North Aegean Region: Action to promote the sales and exports of small and medium enterprises
The action “Promotion of sales and especially exports” aims to strengthen the activities of the priority sectors of the regional Smart Specialization Strategy, as they specialize in North Aegean Region (PBA RIS3 prioritization), through supporting existing, very small, small and medium businesses of the North Aegean Region, to strengthen their extroversion.
The specific Action aims to:
- The improvement of key indicators of competitiveness and extroversion of businesses
- Improving the capabilities of businesses with the aim of joining international value chains
The categories of actions that can be included in this type of actions refer to strengthening existing SMEs with grants, in order to either increase their already realized sales, or to readjust their sales to foreign markets.
Each investment project will be scored additionally if it is documented to be connected to at least one priority of the RIS3 of the PBA and the costs included in it serve it.
The action is financed by the “North Aegean” Program within the framework of Priority 1 “Transformation of the Region’s economy, by increasing the size and productivity of enterprises, mainly through smart specialization (ERDF)”, and in particular of Special Objective 3: “Strengthening the sustainable development and competitiveness of SMEs and the creation of jobs in SMEs, including productive investments”.
The Public Expenditure of the Action amounts to 4,000,000 euros with the possibility of overcommitment of 200% and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and by National Participation. The ERDF contributes to the reduction of disparities between the levels of development of the various regions within the Union and to the reduction of the backwardness of the less developed regions by participating in the structural adjustment of the regions whose development is lagging behind and in the transformation of industrial areas in decline, including sustainable development and addressing environmental challenges (Article 2 EC Regulation 1058/2021).
The Action is implemented at all stages (submission, evaluation, objections, affiliation, control, certification, modification, payment, control of long-term obligations, etc.) through the Integrated Information System of State Aid (OPSKE), access to which is provided to the potential beneficiaries of the Action through the website https://app.opske.gr/ and in which mandatory aid beneficiaries submit all requests to EYD/EF (e.g. funding requests, objections, control requests, modification requests, etc.).
The aid of this Action will be allocated within the framework of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2831 (OJ EL L 15.12.2023) of the Commission of 13 December 2023 regarding the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to aid of minor importance (De Minimis).
Action Budget for the North Aegean Region
4,000,000 euros
Who is it addressed to
To operate exclusively with one of the following forms of business: businesses of a corporate/commercial nature Public Company, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership or Limited Partnership, I.K.E, sole proprietorships and Social Cooperative Enterprises of Law 4430/2016 as applicable, Maritime Pleasure Boat Company (NEPA), Farmers Cooperatives.
Submission Period
From 16/9/2024 to 14/11/2024 (15:00)
The funding application must be submitted electronically through the Integrated State Aid Management Information System (OPSKE) (https://app.opske.gr/) using the standard Funding Application Submission Form (Indicative electronic submission form at Appendix I) and is accompanied by all the necessary supporting documents provided in APPENDIX II “Submission/joining supporting documents”.
Type of reinforcement
Grant / Subsidy
Application area
North Aegean Region: To be active or to be active in the Greek territory and to invest exclusively within the North Aegean Region.
Terms and conditions
- Existing means businesses that have at least two (2) complete closed management years 2022-2023 before the date of electronic submission of the financing application
- Closed full management year, means the year for which the final financial result has been determined in accounting and the appropriate tax forms (eg forms E3 & N) have been submitted to the AADE and which has a duration of 12 months
In detail allterms and conditions of participation are mentioned in the file of the Announcement (see Related Files)
What is funded in the Action for the North Aegean Region
Indicatively, the actions that will be strengthened concern the following:
- Elaboration of a business plan specifying the objectives of each SME
- Looking for opportunities in new domestic and/or foreign markets through market research, participation in exhibitions, organization of trade/business missions
- Strengthening their position in existing markets abroad, mainly through the expansion of their networks and partnerships, development of new products, with similar interventions in the equipment and production processes, mainly by the use of digital technology
- Upgrading the visibility of the products abroad through branding, establishing a quality mark of the products produced, participation in recognized international exhibitions, etc.
The subsidized budget of each investment project ranges from 60,000 euros to 300,000 euros.
The subsidized budget may not exceed three times the highest turnover achieved in one of the two full closed management years, before the date of submission of the funding application (2022-2023), with a maximum amount of 300,000 euros.
Investment projects with a budget of less than 60,000 euros are deemed ineligible from the start and cannot be submitted.
In the event that the investment plan has a budget greater than 300,000 euros, the excess amount is considered 100% private participation for the implementation of the plan and although the excess costs are not subsidized, the entire investment plan, including the excess costs, is subject to evaluation and monitoring-control. In any case the final subsidized budget of the project cannot be less than the minimum limit of 60,000 euros.
The public expenditure for all investment projects amounts to 50% of the subsidized budget, while the remaining amount is covered by private participation. To cover the private participation, the potential beneficiary can use own resources or even a loan.
Eligible costs are detailed in the Tender file (see Related Files)
See the announcement of the Action here.