On Monday, 10 May 2021 at 13:00, the submission of online applications for the new funding programme of the OAED grants for business initiatives for the employment of young freelancers aged 18 to 29 years old, with an emphasis on women. The objective of the 12-month action is to promote self-employment for 2,900 young unemployed people through the creation of viable businesses, with a focus on women, as 60% of the beneficiaries will be unemployed women.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 15:00.

The amount of aid to new businesses amounts to € 14,800 and is paid in three instalments as follows:

• Installment of 4,000 euros, after the start of activity at the Tax Office
• Installment of 5,400 euros, after the end of the first semester from the start of the business
• Installment of 5,400 euros, after the end of the second semester from the start of the business

Beneficiaries of the Action

Beneficiaries of the action are the registered unemployed in the OAED register, who are not in education, employment or training, who submit an application for funding, which includes a proposal for a business plan.

Potential beneficiaries, when submitting the online application for funding to the action, must cumulatively fulfil the following conditions:

a. Be unemployed registered in the OAED register, aged 18 to 29.

b. Have the status of unemployed, be not in education, employment or training and meet the age criterion at the time of applying for funding and on the day before the start of activity at the Tax Office.

c. Have benefited from the process of individualized intervention.

d. Be Greek citizens or citizens of another EU state or expatriates who have the right to live and work in our country or citizens of third countries who have a valid residence permit at least for as long as the action lasts.

e. Male candidates must have fulfilled or been legally discharged from their military obligations.

f. To operate legally within the Greek territory.

G. The start of activity at the Tax Office takes place after the date of submission of the application for funding, under the conditions set out in points a. and b of this paragraph and at the latest within 60 days from the date of notification of the positive assessment (approval) of their proposal.

H. Each potential beneficiary submits a single application for funding (either individually or as a member of a legal person/entity).

I. Potential beneficiaries shall join the action either as individual entrepreneurs, or as members of legal entities, in one of the following legal forms:

• General Partnership (OE)
• General Partners of Limited Partnerships (EU)
• Limited Liability Company (LTD)
• Private Capital Company (IKE)
• Workers' cooperative referred to in Article 24 of Chapter E of the Law. 4430/2016 (Α’ 32).

This should apply throughout the duration of the programme.

The following shall not be included in the action:

• Professional activities that require the existence of a vacancy (notaries, bailiffs).
• Professional activities related to the operation of a passenger car or lorry for public use.
• Seasonal in terms of turnover businesses, canteens, canteens, kiosks, itinerant businesses, gambling or electronic gambling.
• Business activities which form part of an already organised uniform network for the distribution of products and the provision of services and which exploit, in execution of relevant contracts, licences for the exploitation of intellectual property rights normally relating to trademarks or distinctive titles and know-how for the use and distribution of goods or services (franchising, shop-in-shop, agency network).
• Businesses that operate exclusively from the 10th after noon until the 6th morning.
• Businesses that have the same object of activity as a business that was operated in the same place by another professional within the last six months before the date of commencement of operations of the new business at the Tax Office.
• Enterprises to be created following a transfer or change of legal form or dissolution and/or reopening or creation of a new business or lease by the same partners in the same or another place with the same object of activity.
• Those who had joined previous actions of Young Freelancers (NEE) of OAED (Public Employment Service).
• Co-located enterprises. The term co-location means the establishment of the enterprise in the same, non-distinct, space with another enterprise. If co-location of enterprises is established, the beneficiary shall be excluded from the action.

The above should apply throughout the duration of the action.

Apply for the new programme, with a focus on women

The application for funding (investment proposal) for the new OAED programme is submitted exclusively online at the State Aid Information System (PΣKE) of the Ministry of Development and Investment at the address: https://www.ependyseis.gr .

The project, with a total budget of 43.400.000 €, is co-funded by the Greek State and the European Social Fund / Youth Employment Initiative in the framework of the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020".

The procedure, methodology and evaluation criteria of the applications are described in detail in the Public Call. The
evaluation of the applications is comparative, where all the proposals submitted during the time period, which is explicitly defined in the Call, are evaluated.