Opportunity for Strengthening Existing SMEs in the Mainland Areas of Just Development Transition

The action encourages investment plans that aim to utilize and develop modern technologies, cutting-edge procedures and means in the production process, to upgrade the produced products and/or services provided and their overall activities, including actions that leverage modern technologies, infrastructure, and best practices in matters of energy upgrading, with the goal of adapting businesses to ever-changing conditions, ensuring their viability, and addressing the social and economic challenges arising from the energy transition. 

The Action is implemented by the Just Transition Special Authority (EYDAM), through EFEPAE as Intermediary Agency.
Public expenditure is co-financed by the Just Transition Fund of the European Union and by National Participation.

The budget of the Action's public expenditure amounts to €20,000,000 and is allocated as follows: 

Region	Geographical Unit	Available Budget
Western Macedonia	Regional Unit KOZANI	€4,900,000
	Regional Unit FLORINA	€3,500,000
	Regional Unit KASTORIA	€2,800,000
	Regional Unit GREVENA	€2,800,000
Total amount in the Region of Western Macedonia		€14,000,000
Peloponnese	MUNICIPALITY OF MEGALOPOLI	€3,000,000
	MUNICIPALITY OF OICHALIA	€3,000,000
	MUNICIPALITY OF GORTYNIA
	MUNICIPALITY OF TRIPOLI
Total amount in the Region of Peloponnese		€6,000,000
Regions Total Amount		€20,000,000

The subsidized budget of each investment proposal of a potential aid beneficiary can range from €2,000 to €20,000. 
If the investment plan includes expenses that cumulatively exceed €20,000, the excess amount is considered in its entirety as private participation. Note that the entire investment plan, including the excess costs, is subject to evaluation, monitoring and audit. In any case, a total subsidized budget of less than €2,000 cannot be approved/certified.

The maximum duration for the completion of the physical and financial scope of the investment plan cannot exceed nine (9) months from the date of online notification of the final approval of the funding application (evaluation result or objection evaluation result). Requests for extension of the above deadlines are not accepted unless there are reasons of force majeure, as defined in Article 23 of Law 3885/2010.

Existing, micro and small enterprises, which intend to implement an investment plan related to at least one of the eligible activities included in ANNEX II ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY SECTORS (KAD) of the Call, and which operate exclusively under one of the following business forms:
Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership (O.E.), Limited Partnership (E.E.), Limited Partnership (E.E.) by Shares, Limited Liability Company (Ltd.), Single-Member Limited Liability Company (M.E.P.E.), Special Transport Company Ltd., Société Anonyme (S.A.), Special Transport Company Single-Member Ltd (IME MEPE), Single-Member Société Anonyme (M.A.E.), Private Capital Company (I.K.E.), Single Member Private Capital Company (MIKE), Social Cooperative Enterprise under Law 4430/2016 as in force (KOINSEP), Limited Liability Social Cooperative (KOI.S.P.E.).

• They can submit one and only funding application per TIN
• They must be active in the Greek territory and carry out the investment exclusively in facilities within the geographical boundaries of the following regions: 

1.  Regional Unit of Kozani 
2. Regional Unit of Florina 
3. Regional Unit of Kastoria 
4. Regional Unit of Grevena 
5. Region of Peloponnese Municipality of Megalopoli 
6. Region of Peloponnese Municipality of Oichalia 
7. Region of Peloponnese Municipality of Gortynia 
8. Region of Peloponnese Municipality of Tripoli

 

• The proposed investment plan must concern at least one of the eligible business activity codes (KAD) listed in ANNEX II ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY SECTORS (KAD) of the call, in which beneficiaries must be active prior to submitting the funding application (that is, they must have the relevant KAD before submitting the funding application and it must appear among the company’s KADs, which will be retrieved from AADE in the electronic application). 

