Support for Existing SMEs in the Areas of the Territorial Just Transition Plans of the Region of Western Macedonia & Megalopolis

The programme

The Action entitled "Support for Existing SMEs in the Areas of the Territorial Just Transition Plans of the Region of Western Macedonia & Megalopolis" will be implemented with funds from the "Just Development Transition" Programme of ESPA 2021 – 2027, totalling €30,000,000. It aims at the upgrading, modernisation, diversification, productive transformation and reorientation of existing enterprises that operate in the areas of the Territorial Just Transition Plans, in order to address the social and economic impact on these areas of the path towards the target set by the European Union: net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

This Action aims at the implementation of actions that make use of modern technologies, infrastructure and best practices in energy upgrading, the circular economy and the adoption of clean energy sources, and at the creation of jobs, while upgrading the products produced and/or the services provided and, in general, the activities of the enterprises. It encourages investment plans that aim to use and develop modern technologies.

Support for Existing SMEs in the Areas of the Territorial Just Transition Plans of the Region of Western Macedonia & Megalopolis - Who it concerns

Proposals for the Action may be submitted by existing medium-sized, small and micro enterprises.

Existing enterprises are those that have at least two (2) full closed financial years (for which the proper tax forms have been filed) by the date the funding application is submitted electronically.

The basic conditions for participation of the potentially benefiting enterprises are the following:

1. They must have the status of a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise
2. They must meet the conditions for applying Regulation (EU) 1407/2013 (De Minimis), on which the Action is based. More specifically, the total amount of de minimis aid that the single undertaking has received in the past, including the aid from this Action, must not exceed €200,000 (or €100,000 for the sector of road freight transport on behalf of third parties) within a three-year period (the current financial year and the two (2) previous financial years) before the time the legal right to the aid is granted.
3. They must operate legally
4. They must operate under a legal form that is acceptable under Company/Commercial Law
5. They must operate in Greece and make an investment exclusively within the following areas:
   • Region of Western Macedonia
   • Municipality of Megalopolis in the Region of Peloponnese
   • Municipality of Oichalia in the Region of Peloponnese
   • Municipality of Gortynia in the Region of Peloponnese
   • Municipality of Tripoli in the Region of Peloponnese
6. They must hold at least one of the eligible KAD codes of the call before the funding application is submitted
7. No aid recovery order must be pending against them following an earlier decision of the European Commission or of the Court of Justice of the European Union declaring an aid illegal and incompatible with the internal market
8. They must not have completed the physical scope of the investment, or implemented it in full, before the funding application is submitted
9. They must be registered in the Register of Beneficial Owners of Article 20 of Law 4557/2018 (A' 139), as in force
10. The proposed investment plan must:
    • concern at least one of the eligible KAD codes that will be included in the annex with the eligible sectors of activity (KAD) of the call
    • include expenses that contribute to Environmental Protection and Energy Saving
    • include the creation of at least one new job (equivalent to one Annual Work Unit) during the implementation of the investment plan
    • include eligible expenses whose total subsidised budget (including indirect expenses) ranges from €20,000 up to €100,000

In addition, all applicants for funding must commit/declare that:

• by the completion of the investment, and depending on the type and nature of the investment plan, they will see to the appropriate interventions so that persons with disabilities have access to the building infrastructure, the services and the electronic environment concerned
• there are no grounds for exclusion under Law 4488/2017 (A137/13.09.2017)
• the investment plan as a whole and/or the individual expenses included in this funding application:
  • Have not been funded under another action financed by national or EU funds
  • Are not approved expenses of an investment plan in another action financed by national or EU funds
  • If approval is granted, and for as long as they are approved expenses of the investment plan to be implemented, they will not be submitted for aid in an investment plan of another action financed by national or EU funds

The eligible activity codes (KAD), as well as the other conditions for participation & obligations of beneficiaries, will be set out in the detailed Call of the Action.

Program budget

The Total Budget (Public Expenditure) of the Action "Support for Existing SMEs in the Areas of the Territorial Just Transition Plans of the Region of Western Macedonia & Megalopolis" amounts to €30,000,000.

The subsidised budget of each investment plan ranges from €20,000 up to €100,000.

The Action is co-financed by the European Union, specifically by the Just Transition Fund (JTF), and by the Greek State.

Amount of subsidy

The aid rate for all investment plans and for all the expenses they include is 70%. The private contribution rate is 30%.

The aid of this Action "Support for Existing SMEs in the Areas of the Territorial Just Transition Plans of the Region of Western Macedonia & Megalopolis" will be provided under Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid (De Minimis).

Expenses subsidized

By way of example and without limitation, an investment plan may include the following expenses:

• Expenses for buildings and surrounding area
  • Buildings, installations and surrounding area
  • Building works for Environmental Protection, Energy & Water Saving and Waste Treatment
• Expenses for Equipment & Means of Transport
  • Equipment for Environmental Protection and Energy Saving
  • Circular economy equipment
  • Electric means of transport
  • Production & Mechanical Equipment
  • Automation systems and special IT systems
  • Digital office equipment
  • Other business equipment
• Software Expenses
  • Development of a website, e-shop and mobile applications as fixed assets
  • Software and licences for software programs
• Expenses for services
  • Consulting support for monitoring the implementation of the investment plan
  • Services for the supply/use of software under "Software as a Service", "cloud computing" or a similar arrangement
  • Certification and compliance of products according to national, harmonised and voluntary standards of European countries and/or countries outside the EU
  • Certification of services & processes according to national, harmonised and other European and international standards
  • Promotion and Extroversion Expenses
  • Participation in trade fairs
• Staff costs
• Indirect Expenses (7% of the other categories)

Important dates

The start date for the eligibility of expenses is the date of publication of the call. If an expense is incurred before the date the call is published, the expense is considered non-eligible and is therefore rejected.

The maximum time for completing the physical and financial scope of the investment plan may not exceed twelve (12) months from the date the Decision Approving the Evaluation Results is issued.

The funding application will be submitted exclusively online, through the Integrated State Aid Information System (OPSKE).

All the necessary information, supporting documents and forms must be attached to the application (electronically), as specified in the call. 

The evaluation of the applications will be comparative, and the investment plans will be examined/evaluated/scored on the basis of the formal conditions for participation and of scored criteria that will be set out in the detailed Call.

The detailed conditions for participation, the required supporting documents, the way proposals are submitted, the application period, the procedure for examining and evaluating proposals, the evaluation criteria, the obligations of beneficiaries if the aid application is approved and the other terms will be described in the Detailed Call of the Action

Supporting documents required for submission

All the necessary information, supporting documents and forms must be attached to the application (electronically), as specified in the call. 

The evaluation of the applications will be comparative, and the investment plans will be examined/evaluated/scored on the basis of the formal conditions for participation and of scored criteria that will be set out in the detailed Call.

The detailed conditions for participation, the required supporting documents, the way proposals are submitted, the application period, the procedure for examining and evaluating proposals, the evaluation criteria, the obligations of beneficiaries if the aid application is approved and the other terms will be described in the Detailed Call of the Action

22/09/2023

Pre-publication of the Action (in Greek)