11/2/2016
The Programme "Fostering Self-Employment Among Tertiary Education Graduates" is financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) in the framework of the Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Operational Programme (EPAnEK) of PA 2014–2020 and with the application of the flexibility clause for financing interventions that fall within the scope of aid under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Potential BeneficiariesThe Programme's potential beneficiaries are tertiary education graduates, who have been born before 1/1/1991, so as to start/ sustain a professional activity related to their field of specialization and organize their own independent professional premises.
Specifically:
The professional activities that will be financed by the Programme are indicatively the following:
Doctor, dentist, vet, physiotherapist, biologist, psychologist, midwife, lawyer, architect, engineer, surveyor, chemist, agronomist, geologist, forester, oceanographer, designer, journalist, writer, interpreter, guide, translator, professor or teacher, sculptor or painter or cartoonist or engraver, actor, musician, dancer, choreographer, director, set designer, costume maker, decorator, economist, analyst, programmer, researcher or consultant, accountant or tax expert, actuary, sociologist and social worker, etc.
Activities not supported by the ERDF (ΕC. 1301/2013, article 3 par.2) and the De Minimis Regulation (ΕC. 1407/2013, article 1), as well as activities with respect to the restaurant sector are excluded. Retail trade is eligible only if it constitutes a complementary activity necessary for the service delivered (e.g. sale of medicines by a veterinary).
The eligible categories for business activities (Activity Code Numbers - KAD), which will be subsidised in the context of the Action are included in the Call for Proposals of the Programme.
The Programme's call will contain means test criteria for both categories of beneficiaries.
Participation ConditionsThe beneficiaries who will receive aid for investment proposals must meet, cumulatively, the following:
Project's Budget - Geographical DistributionIn the context of the programme, projects with a total investment budget (subsidised budget) from €5,000 up to €25,000 will be subsidised.
The rate of aid for the investment proposals is set at 100% of the total investment budget.
Up to 40% of the corresponding Public Expenditure can be paid in advance by providing a letter of guarantee for the same amount by a bank or other financial institution established in Greece.
The funding shall be provided by the Greek State and the European Union and specifically the European Social Fund (ESF). In order to finance the equipment expenses the ESF flexibility clause will be activated for financing interventions that fall within the aid scope of the ERDF.
The budget for the public expenditure of the action amounts to €50 million and will be allocated in two cycles (1st cycle: 65% and 2nd cycle: 35% of the action budget). The present programme of the 1st cycle is financed with the total amount of €32.5 million (Public Expenditure) and is allocated in the regions of the country as follows:
Project DurationThe duration of the approved projects is set at twenty four (24) months from the date for the decision to include the investment plan.
Eligible ExpenditureThe eligible expenditure categories which will be subsidised in the context of the present Pre-Announcement are included in detail in the Call for Proposals of the Programme. Indicative categories of eligible expenditure for the two year aid period are the following:
It should be noted that enterprises that will be subsidized for their productive equipment should be maintained for at least three (3) years from the completion of the business plan.
The beginning of expenditure eligibility is set as the financing application submission date.
Submission – Evaluation – Inclusion – ImplementationIn order to be included in the programme, potential beneficiaries should submit their financing application for evaluation based on the procedure set out in the Programme’s Call for Proposals.
The conditions for participation, the documents required, the manner of proposal submission, the procedure for examining and evaluating proposals, their inclusion for financing, the obligations of beneficiaries in the event of approval of the financing application and the other terms of the Programme are described in detail in the Call for Proposals of the Programme (as well as in all the documents that accompany it). It should be noted that during the control and evaluation of the proposals, data will be cross-checked thoroughly so as to verify the accuracy of data contained in the investment proposals and prevent fraud against the EU budget.
The evaluation of the applications for financing will be comparative, based on criteria set out in the Call of the Programme.
Information - PublicityThe Call for Proposals (in greek) as well as all the documents of the Programme that accompany it, can be found here and also in the Special Managing Service EPAnEK website www.antagonistikotita.gr.
Contact e-mail: infoepan@mou.gr
Contact telephone number: 801 11 36300
OP Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Announcement
Last modification date: 7/3/2016