees under Article 24 of Chapter E of Law. 4430/2016 (Α΄32)

In professions where a special legal status allows the creation of a legal person of only a certain form, this legal type is an eligible form of legal person for the Action.

Beneficiaries

The potential beneficiaries of the above-mentioned legal entities are the partner members who exercise the management of corporate affairs. Based on either the institutional framework, the articles of association or the decision of the General Assembly of the partners, they must hold 51% of the company's share and be the legal representatives of the company, except for the employee cooperatives that apply the provisions of law. 4430/2016 (Α΄ 32).

• Declare as a place for the implementation of the actions of this action exclusively the area included in the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy (SDGS) of the Metropolitan Unit of Thessaloniki (as defined in ANNEX VI) or the other areas of the Region of Central Macedonia.
• Commit that the costs included in the specific application for funding have not been funded, integrated and will not be submitted for approval of funding in another programme funded by national or Community resources.
• To commit with a solemn declaration of the Legal Representative that until the completion of the investment they will take care of the appropriate infrastructure and services in order to minimize obstacles and facilitate access to them for people with disabilities, in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No Regulation (EC) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006. Infrastructure means both building infrastructure and electronic applications aimed at the customer audience (e.g. websites and other electronic applications, such as electronic information and / or service points, etc.) in accordance with the instructions of the ESAM.

Support for the unemployed - Funding

• The total amount of de minimis aid received in the past by the beneficiary, including aid from this Action, must not exceed EUR 200 000 (or EUR 100 000 for the road haulage sector for hire or reward) within a period of three years (current financial year and two (2) previous financial years) prior to the time of granting (adoption of an act integration decision) of the legal right to the aid.
• There are no grounds for exclusion under Article 40 of the Law. 4488/2017 (A137/13.09.2017).
• Each potential beneficiary submits a single application for funding (either individually or as a member of a legal person/entity).
• Submit an application for funding, as well as all the necessary information, supporting documents and forms, as defined by this notice.

Please note that all the above conditions must be met in their entirety. The non-satisfaction of one or more of them is a condition of exclusion of the plan and a reason for rejection / withdrawal from the Action.

Also, the beneficiaries who will be included in the Action will have to comply with specific obligations.

Project budget - Grant rate

Within the framework of the Action, 100% of business plans are supported-subsidized at a flat rate of 14,800 euros.

Subsidized Costs

The starting date for the eligibility of expenses of new enterprises is defined as the date of commencement of activity at the competent Tax Office. The terms and conditions set out in this Invitation strictly apply. Beneficiaries are obliged to start their activity at the competent Tax Office after the date of publication of this Call, after the submission of the application for participation in the Action and at the latest within three (3) months from the date of issue of the decision of inclusion (approval) of their proposal.

Support for the unemployed - The flat-rate simplified cost will be used for the implementation of the action

The lump sum with which all investors will be supported for the establishment of new businesses that will be selected during the evaluation process concerns the operating expenses of new businesses in their first year of operation and has been based on historical data on expenses which, indicatively, are:

1. rents of professional premises,
2. costs of energy, fixed and mobile business telephony, water supply, heating, etc.,
3. costs of third-party fees (legal, consulting, accounting support, etc.),
4. promotion and networking costs (design and printing of brochures, posters, advertisements, costs of participation in professional exhibitions, corporate website, etc.),
5. consumables supply costs,
6. depreciation of fixed equipment (tangible and intangible),
7. beneficiary's insurance contributions,
8. salary costs of the company's personnel.

Duration of implementation of the Investment Plan for the support of unemployed persons

The financing of approved business plans for the establishment of new businesses will have a duration of twelve (12) months from the date of commencement of work of the beneficiaries of new businesses at the competent Tax Office or from the start date of eligibility of expenditure for enterprises where the starting date of eligibility is set different from that of the start of operations.

Submission of Applications of new businesses

Start Date : 6-9-2021 at 13:00

Deadline for submission 15-11-2021 at 15:00

The application for funding must be submitted by the prospective Potential Beneficiaries electronically through the State Aid Management Information System . (www.ependyseis.gr/mis).

The Potential Beneficiaries must, upon submission of the electronic application for funding, submit simultaneously to the PSKE a Complete Electronic Application File with the required supporting documents set out in the Detailed Call of the Action (Annex II).

The total number of supporting documents to be attached to the PSKE should have a total size of less than 50 MB. In addition, each individual file should be less than 10 MB. The above restrictions are mandatory. For the convenience of the beneficiaries, it is possible to attach compressed zip or rar files.

Information

EFEPAE/KEPA-ANEM,

Address: Lida Maria, ^6th km. Charilaou-Thermi, PC 57001 Thermi Thessaloniki Greece

Phones: 2310-480.000/Fax : 2310-480.003.

Ε-mail: pepkm@e-kepa.gr

Questions: pepkm@e-kepa.gr, info@e-kepa.gr, www.kepa-anem.gr (Send your question).