Introduction

On April 2, 2025, the Western Macedonia Region, as part of the “Western Macedonia 2021-2027” program under the 2021-2027 NSRF, announced two new business support actions in the region. These actions aim to enhance the competitiveness of existing businesses, while also creating a favorable environment for new and emerging businesses, providing them with the necessary tools for sustainable growth.

The funding for the two actions comes from the “Western Macedonia” program, under Priority 1: “Enhancing the productive and economic transformation of the Region,” and specifically under Specific Objective 3: “Enhancing the sustainable development and competitiveness of SMEs, and creating jobs in SMEs through productive investments (ERDF).” The total funding for both actions will be 12.000.000€. These actions aim to promote innovation, support the development of new products and services, and improve the competitiveness of businesses in the region, ultimately contributing to the economic growth of Western Macedonia.

Entrepreneurship is a key driver of development and innovation, contributing to job creation, strengthening the local economy, and shaping competitive markets. Especially in regions undergoing economic transition, such as those impacted by lignite phase-out and changes in the energy model, supporting businesses is deemed absolutely essential. In this context, these two targeted actions have been designed and are included in the ESIF 2021-2027 framework:

• “Business Recovery” Action, aimed at supporting existing very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Western Macedonia that are looking to strengthen their sustainability and competitiveness
• “Business Startup” Action, targeting new or newly established very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Western Macedonia, providing them with the necessary financial resources to grow during their critical early years of operation

Both actions have been designed with a focus on the current market needs, emphasizing:

• Promoting the sustainability of businesses through investments in modern technologies and equipment
• Creating new job opportunities by subsidizing expenses for hiring staff and providing training
• Supporting innovation through investments in digital tools and specialized marketing services
• Developing local entrepreneurship by strengthening small and micro businesses, which are the backbone of the Greek economy

The funding focuses on sectors that align with the regional and national smart specialization strategy. The key areas of intervention include:

• Industry & Construction: Technologies for climate-neutral and digitized production, new materials, and processes
• Tourism & Creative Industries: Development of innovative products, services, and applications
• Agri-food Chain: Improvement of products, natural resource management, food safety, and sustainable production
• Environment & Circular Economy: Waste management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable business models
• Sustainable Energy: Energy efficiency, energy storage, hydrogen technologies, and climate-neutral fuels

Leveraging these actions offers a significant opportunity for both existing and new businesses that wish to invest in their future, adapt to the new economic conditions, and gain a competitive edge in the market.

The following sections provide detailed information about the characteristics of each action, eligible expenses, and participation procedures.

1st Action: Business Recovery – Support for Existing Businesses

The “Business Recovery” action supports very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the Just Transition areas of Western Macedonia. Its goal is to strengthen existing businesses seeking growth, infrastructure modernization, or activity expansion. This strategic initiative promotes entrepreneurship and boosts the competitiveness of companies by utilizing targeted financial tools.

Eligible Beneficiaries: Very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises established before 1/1/2022 and with at least two (2) complete closed financial years by the date of submission of the funding application

Grant: Financial support is provided under the De Minimis Regulation (EU 2831/2023)

Funding and Subsidies: The total public expenditure for supporting businesses through this action is 7.800.000€, offering an opportunity for businesses from various sectors to benefit. The public expenditure for all investment plans amounts to 70% of the eligible investment budget, while the remaining amount is covered by private participation. If the investment plan includes personnel costs, the subsidy percentage increases, with the subsidy for this category of expenses reaching 80%

Key Participation Requirements:

• One application per Tax Identification Number (TIN)
• Applicants must have at least one eligible activity code (NACE) before the launch of the action, and the proposed investment plan must be related to one of the eligible NACE code in which the beneficiary must have been active at least by the submission of the first payment request (including the advance)
• Public entities, offshore companies, insurance organizations, and sports clubs are excluded
• Proof of availability of funds must be submitted to demonstrate the ability to cover at least 25% of the total costs of the investment plan

Budget and Implementation Period:

The eligible budget for each business plan ranges from 25.000€ to 300.000€, providing significant funding opportunities for both small and medium-sized enterprises. The implementation period for projects is 24 months, providing ample time for the effective development and implementation of investment plans. At least 30% of the approved funding budget must be completed within the first 12 months from the start of the investment implementation period (date of electronic notification of the final approval of the funding application or the result of an appeal evaluation) and will be subject to verification

2nd Action: Business Start-up – Funding for New and Newly Established Businesses

The “Business Start-up” action aims to support startups and newly established businesses by providing the necessary start-up capital and facilitating their development with reduced risk. The goal is to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in the region, offering opportunities for new entrepreneurs and newly founded companies to establish themselves in the market and expand their activities.

