Call for Proposal for the "Extroversion - Business Competitiveness –(II) Programme"

First Publication Date: 5/8/2013
Issuing Authority: General Secretariat for Industry - Directorate of Small and Medium Enterprises

Short Description

The ΅Extroversion - 'Business Competitiveness –(II)' Programme is included within the framework of the 'Competitiveness & Entrepreneurship 2007-2013' OP (EPAN II) and is part of the strategy of the Ministry of Development and Competitiveness (YPAAN) aiming at strengthening the extroversion of Greek enterprises. This initiative, which follows-up on the initiatives of the General Secretariat for Industry (GGB) for the Extroversion of Greek enterprises, aims at:

• Strengthening the extrovert entrepreneurship of new and existing SMEs, mainly involved in processing, as well as, under certain conditions, large enterprises, as a basic choice for the upgrading of the countryΆs production base with goods and services of high added value, quality, environmental sensitivity and incorporation of knowledge and innovation.
• Improving extrovert business opportunities and promoting Greek enterprises and their products in international markets.
• Reorienting production towards sectors and products with higher added value that will contribute towards strengthening extrovert competitiveness by invigorating the extroversion of enterprises and international partnerships.

Developing partnerships/synergies in industry – trade – services and ties of cooperation between Greek and international enterprises, aiming at strengthening the competitive presence of Greek enterprises in international markets.

Participation prerequisites

1) General eligibility requirements:

Ι) As regards to the size and commencement of operations:

All new and existing micro-, small, medium-sized and large enterprises legally active within the territory of Greece, that have been founded and have stared operating by 01.08.2012 and have been continuously operating from that date until the final date of submission of the electronic applications.
For the purposes of this guide, the date of establishment / commencement of operation of the eligible enterprise/activity is understood to be the date of commencement of operations noted on the relevant Business Commencement Certification of the competent Internal Revenue Office. Moreover, for the purposes of this guide, an enterprise is characterised as new when it has completed up to five (5) full fiscal years by the date of notice of the programme.

ΙΙ) As regards to the corporate form of the enterprise:

The following enterprises are considered eligible:

1) corporate for-profit enterprises (Société Anonyme, Limited Liability Corporation, General Partnership, Limited Partnership, Private Company),
2) individual enterprises, and
3) for-profit cooperatives that keep category B or C books (single-entry and double-entry accounting system, respectively, according to the Code of Tax Reporting of Transactions [KFAS] in force, having an activity that corresponds to at least one of the eligible business activity codes per case and pro rata, as set out below.

ΙΙΙ) As regards to the business activity sector

Eligible enterprises are those active in the sectors of processing, constructions and selected activities of commerce and services and which are classified, on the basis of either their principal or secondary activity, into one of the eligible sectors of the Programme, as described in the table of eligible sectors KAD – NACE 20082 of Annex VI. Furthermore, in compliance with the terms and conditions of this document, enterprises that are active in a non-eligible KAD and that wish to become active in an activity that is eligible for the programme are also eligible. In this case, they must carry out the necessary actions so as to start operating in at least one of the eligible activities of the Programme before the expiry of the deadline for the electronic submission of the proposal. This category will include existing enterprises with an inactive eligible KAD BUT with documented commencement (activation) of operation before the electronic submission of the proposal as eligible enterprises. The eligible business activity codes (KAD, NACE 2008, revision 2 as in force) must be noted on the unit operation licence, the business commencement certificate, the tax statement forms (E3) or any other document of equivalent probatory value.

2) Special Eligibility Requirements:

Α) Individual Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized enterprises, active in Greece in the sectors of processing, constructions and selected services (Annex VI) that submit for evaluation a distinct individual investment plan without partnerships BUT with smaller subsidy rate, as set out in detail in Chapter 7 of this document.

Β) Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized enterprises, active in Greece in the sector of commerce (see eligible codes in Annex VI), which:

EITHER:

• Submit for evaluation and inclusion their own distinct investment plan AS WELL AS a partnership agreement for joint actions exclusively for the purposes of the programme with at least two eligible SMEs of cases (A) above, of which at least one must be involved in processing, with an eligible activity described in Annex VI of this document.

