NSRF: Applications for investment projects kick-off – The beneficiaries for 32 million euros

On Monday, May 31, 2021, the applications for the action “Strengthening of Value Added Chains – Collaborative Formations – Networking” begin.

The action, according to the Ministry of Development and Investment concerning the National Support Reference Fund (NSRF), aims to create permanent and stable inter-company partnerships and to create the critical mass required to achieve economies of scale, better coordination of the supply chain, improvement in the quality of products produced and services provided, the implementation of modern logistics systems, the increase of bargaining power, the claim of larger market shares and the strengthening of extroversion.

Through this program, investment projects of cooperating companies are subsidized, the total amount of which per cooperation proposal will range from 400,000 euros to 3,000,000 euros, depending on the number of companies participating in the proposed cooperation agreement. The budget of the Action is 32 million euros and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and from national resources.

Beneficiaries are companies that participate in Cooperative Formation groups, which are composed of at least three existing and new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with vertical, complementary, and / or similar activities. At least one existing manufacturing company is required for participation in the cooperative.

The eligible Beneficiaries for each cooperative formation may include one (at most) SME to be established, which will fill a localized gap in the value chain .

Businesses

The companies that will participate in the action can be:

-Existing SMEs that maintain ledgers, which until 31/12/2019 have fulfilled two or more full management periods.

-New SMEs that maintain ledgers and do not fall into the above category of existing firms and have been established before the date of publication of this Action.

– SMEs under formation which will fill a identified gap in the value chain and which will be established after the date of issuance of this Invitation to the program.

It should be noted that the existing companies must have active at least one eligible Activity Code Number (main or secondary) before the date of electronic submission of the proposal and at least from 31/12/2019. New businesses must also have at least one eligible Activity Code Number (main or secondary) active before submission of the proposal, while start-ups must have their investment Activity Code Number before the first disbursement, including the down payment.