The Action is part of the support / promotion of international partnerships and aims to enhance the openness and competitiveness of the research and innovation system through the participation of Greek research organisations and enterprises in cooperation with bodies of other countries in the international competitive calls of the EU co-funded partnerships of the ‘Horizon Europe’ Framework Programme. The Action covers projects with Greek participants (enterprises and research centres) in the calls of the European Co-funded Partnerships, in which the General Secretariat of Research and Innovation (GGEK) participates, which are issued by the EU in the framework of the ‘Horizon Europe’ Programme (Regulation (EU) 2021/695) to fund international research and innovation partnerships.
Online application submission start date: 1st July 2026 at 13:00.
The call will remain open until the available budget has been used up.
Action Budget: €18,000,000
- €14,040,000.01 for less developed regions: North Aegean, Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese.
- €3,959,999.99 for transition regions: Attica and South Aegean.
The total Public Expenditure is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with the respective national participation and by the ‘Horizon Europe’ EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Project Budget
The maximum total budget for submitted applications for funding must not exceed €250,000 where the Greek body acts as the coordinator of the European project and €200,000 where the Greek body or bodies participate as partners.
Aid intensity
The projects to be proposed for funding will be eligible, provided that they relate to research and development projects and the aided project falls under one or both of the following categories:
- a) industrial research
b) experimental development.
The aid intensity of beneficiaries’ research and development projects will be determined by the following:
– the research and development category (industrial research, experimental development) of each work package of the project and
– the size of the enterprise (micro / small, medium, large).
The aid intensity is determined separately for each beneficiary and for each type of subsidised activity.
The total public expenditure (P.E.), consisting of the sum of funding from the ‘Competitiveness’ and ‘Horizon Europe’ Programmes, will be based on the aid intensity (up to 100% for Research Organisations and up to 70% for enterprises).
Beneficiaries of the action: Enterprises and research organisations.
Enterprise: any legal entity engaged in economic activity.
The Action is addressed to existing enterprises regardless of the date of incorporation, which intend to implement a research and development project the subject matter of which falls within the selected fields of activity of this Call (point 4.4) under the National Smart Specialisation Strategy 2021-2027 (NSSS).
Enterprises must have been lawfully incorporated and must operate or be active until the time of payment of the aid, through an establishment or branch in Greece as legal persons, irrespective of legal form.
Large enterprises may participate in the Action as partners of at least one small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
The size of the enterprise is determined as per the definition of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 651/2014, to determine the intensity of the aid (ANNEX III hereto). Entities engaged in an economic activity, i.e. offering products and services on a given market that are not subject to commercial law, are potential beneficiaries of this Action, and will be declared as ‘Other entities treated as enterprises’ upon submission of the funding application
It is noted that the enterprise – potential beneficiary must – at the time of the aid payment – have an establishment or a branch which operates legally in the Greek region where the aid is allocated in accordance with the application for funding.
Research Organisation: a body (such as a university or research centre-institute, technology transfer organisation, innovation intermediary, and physical or virtual collaborative research entity) irrespective of legal status (private- or public-law entity) or funding means, the primary objective of which must be the conduct of basic independent research, industrial research or experimental development or the widespread dissemination of the results of said activities through teaching, publications or knowledge transfer. If this body also performs economic activities, funding, expenses and revenue arising from these activities must be declared separately. Enterprises that can decisively influence such an entity, e.g. in the capacity of a shareholder or member, do not have privileged access to the research results that they produce.
Eligible Expenses
The aid must fulfil the incentive effect, as defined in Article 6(5)(i) of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014, as in force. Adversely, the entire project becomes ineligible for funding.
The cost eligibility starting date shall be the date of acceptance of the results of the evaluation of the European partnerships by the Secretary General of Research and Innovation.
Eligible cost categories:
– Staff expenditure
– Equipment & instrument costs
– Contract research costs – Subcontractor costs
– Additional overheads and other operating expenses
– Indirect operating expenses
The maximum term of implementation of submitted project proposals is thirty-six (36) months, starting from the date of online notification of final approval of the funding application or of the results of evaluation of any objections, with the option to extend this period by six (6) months, following justified documentation by the beneficiaries and competent approval thereof by the GGEK no later than 31/12/2030.
Application submission procedure
The funding application must be submitted online via the Integrated State Aid Management Information System (iSAMIS).
Applications that are not submitted online will not receive aid. No applications may be submitted after the expiry of the deadline for electronic submission of Applications for Funding.
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