OR:

• Submit a distinct, individual investment plan without partnerships for evaluation BUT with  a smaller subsidy percentage, as set out in detail in Chapter 7 of this document.

C) Large enterprises active in Greece in the sectors of processing, constructions and selected services (Annex VI), which:

EITHER:

• Submit for evaluation and inclusion their own distinct investment plan AS WELL AS a partnership agreement for joint actions exclusively for the purposes of the programme with at least two eligible SMEs of cases (A) above, of which at least one must be involved in processing, with an eligible activity described in Annex VI of this document.

OR:

• Submit a distinct, individual investment plan without partnerships for evaluation BUT with  a smaller subsidy percentage, as set out in detail in Chapter 7 of this document.

D) Groups of Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (at least three (3)) of Case (A) that submit for evaluation their own distinct investment plan AS WELL AS a partnership agreement for joint actions exclusively for the purposes of the programme.

Within the framework of the ΅EXTROVERSION COMPETITIVENESS- II' Programme, projects with the following investment budget receive aid:

• from ¤20,000.00 to ¤200,000.00 Euros for investment plans of enterprises that DO NOT come under business activity codes 62, 63 and 70 - 70.22, 73 - 73.11.11, 74 – 74.10.1, 74.10.2, 91 (KAD – NACE 2008).
• from ¤20,000.00 to ¤100,000.00 Euros for investment plans of enterprises that come under business activity codes 62, 63 and 70 - 70.22, 73 - 73.11.11, 74 – 74.10.1, 74.10.2, 91 (KAD – NACE 2008).

The total percentage of equivalent Public Funding is determined by the size of the enterprise and the conclusion or non-conclusion of partnerships, as follows:

1) For individual Business Plans of case (A) of Chapter 6 and for all categories of SMEs:

• 45% of the eligible budget for all of Greece.

2) For the case of individual business plans without partnerships, for all categories of eligible commercial SMEs and large enterprises (cases (B) and (C)) of Chapter 6:

• 35% of the eligible budget for all of Greece for the case of commercial SMEs,

• 30% of the budget for all of Greece for large enterprises.

3) All categories of SMEs and within the framework of the conclusion of partnerships either with eligible commercial enterprises or with other SMEs (cases (B) and (D) of Chapter 6):

• 55% of the eligible budget for all of Greece.

4) For the case of partnerships with large enterprises – partnerships of case (C) of Chapter 6:

• 45% of the eligible budget for all of Greece for large enterprises, and,

• 55% of the budget for all of Greece for all categories of SMEs.

 
Eligible Actions and Expenditures

The eligible actions concern in general new products / service or products / services in new markets and include investments that fall under the following general categories:

• Machinery Equipment – Special Installations.
• IT / telecommunications actions.
• Actions for the design, certification and compliance of products/services and packaging/labelling. Quality and certification actions.
• Promotion actions (except studies) in target-markets.
• Technical and Consulting Support actions.
• Actions (except studies) for the protection or acquisition and use of patents, intellectual property and technical knowledge transfer at European and international level.
• Actions for the development of specialised personnel and human resources (only for new small and micro-enterprises).

Other Actions (only for new small and micro-enterprises).

Description

Interested parties can find the Submission Form and all other notice (call) documents on the websites of the Ministry of Development and Competitiveness (www.ypoian.gr), the General Secretariat for Industry (www.ggb.gr), the Special Management Service (EYD) of the 'Competitiveness & Entrepreneurship' Operational Programme (EPAE) (www.antagonistikotita.gr), the Intermediate body of the 'Competitiveness & Entrepreneurship' Operational Programme (EFEPAE) (www.efepae.gr), the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) (www.espa.gr), as well as the partners of EFEPAE and the Banking Institutions and Agencies associated with EFEPAE. For further information, interested parties can contact EFEPAE and its partners by calling 210-6985210 and the EYD EPAE information desk at 801 1136300.