The Action seeks to bolster and support the export orientation of Greece’s SMEs and relates to support for investment plans which seek to utilise and develop modern technologies and to improve the products manufactured, services provided and activities in general. The purpose of this Action is to improve the competitiveness and outward-looking focus of businesses, to integrate them into international value chains and to bolster the international presence of their products via their participation in trade fairs organised outside the territory of Greece in the European Union and third countries.
Online Submission Start Date: Thursday 17/07/2025 at 13:00
Online submission end date: Tuesday 11.11.2025 at 15:00
Investment plan budget
Minimum budget for investment plans: €80,000
The total subsidised budget for the investment plan may not exceed twice the highest turnover achieved in one of the three full accounting periods (or less if the enterprise does not have three) in the year before the financing application is submitted, with a maximum aid limit of €200,000.
Action Budget: €200,000,000
The Action is co-financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and with the participation of the Hellenic Republic. To ensure greater complementarity, financing is provided using Joint Support (Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060) to finance interventions which fall within the scope of ESF+ aid.
- €44,000,000 for transition regions: Attica and South Aegean
- €156,000,000 for less developed regions: North Aegean, Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese.
Subsidy rate
The aid rates for financing applications are uniform for all eligible expenditure for investment plans and range from 40% to 50% of the subsidised budget for each financing application, depending on the category of region in which it is implemented.
Beneficiaries
Existing small, micro and medium-sized enterprises, which before the date for online submission of the financing application:
- have at least one (1) full (i.e. consecutive 12-month operation) closed fiscal year;
- are materially active (in terms of their primary NACE code or NACE codes with the highest revenues) in one (1) eligible activity NACE code on the date on which the financing application is submitted online;
- have the investment-eligible NACE code (s) listed in Annex II;
- have at least one (1) employee AWU in the calendar year prior to the one in which the financing application is submitted. This will be confirmed based on the declared data held for that undertaking on the ERGANI IT system.
When submitting the financing application it must be proven that at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the private participation in the proposed budget is secured with own funds.
NB! It is mandatory to achieve an increase in exports for the aided enterprise [(compared to the amount of exports in the base year (2024 tax year)] at a level at least equal to 70% of the public expenditure corresponding to completion which must be achieved at the latest within three years from completion of the operation.
Beneficiaries should, inter alia, meet the following eligibility criteria. They must:
- submit a single application for financing per tax ID number as part of the current Action.
- declare only one category of region as the place(s) for implementing the measures under this Action. The region in which the investment plan will be implemented must be declared in the application for financing. Note that the enterprise may incur expenditure at the enterprise’s registered offices and/or at its branches where all implementation locations belong to the same category of Region.
- operate exclusively under one of the following types of corporate/commercial enterprise (Société Anonyme, Single Member Société Anonyme, Limited Liability Company, General Partnership, Limited Partnership, Private Company, Single Member Private Company, Sole Trader Enterprise, Civil for-profit Association, Social Cooperative under Law 4430/2016 as in force, Cooperative) and keep single- or double-entry accounting books in accordance with Law 4308/2014 as in force.
- submit proof that own participation of at least 25% in the proposed investment plan is secured in accordance with Annex I: SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR SUBMISSION/APPROVAL
- undertake that the expenditure included in the specific financing application has not been financed, included in and will not be submitted for approval of financing in another programme financed by national or Community resources.
- The physical scope of the investment must not have been completed or fully implemented before the financing application is submitted.
Note that:
- Enterprises may not be co-located; this is to ensure it is not possible for another enterprise to use the equipment acquired as part of the subsidised investment. Co-location means that the aided enterprise has its establishment in the same (and not separate) premises as another enterprise. Where it is ascertained that enterprises are co-located, and that it is possible for the equipment of the aided investment to be used by another enterprise, the inclusion decision shall be revoked.
- Enterprises whose place of business is the Beneficiary’s residence (main or secondary) will not be accepted.
The eligibility requirements for beneficiaries are presented in detail in the Action’s Call.
Eligible Expenses
In order to form the budget of the investment plans to be funded as part of this Action, the basic cost categories include:
- Procurement of equipment necessary for running the business and carrying on its economic activity and equipment to protect the environment and save energy.
- Costs for providing services such as certifications, acquiring know-how, packaging design, etc.
- Software expenditure
- Promotional, marketing and networking expenses via participation in professional fairs
Additionally, aid can cover the following costs:
a) payrolling costs for newly recruited staff,
b) indirect costs.
The cost eligibility start date is the date of submission of the application for financing.
The duration of financed investments is eighteen (18) months from the date of electronic notification of the final approval of the financing application.
Action Communication Material
Media kit for the Action
Summary of the Action in pdf format
Infographic for the Action in pdf format
Application submission procedure
The application for financing must be submitted online via the Integrated State Aid Management Information System (iSAMIS) Applications for financing in which mandatory iSAMIS fields have not been filled out cannot be submitted.
The application for financing must have a score of 75 at the very least when self-evaluating the investment plan based on the evaluation criteria in Annex III of the Call.
The applications for financing will be evaluated through benchmarking.
Contact – Information
Public Information Office: 8 Dragatsaniou Street, Klafthmonos Square, Athens.
Operating hours Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00
By phone: on 801 11 36 300 from landlines with a local charge from 09:00 to 16:30
Εmail: infoepan@mou.gr
Websites: www.antagonistikotita.gr www.espa.gr
Information points for EFEPAE (Intermediary Body of Operational Programmes for Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship) & their regions units: www.efepae.gr
