Cultural and Creative Industries in the new NSRF

In the new NSRF, totaling 120 million euros for the creation of start-ups with 100% subsidy also included are Cultural and Creative Industries.

Comart with experience in successfully completing similar programs in the past in collaboration with a consulting firm can help those who wish to join and to engage in sectors and professions related to the entire cultural and creative industry such as the visual arts (painting, photography, etc.), the performing arts (theater, dance, music, etc.), applied arts (graphic design, product design, web design, etc.), architecture, literature, but also everything related to their reproduction such as publications, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, advertising, etc.

Comart specializes in providing equipment Hardware, Software, installation and support services for digital video and audio, streaming and broadcast, video editing, grading, finishing workflow, media asset management and playout or use in new media such as the internet and mobile devices. In addition, storage, archiving and deep archiving, solutions for multimedia production, imaging, graphic arts, digital publishing, etc. The following are the main points of the pre-publication.

NSRF: 120 million euros for creation of new businesses

The program has a budget of 120 million euros and will be divided into two cycles. What are the eligibility requirements for businesses? The duration of implementation of approved projects.

The "Innovative Entrepreneurship" Program from the Operational Program Competitiveness - Entrepreneurship - Innovation (EPAnEK) of the NSRF 2014-2020 aims to create very small and small, sustainable businesses with an emphasis on innovative projects and the enhancement of employment.

This specific program has a budget of 120 million euros and will be divided into two rounds (1st cycle 2015: 40% and 2nd cycle 2016: 60%), the investment proposals to be submitted will have a subsidized budget of up to 60,000 euros and the aid rate is set at 100%. This specific action aims to support up to 2,500 new businesses and create 4,500 new jobs.

The pre-publication of this specific program, which has been put out for consultation, so that interested parties can prepare in a timely manner, posted on Monday, October 12 on the NSRF website (www.espa.gr). When the final announcement of the program is made, the invitation containing the final terms and conditions and the supporting documents will be posted with all the necessary accompanying files on the NSRF website. www.espa.gr and the EYD EPAnEK www.antagonistikotita.gr.

 

Objective of the action

The action is part of Priority Axis 2 of EPANEK: "Adaptation of workers, enterprises and business environment to the new development requirements", and specifically, in the specific objective: 2.1 "Increase in healthy new entrepreneurship and self-employment" and the investment priority 8iii: "Self-employment, entrepreneurship and creation of new businesses and especially innovative micro, small and medium-sized enterprises". The aim of the action is support for the development of healthy start-up entrepreneurship which will be directly linked to the creation of new jobs. For this reason, the program aims to create very small and small, sustainable businesses with an emphasis on innovative projects as well as the enhancement of employment.

 

Potential beneficiaries

Potential beneficiaries of the action for the establishment of a new business are natural persons born before 1.1.1991 or associations thereof, who:

are unemployed registered in the OAED unemployment registers at the time of submitting the application or
they carry out a professional activity and do not have an employment relationship.
In the event of a partnership being established, all partners must meet these requirements. Income criteria for both categories of beneficiaries will be set out in the Program Invitation.

 

Eligibility Requirements

The companies that will be established in the context of the investment proposals should:

  • To start at the Tax Office in a time and legal form that will be defined in the Program Guide (it is noted that the change in the KAD for those already practicing a professional activity does not constitute the establishment of a new business)
  • Each eligible natural person must participate in the submission of only one investment proposal (either independently or in an investment scheme).
  • The business plan must relate to the eligible categories of business activities, throughout the duration of the investment.
  • the total amount of aid of minor importance that the undertaking has received in the past, including the aid from this Action, must not exceed the amount of 200,000 euros (or 100,000 euros for the transport sector) within a three-year period (current financial year and the two previous financial years) prior to the date of inclusion of the proposal.

 

Enhanced priority areas

The supported activities should concern the following Priority Areas of the "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Operational Programme" (EPANEK):

  • Agri-food
  • Energy
  • Cultural and Creative Industries
  • Supply Chain
  • Environment
  • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
  • Health – Medicines
  • Materials – Constructions

 

Project budget – Geographical distribution

Within the framework of the program, projects with a total budget of investment amount are supported (subsidized person) up to 60,000 euros. The percentage of support for investment proposals is set at 100% of the total investment budget. There is a possibility of advance payment of up to 40% of the corresponding Public Expenditure against an equal letter of guarantee, from a bank or other public financial institution established in Greece.

The funding is provided by the Greek State and the European Union, and in particular by the European Social Fund (ESF). using the flexibility clause for the financing of interventions falling within the scope of ERDF support. The public expenditure budget of the action amounts to 120 million euros and will be distributed in two (2) cycles (1st cycle 2015: 40% and 2nd cycle 2016: 60%).

This 1st cycle program is financed with a total amount of 48 million euros (Public Expenditure) and is distributed among the regions of the country as follows:

REGIONS P/Y (N/A) euros
Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece 28.960.000
Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Peloponnese, North Aegean, Crete 8.520.000
Attica 7.360.000
Sterea Greece 1.840.000
South Aegean 1.320.000
TOTAL 48.000.000

Duration of projects

The duration of implementation of approved projects is set at 24 months from the date of the decision to include the business plan.

 

Eligible expenses

In detail, the eligible categories of expenses that will be subsidized under this Pre-Publication will be defined in the Program Call. Indicative categories of eligible expenses for the two-year support period are:

  • the necessary professional production equipment at a rate of up to 40% of the total project budget (excluding the cost of the EME)
  • the operating costs of the activity (rents of professional space, insurance contributions, third-party expenses such as e.g. PPC  OTE, EYDAP, natural gas, mobile business telephony)
  • the costs of hosting in incubators for the first 2 years of operation (provision of secretarial and administrative support, use of equipment, specialized consulting services - market analysis, legal and accounting issues, business plan development, human resources issues, specialized education/training services, networking activities to support business groups, coordination and evaluation of implementation, etc.)
  • advertising and networking costs
  • the cost of hired labor (in the case of hiring an employee) up to one annual labor unit (ALU)
  • the general equipment (desks, living rooms, etc.)
  • accessibility interventions for people with disabilities
  • third party fees

Businesses that will be subsidized for their production equipment must be maintained for at least three (3) years from the completion of the business plan.

The start of eligibility of expenses is defined as the date of submission of the funding application. It is noted that this announcement constitutes a Pre-Publication.

 

Submission – Evaluation – Integration – Implementation

To be included in the program, potential beneficiaries must submit their business plan for evaluation based on the procedure that will be determined in the Program Invitation.

The conditions for participation, the required supporting documents, the method of submitting proposals, the procedure for examining and evaluating proposals, their inclusion for funding, the obligations of the beneficiaries in the event of approval of the application for support and the other terms of the Program will be described in detail in the Program Invitation (as well as in all the documents that accompany it).