Grant for Export Development – New NSRF Programme

May 30th 2025 11:22pm

Export Growth with a 40% or 50% Grant

The new SME Export Promotion Programme of the NSRF 2021–2027 supports the export activity of businesses for investment projects starting from €80,000 with funding of 40% (Attica & South Aegean) or 50% (Other Regions).

The aim of the Action is to support existing small and medium-sized enterprises in strengthening their export orientation, adopting and developing modern technologies, and upgrading their operations with emphasis on technology, international certification, branding, and digital presence.

Grant – Budget

Eligible Project Budget: from €80,000 (cannot exceed twice the highest annual turnover achieved in one of the last three closed fiscal years)
Grant Rate: 40% to 50% (depending on the Region of Investment)
Maximum Grant Amount: €200,000
Implementation Period: up to 18 months

• Application Start Date: Thursday 17.07.2025
• Application Deadline: Thursday 09.10.2025 11.11.2025

Take advantage of the new programme supporting export-oriented businesses and expand your presence in international markets.

✔ Grant for investment in equipment and software
✔ Coverage of costs for participation in international trade fairs
✔ Funding for website/e-shop development and digital presence
✔ Support for certifications and intellectual property protection

Eligibility Criteria

Existing very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises that meet the following criteria may apply:

Have at least one (1) fully closed fiscal year (i.e., twelve consecutive months of operation).
Have at least one (1) Annual Work Unit (AWU) in 2024.
Operate substantially (Main or highest-turnover NACE code) in an eligible NACE code.
Possess the eligible investment NACE code prior to submitting the application.
Operate legally (valid operating licence).
Not have started the investment project prior to the application.
Demonstrate that at least 25% of the Private Participation is secured (own funds).
Important! It is mandatory for the beneficiary enterprise to achieve an increase in its exports [(compared to the export amount in the base year – tax year 2024)] equal to at least 70% of the public expenditure received. This must be achieved no later than three years after project completion.

The Action is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and by National Funding. The total Public Expenditure amounts to €200,000,000 and is allocated as follows: Less Developed Regions (North Aegean, Eastern Macedonia–Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese): €156,000,000 and Transition Regions (Attica & South Aegean): €44,000,000.

Eligible Expenditures

The programme covers a wide range of expenditures that support extroversion, technological upgrading, certification, and promotion of business products:

1. Personnel Costs
- Salary cost of newly hired staff (up to 1 AWU)
  
  Maximum: €25,000
2. Equipment Expenditures (from 30% to 90%) – Production & Mechanical Equipment: 30%–70% of the eligible budget
- Environmental & energy-saving / circular economy equipment: up to 20%
3. Service Provision (up to 40% of the total project budget)
- Software procurement/usage (Software as a Service, cloud computing)
- Certification of services & processes
- Branding, packaging/label design
- Software as a Service (SaaS, cloud)
- Product/process development services

- Consulting services provided by external consultants
- Consulting support for project implementation monitoring
- Intellectual property, patents, know-how
4. Software Expenditures (Up to 30% of the total project budget)
- Website, e-shop, mobile app development
- Software and licence rights (licenses)
- Applications for optimizing production, service provision, and management processes

5. Promotion, Marketing & Networking Expenditures (up to €50,000)
- Participation in international trade fairs as an exhibitor abroad: up to €40,000
- Other promotion & networking activities: up to …
6. Indirect Costs (Bonus Category)
- 7% of eligible direct costs

Evaluation

Applications are evaluated comparatively (not on a first-come, first-served basis) based on scoring. The minimum acceptable total score for approval is 75. Criteria assessed (for fiscal year 2024) include:

EBIT to interest expenses ratio [20%]
Share of turnover spent on human resources [15%]
Level of existing international presence (Exports / Total Sales) [15%]
Securing Private Participation through available funds or loan approval [20%]
Investment size vs. turnover of last 3 years (investment risk) [15%]
Description, clarity, completeness, and viability of the investment plan [10%]
Consistency with National Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) 2021–2027 [5%]

The Investment Center provides full and comprehensive support, from the initial eligibility check and score estimation to the preparation and submission of a proper application to achieve the best possible result.