Deadline: 7 October 2019
The Cooperation Programme INTERREG V-A Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020 has launched a 6th Call for Project Proposals with the purpose of intervention is to improve entrepreneurial support systems for SMEs in the cross-border area.
Objective
The objective is to be accomplished through the establishment of business support systems/actions – through joint actions undertaken by eligible beneficiaries – which in turn will provide services to eligible area businesses. These business support systems/actions should be focused on removing barriers and bottlenecks for SMEs.
The ultimate goals of the selected thematic objectives/investment priorities are:
- To promote entrepreneurial culture thereby affecting the rates of new businesses formation (i.e. stimulate business creation);
- To strengthen the factors affecting entrepreneurial success, thereby affecting long-term success of those businesses (i.e. strengthen business stability and development).
The ultimate purpose of each project is to provide support services to existing or new businesses.
Benefits
Eligible beneficiaries are stakeholders, whose major function (as indicated in their establishment act) is clearly related to providing support and promotion to entrepreneurship.
A project should include at least one beneficiary from each country (Greece and Bulgaria), situated within the eligible Programme area. The total number of beneficiaries per project must not exceed six (6) including the Lead Benefiaciaries (LB). All beneficiaries must have clear roles in the development and implementation of the project.
The beneficiaries must be:
- national bodies having exclusive competences with regard to the objectives of the present call bodies governed by public law , or according to the national legislations, established for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the general interest (needs not having an industrial or commercial character) and which fulfill at least one of the following conditions:
- be financed, for the most part, by national, regional or local authorities, or other bodies governed by public law, or
- be subject to management supervision by those bodies, or
- have an administrative, managerial or supervisory board, where more than half of its members are appointed by the national, regional or local authorities, or by other bodies governed by public law;
- private organizations: i.e. non-profit organizations, NGOs, etc., founded according to private law, are eligible under the following conditions:
- are not established with the goal to obtain profit;
- they do not distribute profits to the stakeholders, according to their constitutional framework;
- have their headquarters in the eligible cross border area;
Type of Actions
Project Beneficiaries can implement 2 types of actions:
- investment in business support infrastructure and systems (infrastructure will not be financed alone, without the provision of services by the supported infrastructure), and/or
- soft actions, i.e. services to end-recipients (businesses or prospective entrepreneurs).
Budget and Duration
- The total indicative applicable Public Expenditure of the present Call amounts to € 7.000.000,00.
- Public Expenditure consists of €5.950,000,00 of ERDF funds and €1.050.000,00 National Contribution by Greece and Bulgaria.
- The minimum budget of a single project proposal is € 250.000,00, while the maximum budget is € 700.000,00.
- Projects should be concluded in a period of two years (2) from the signing of the Subsidy Contract.
Eligibility Criteria
- Each applicant (either LB or PB) can participate in only one project proposal. If any applicant is found to participate in multiple project applications, all such project applications will be rejected.
- Institutions located in regions outside the Programme area, but inside the two Programme participating countries, Greece and Bulgaria, can be PBs only in duly justified cases. This category of PBs should have consistent competencies (established by legal acts) with the Investment Priority of the present Call and the content of the proposal.
- Their participation needs to bring clear added value and expertise to the implementation of the project and for activities within or for the direct benefit of the Programme area.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, please visit http://www.greece-bulgaria.eu/call-for-proposals/7_6th-CALL-FOR-PROJECT-PROPOSALS