• The amount of the subsidized budget of the investment plan must exceed the minimum threshold stated in the "Action Summary" table, specifically in the field "Minimum / Maximum investment budget taking into account in the calculation of the aid" of the Action’s call.
• They must have the status of Micro or Small or Medium-sized Enterprise as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 and in accordance with Annex I of Regulation EU 651/2014 on the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, (ANNEX VI "Definition of SMEs & Model SME Declaration" of the call). 
• It must maintain single or double-entry account books under Law 4308/2014, as in force. 
•  Applicant businesses must meet all the conditions for the application of Regulation (EU) 2831/2023 (OJ L 15.12.2023) (De Minimis) on which the Action is based. More specifically, on the date the legal right to receive the aid is granted to the relevant enterprise—regardless of the date of payment of the De Minimis aid to the enterprise—the total amount of (De Minimis) aid that the single enterprise has received in any three-year period, including the aid from this Action, must not exceed €300,000 (for each new grant, the total amount of De Minimis aid granted over the previous 3 years on a rolling basis must be taken into account). In the event that the relevant ceiling is exceeded with the granting of the new De Minimis aid, this new aid does not fall under the benefit of this regulation. Excluded from said claim/commitment are applications/approvals for funding concerning financing products (loans or guarantees) implemented with national or EU funds, which may additionally finance the same investment plan, provided that the rules on cumulation of State aid are complied with. 
• They must undertake that the proposed action does not violate and is not incompatible with any of the provisions referenced in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as detailed in the “Table for compliance of actions with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union” (ANNEX X of the call).
•  They must undertake that, during the implementation of the investment plan, they will defend gender equality and prevent any discrimination on the grounds of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs, disability, age, or sexual orientation. 
• They must undertake that, until the completion of the investment and depending on the type and nature of the proposed Action, they will ensure appropriate interventions so as to guarantee access for persons with disabilities (PwD) to building infrastructure, services, and electronic environments, in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework (see ANNEX XI ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES of the call). 
• They must submit an electronic funding application, accompanied by all the necessary information and supporting documents, in accordance with the provisions set out in Section 8 "Funding Application Submission Procedure" of the call. 
• They must present evidence of Available Funds at a rate of at least 30% of the Total Budget of the Investment Plan. 
• The funding application must include costs related to the sub-activities marked as costs that contribute to the Protection of the Environment and Energy Saving.
• They must operate legally, possessing the appropriate licensing document in accordance with applicable legislation (e.g., operating license, Solemn Declaration of commencement of operation, exemption from operating license, notification of commencement of operation, etc.). In the event that the license has expired, at the stage of submission submission of the relevant application for its issuance/renewal is required. Businesses engaged in activities for which no operating license is required must submit a Solemn Declaration by the Legal Representative stating that no operating license nor a document exempting them from the relevant obligation is required. 
• They must not be subject to an order for the clawback of aid, following a prior decision of the European Commission or the Court of Justice of the European Union, declaring aid unlawful and incompatible with the internal market.
• They must not have completed or fully implemented the physical object of the investment before submitting the funding application. 
• They must comply with the legislation on occupational health and safety and prevention of occupational hazards. 
• They must undertake that there are no grounds for exclusion under Article 39, par. 1-4 and Article 40 par. 1 of Greek law 4488/2017 (A137/13.09.2017). 
• They must be registered in the Beneficial Ownership Register of Article 20 Law 4557/2018 (A 139), as in force.
• They must not be subject to bankruptcy proceedings, liquidation or compulsory administration 
• The funding application must obtain a minimum overall score of 50 in the criteria mentioned in ANNEX IV CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS of the call. Note that it is not permissible to submit a funding application to the ISAMIS system, if the aforementioned condition is not met. 
• They must undertake that, after completion of the investment / repayment of the public funding, they will maintain at least the employment level of the year 2025 for the month following the one in which the final certification has been finalized, for the next eleven (11) consecutive full months (a total of twelve months) as well. 
• If they declare that they will increase employment, they must undertake to create the new job position(s) by the final certification of the investment and to maintain the declared increase (which will be subject to evaluation of the application) for at least the month following the one in which final certification has been finalized, for the next eleven (11) consecutive full months (a total of twelve months) as well, cumulatively with the employment level of the year 2025. 

The overall terms and conditions for the participation of beneficiaries are presented in detail in the Action call. 

The main expenses covered by the Program relate to:
• Costs of Equipment, Means of Transport & Instruments
• Expenses for Buildings, Facilities & Surrounding Area 
• Expenses for the Provision of Services
• Software 
• Indirect expenses (7% mandatory expenditure on the eligible direct expenses of the investment plan)
Note that: Upon completion of the investment, and based on its final certified budget, at least one expenditure must have been implemented for the protection of the environment and energy saving.
Eligible costs are detailed in the Action call.