Extroversion – Competitiveness of Businesses

The programme

The Program Extroversion – Competitiveness of Businesses 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 outward-looking entrepreneurship of small and medium-sized enterprises and subject to conditions of large enterprises, as a key option for upgrading the country's productive base towards high value-added goods and services.

Who it concerns

In the Outward Bound - Business Competitiveness programme, businesses can submit a proposal either individually or as a co-participant/partner in a group scheme:

• Individual  Existing  and New  Very Small , Small and  Medium  Enterprises operating in Greece in the eligible sectors of Manufacturing, Construction and Services AND which have been established and started their eligible activity before 01-01-2010.
• Existing and New Micro, Small and Medium enterprises which are active in Greece in the field of Trade, have been established and started their eligible activity before 01-01-2010, AND under the strict condition that they will submit for evaluation and inclusion, in addition to a distinct investment plan and a joint action cooperation agreement exclusively for the purposes of the programme with at least one micro, small or medium eligible enterprise of case (A).
• Existing Large enterprises operating in Greece in eligible CSDs in the sectors of Manufacturing , the Construction and Services , have been established and started their eligible activity before 01-01-2008, AND under the strict condition that they submit for evaluation and inclusion, in addition to a distinct investment plan, a joint action cooperation agreement exclusively for the purposes of the programme with at least two (2) micro, small or medium-sized eligible enterprises of case (A).
• Groups (minimum of three) Existing and/or New Very small , Small and Medium enterprises which meet the eligibility conditions of case (A) above and submit for evaluation and inclusion, in addition to a distinct investment plan AND a joint action cooperation agreement exclusively for the purposes of the programme. The cooperation agreement in cases (B), (C) and (D) shall not be the subject of the Investment Plan. Each company participates with its own distinct investment plan. The cooperation agreement is a framework for joint actions (corresponding to distinct company-specific costs) based on an agreement between the members of the cooperation agreement to e.g. reduce costs, achieve economies of scale for more effective promotion and marketing of products, etc. The set of conditions for the cooperation agreements in cases (B), (C) and (D) above are set out in detail in the Programme Guide.

Program budget 

The programme is financed with a total amount of 30.000.000,00€ (Public Expenditure).

This amount is broken down to € 18.000.000,0 for individual or cooperative business plans submitted by existing and new micro and small enterprises, in 9.000.000,00€ for individual or cooperative business plans submitted by existing and new medium-sized enterprises and in 3.000.000,00€ for cooperation business plans submitted by large enterprises, under the exclusive condition of cooperation with at least two (2) micro, small or medium-sized eligible enterprises, as well as the terms and conditions of the Programme Guide, from the following business programmes:

Operational Programmes

• 1. Amount 11.250.000,0€ from the Operational Programme "Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship" approved by the 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 outward-looking' under thematic priority code 09 'Other measures to stimulate research and innovation and entrepreneurship in SMEs'. .
• Amount 6.000.000,0 € from the Attica Operational Programme approved by the Attica Operational Programme approved by No. C(2007) 5443/5-11-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 R161PO006).
• Amount 8.400.000,0 € from the Operational Programme Macedonia-Thrace (Central Macedonia) approved by the Operational Programme No. C(2007) 5337/26-10-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO008).
• Amount 750.000,0€ from the Operational Programme Macedonia-Thrace (West Macedonia) approved by the Operational Programme of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Macedonia (West Macedonia) No. C(2007) 5337 /26-10-2007 Decision approving Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO008).
• Amount  3.000.000,0 € from the Operational Programme Thessaly-Sterea Ellada-Epiros (Sterea Ellada) approved by the Decision of approval for Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO001) E(2007) 5332/26-10-2007.
• Amount 600.000,0 € from the Operational Programme of Crete and Aegean Islands (South Aegean) approved by the Decision No E(2007) 5439/5-11-2007 for Community assistance from the ERDF (CC1 GR161UPO002).

Amount of subsidy

Within the framework of the Programme Extroversion - Competitiveness of Enterprises projects with an investment budget of €30.000,00 to €250.000,00 euros are supported. The percentage of public funding is as follows:

1) Regardless of the size of the (small and medium) Business, and for individual Business Plans of case (A) above:

• 45% of the eligible budget for the whole territory.

2) In the case of partnerships with large companies - partnerships of case (C) above:

• 40% of the eligible budget for the whole territory for large enterprises
• 50% of the Territory-wide budget for SMEs.

3) For Business Plans in partnerships of cases (B) and (D) above:

• 50% of the eligible budget for the whole territory.

Expenses subsidized

• Mechanical equipment
• Information technology/ telecommunications activities
• Product and packaging design and certification activities
• Outreach activities in target markets
• Technical and advisory support actions.
• ∆Cost of testing and verification by laboratories
• Protection or acquisition and use of patents, intellectual property and transfer of know-how
• Development of qualified staff and human resources

Important dates

Application period from 10-03-2011 to 24-05-2011 14:00

Necessary supporting documents for submission

1. Balance sheets - profit and loss accounts (only for those enterprises that are obliged to prepare them) for the calendar years (financial year), 2008, 2009, 2010 (financial years, 2009, 2010, 2011) for those enterprises that have completed three years. For those that have completed two years or one year the reporting obligation shall be adjusted accordingly.
2. Tax returns and detailed tax information E3, E5 (depending on the form of the company), F01 (only for limited liability companies) for the calendar years (financial year) 2008, 2009, 2010 (financial years 2009, 2010, 2011). For those that have completed two or one full financial year the reporting obligation shall be adjusted accordingly.
3. Copies of the constitution and representation documents, stamped with the stamp of the undertaking.
4. VAT statements for the calendar years (financial year) 2008, 2009, 2010 (financial years 2009, 2010, 2011. For those that have not completed three years the reporting obligation shall be adjusted accordingly.
5. For companies that they will hire for the implementation of their S/S:
   Final Statement of Settlement of the amounts of tax, stamp duty and OGA levy due on income from employment services
6. ∆A declaration of change of activity from the competent D.O.Y. which will only include the assignment of the old activity codes
   with the new ones (i.e. from K.A.D. 97 to K.A.D. 08) without any other change in the taxpayer's registration details being declared in it.
7. A licence to operate the business, where required, or a legal exemption from it. In the event that the operating licence has expired, a certificate from the competent municipal authority that a complete file for its renewal has been submitted.
8. Quotations-preferences for all costs and prospectus for equipment. Tenders should be sorted by serial number in order to facilitate completion of the online proposal submission form for the relevant field of analysis of the costs of the business plan.
9. Mandatory submission of a short and comprehensive strategic planning form (Business Plan) to which the investment project corresponds.
10. In the case of partnerships: For each partner, all of the above and a detailed cooperation agreement to which all partners shall refer and submit a reference and which shall include at least the information referred to and provided for in the chapter on cooperation. 6 herein.
11. In the case of SMEs: a declaration of SME status in accordance with EU Regulation 800/2008 (see Annex I of the Guide for details)
12. Declaration of Responsibility N. 1599/86 signed by the company's legal representative

Pre-calibration

Pending