Research – Innovate 2021-2027

Program Dates

Start Date: 06/06/2024

End Date: 27/11/2024

It has been announced that on Thursday, 6/6/2024, the action "Research - Innovate" will commence. This action is a Strategic Significance Project under the Competitiveness Program (NSRF 2021-2027) and the grant percentage can reach up to 80% of the total budget.

The closing dates per intervention are as follows:

- for Intervention I on Tuesday 30/07/2024 at 15:00

- for Intervention II on Monday 09/09/2024 at 15:00

- for Interventions III and IV the Call will remain open until the exhaustion of the available budget per Region Category and at the latest until Wednesday 27/11/2024 at 15:00.

The evaluation process of funding applications is comparative for Interventions I and II and immediate (FiFo), until the budget is exhausted for Interventions III and IV.

Program Budget

The action's budget is €300,000,000, of which:

€66,000,000 will be allocated to Transition Regions: Attica and South Aegean.
€234,000,000 will be allocated to Less Developed Regions: North Aegean, East Macedonia - Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese.

The indicative Public Expenditure per Intervention and Category of Region is:

INTERVENTION	LESS DEVELOPED REGIONS	TRANSITION REGIONS	TOTAL
INTERVENTION	North Aegean, East Macedonia - Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese	Attica and South Aegean	TOTAL
Intervention I Research and Development by Enterprises	46,800,000	13,200,000	60,000,000
Intervention II Partnerships of Enterprises with Research Organizations	140,400,000	39,600,000	180,000,000
Intervention III Utilization of Research Results	30,420,000	8,580,000	39,000,000
Intervention IV Seal of Excellence for Enterprises	16,380,000	4,620,000	21,000,000
TOTAL	234,000,000	66,000,000	300,000,000

Who It Is For

a) Businesses and "Other entities treated as businesses"

b) Research organizations and "Other entities treated as research organizations"

Funding applications that will be supported under the Action can be submitted:

either by individual small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),
or by groups of businesses,
or by partnerships of businesses with research organizations

and must pertain to research and innovation projects, fall under one of the four (4) Interventions, and concern the 8 sectors of the National Smart Specialization Strategy 2021-2027 (S3).

Briefly, the 8 sectors of the National Smart Specialization Strategy 2021-2027 are:

Materials, Construction & Industry
Tourism, Culture & Creative Industries
Agrifood Chain
Environment & Circular Economy
Life Sciences, Health, Pharmaceuticals
Transport & Logistics Chain
Sustainable Energy
Digital Technologies

Interventions

I. Research and Development by Businesses

Intervention I is aimed at existing businesses that have at least one (1) full (annual) financial year closed. Potential beneficiaries are either an individual small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), or Groups of Businesses, in which at least one must be an SME. Additionally, the group of businesses may include one (or more) entity/entities that belong to Other entities treated as businesses.

II. Partnerships of Businesses with Research Organizations

Intervention II concerns partnerships of existing businesses, that have at least one (1) full (annual) financial year closed, with research organizations, with the main recipients being businesses. Within the framework of the intervention, the partnership includes at least one small-medium enterprise and at least one research organization. Additionally, the partnership may include one (or more) entity/entities that belong to Other entities treated as Research Organizations or Other entities treated as businesses.

Specifically, within the framework of the intervention:

In partnerships of two, three, or four partners - entities, one must necessarily be an SME.
In partnerships of more than four partners - entities, two must necessarily be businesses and at least one must be an SME.

III. Utilization of Research Results

Potential beneficiaries in Intervention III are existing individual small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that have at least one (1) full (annual) financial year closed.

IV. Seal of Excellence for Businesses

Potential beneficiaries are small and medium-sized Greek businesses that received the Seal of Excellence for research and development projects within the framework of the European Union's "Horizon Europe" Program, but did not receive funding due to budget exhaustion.

Maximum Budget for Funding Applications

Intervention I – Research and Development by Businesses	Up to €800,000
Intervention II – Partnerships of Businesses with Research Organizations	Up to €2,000,000
Intervention III – Utilization of Research Results	Up to €2,000,000
Intervention IV – Seal of Excellence for businesses: up to the limit of the approved budget from Horizon Europe.	Up to 60% of the highest turnover of the business.

What is Funded

Eligible expenses in the Action are the expenses of Article 25, paragraph 3 of Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014, as applicable, for research and development projects, concerning a specific category of research and development, and are as follows:

a) Direct expenses for personnel remuneration

b) A single rate of 40% of the eligible direct personnel costs is used to cover the remaining project costs

Expenses for the projects of Intervention IV – Seal of Excellence for businesses are determined according to the “Horizon Europe” Program, suitably adjusted to the above eligible expense categories.

The start date for the eligibility of expenses is defined as the date of submission of the funding application, and the maximum completion duration of the physical and financial scope of the research project cannot exceed thirty-six (36) months from the date of notification of the Decision approving the evaluation results.

See here the full program guide.

We are at your disposal for any information or clarification you may need.