The second (2nd) amendment of the Call for Applications for Funding of Investment Projects of the EPAnEK of the Action e-retail - Grant to existing SMEs in the retail sector for the development/upgrade and management of an online store(Cycle B), on the extension of the deadline for the completion of the investments financed in twelve (12) months, out of six (6) months in forcefrom the twelve (12) months in effect See more information about the Action here . According to the amendment of the Call, the request for verification - certification must be submitted no later than one month after the end date of the 12-month project duration

The e-retail Action (B cycle) aims to provide grants to SMEs in the retail sector for the development/upgrading and management of an e-shop in order to:

• support their operation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
• enhance the integration of digital technology as well as their digital transformation, and
• avoid overcrowding indoors

Action Budget e-Romanian

The budget of the e-Romania Action (B cycle) is EUR 8.000.000 . It is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and from national resources.

Beneficiaries of the action – Terms & conditions of participation

Beneficiaries of the Action e-retail (B cycle), i.e. enterprises eligible for public funding under this Action, are medium, small and micro Retail Enterprises who maintain a physical store (in a separate area of their home), regardless of their legal form, who operate legally in the country and have started at the competent Tax Office.

The companies are divided into:

• Existing ones, if they have been established until 30/09/2019
• Newly established, if they have been established from 1/10/2019 until the date of announcement of the Action.

The basic conditions for the participation of companies submitting a proposal are the following:

• to have the RETAIL (NACE code 47 and its Analytical, as described in Annex X) either as a MAIN Activity, at the head office or at the branch, or as an activity with the highest revenues.
• to maintain a Physical Retail Store of goods, in a separate area of their home, i.e. a commercial space that welcomes and serves customers,
• the operation of the eligible activity at the head office and/or branches of the undertaking has been suspended for at least one day from Wednesday 18 March 2020 onwards;
• existing businesses to have a reduction of at least 20% in their turnover during the 4th quarter of the year 2020 compared to the corresponding quarter of the year 2019. For start-ups the reduction will be considered 100% in their turnover,
• submit one investment proposal per VAT number.
• the total amount of de minimis aid which the undertaking has received in the past, including the aid from this Action; not to exceed the amount of 200,000 euros within a three-year period (current financial year and the two (2) previous financial years) prior to the date of inclusion of the proposal.

Eligible expenditure - Budget of the e-liviculture Action

Each business (distinct VAT number) will be awarded a total grant up to the amount of 5,000 euros. This amount will be directed to the acquisition of IT equipment and the implementation of intangible actions (Software/services). The purpose is the development and management of an online store.

If the business (distinct VAT number) already had an online store before 18/3/2020, then this can be upgraded with a entitled grant up to the amount of 1,500 euros. The start of eligibility of expenditure is defined as 18 March 2020. All eligible costs must have started as a physical and economic object from that day onwards.

Eligible expenditure under the e-Retail Action (B cycle) fall into two (2) broader categories. i.e. IT Equipment and Software, and are as follows:

IT equipment (only for new online stores)

1. Servers / servers for hosting applications - software required for the creation and operation of an online store, with its accompanying elements (keyboards, screen, etc.) and the required operating system. Acquisition in the form of Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) is also permitted. In the case of acquisition in the form of Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS), the cost for one year is eligible.
2. Desktop/Laptop.
3. Other technological equipment related to the creation / upgrade and operation of an online store (e.g. Network equipment, Bar code readers, printers, etc.). The cost of supplying tablets, mobile phones and televisions is not eligible. For IT equipment the maximum eligible percentage of the subsidized budget of the project is 30%.

Software

1. E-shop design, development and management services - will operate in 2 languages, as well as in a mobile responsive or dedicated mobile version and will incorporate ordering (basket), warehouse (quantity of items) and secure electronic payments (redirect in a banking environment). Eligible expenditure is also the purchase of software in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) as long as it is necessary for the operation of the e-shop. In the case of acquisition in the form of Software as a Service (SAAS), the cost for one year is eligible.
2. Development and/or certification of a digital security policy.

For the software the maximum eligible percentage of the subsidized budget of the project is 100%.

In the case of an upgrade of an existing online store, the costs of supplying equipment are not eligible. The grant to the company amounts to 1,500 euros.

The total amount of public funding that each enterprise (at the level of a "single enterprise") may receive from the specific e-lianiko Action (B cycle), taking into account any other aid received or to be received under Regulation 1407/2013 (De Minimis) in the last three years, calculated on a rolling basis. It may not exceed EUR 200 000 (or EUR 100 000 for the road haulage sector).