Eligible Beneficiaries: New and newly established very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises that will carry out the investment exclusively in the Just Transition areas of Western Macedonia. Newly established businesses are those that will be founded after the electronic submission of the funding application. New businesses are those that have been established after 1/1/2022 and have fewer than two (2) completed, closed financial years by the date of the call for proposals

Grant: Financial support is provided under the De Minimis Regulation (EU 2831/2023)

Funding and Subsidies: The total public expenditure for supporting businesses through this action amounts to 4.200.000€, providing opportunities for businesses from various sectors to benefit. The public expenditure for all investment plans amounts to 70% of the eligible investment budget, while the remaining amount is covered by private participation. If the investment plan includes personnel costs, the subsidy percentage increases, and the subsidy for this category of expenses reaches 80%

Key Participation Requirements:

• One application per Tax Identification Number (TIN)
• Applicants must have at least one of the eligible activity codes (NACE) before the launch of the action, and the proposed investment plan must involve at least one of the eligible NACE code in which the beneficiary must have been active by the submission of the first payment request (including the advance)
• Public entities, offshore companies, insurance organizations, and sports clubs are excluded
• Proof of availability of funds must be submitted to demonstrate the ability to cover at least 25% of the total costs of the investment plan

Budget and Implementation Period:

The eligible budget for each business plan ranges from 15.000€ to 250.000€. The implementation period for projects is 24 months, providing sufficient time for effective development and implementation of investment plans. At least 30% of the approved funding budget must be completed within the first 12 months from the start of the investment implementation period (date of electronic notification of the final approval of the funding application or the result of an appeal evaluation) and will be subject to verification.

Eligible Expenses for Both Actions

One of the key participation requirements for both the “Business Recovery” and “Business Start-up” actions is that the beneficiaries must not have already received funding approval under any other action of the “Just Development Transition” (JDT) Program within the ESPA 2021-2027. This means that a business which has already submitted and received a positive evaluation for any funding action within the JDT Program is not eligible to participate again in these actions, ensuring the fair distribution of available resources. This condition aims to prevent double funding and ensures that businesses who have already benefited from the program’s financial support do not get additional funding for similar projects.

Period of Eligibility of Expenses and Duration of Project Implementation

The eligibility of expenses begins from the date of publication of the call, i.e., April 2, 2025.

It is important to emphasize that any expenses incurred or contracted before this date will not be considered eligible, even if no invoice has been issued or the related contract has not yet been executed. The period of eligibility for expenses concludes 24 months after the date of notification of the final approval of the funding application. This means that beneficiaries must complete their subsidized investments within two (2) years from the official approval date of their project.

Period and Method of Submission

The submission of applications for funding will take place through the Integrated Information System for State Aid (iSAMIS), providing a modern, transparent, and efficient framework for managing applications.

Application Submission Period:

Start of Submission: April 3, 2025, at 13:00

End of Submission: July 3, 2025, at 15:00

Applications will be evaluated based on a comparative evaluation system, meaning that:

• All applications will be examined after the submission deadline.
• Proposals will be ranked based on specific evaluation criteria:
• Available funds in relation to the Investment Plan
• Turnover change rate in the last 2 years
• EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) ratio to turnover in the last 2 years
• Presence of a registered patent related to the business plan

Funding will be allocated to the proposals with the highest score until the available budget is exhausted.

For more information on these two programs, other available funding opportunities, or any support related to the planning and implementation of your investment projects, please do not hesitate to contact us at 231 0 552000 or 210 9580000, or via email at [email protected].