Innovate in Crete: 75% Grant Funding up to €112,500 for New Businesses

⬢ Programme Beneficiaries

Eligible applicants are micro and small enterprises falling under one of the following two categories:

1. Innovative Businesses Under Establishment

This category concerns businesses that have not yet commenced operations.

For the submission of the application, a draft Articles of Association signed by all partners or members is required.

Business operations must commence after the final electronic submission of the application and no later than the first request for payment of the grant, including where this concerns an advance payment.

2. Newly Established Existing Innovative Businesses

This category concerns businesses that commenced operations on or after 1 January 2021, but before submission of the application.

They must already have an active establishment in the Region of Crete at the time the application is submitted.

The eligible investment activity code (KAD) must be activated no later than the first request for payment of the grant, including an advance payment.

Eligible legal forms: These include, among others, O.E., E.E., E.P.E., A.E., I.K.E., their corresponding single-member forms, Social Cooperative Enterprises (Koin.S.Ep.) and Non-Profit Civil Companies (A.M.K.E.).

Important: Sole proprietorships are not included among the eligible legal forms.

⬢ Main Eligibility Requirements

In order to participate in the programme, both the business and the investment project must meet specific conditions. Indicatively:

• The business must qualify as a micro or small enterprise.

• The investment must be implemented at one establishment in Crete.

• The proposed product or service must demonstrate clear and documented innovation.

• The activity must be linked to the Smart Specialisation priorities of the Region of Crete.

• The investment activity code (KAD) must be eligible according to the Call (ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY CODES).

• The ability to cover the required private contribution must be documented.

• The location of the investment project may not be in shared premises or at the beneficiary's primary or secondary residence.

• The applicable de minimis State aid limits must be complied with.

• Expenditure is eligible from the publication date of the Call (24/07/2026) onwards, subject to the specific eligibility requirements.

• A complete supporting-document file is required. The absence of any mandatory supporting document results in rejection.

⬢ Which Innovative Activities Are Supported?

The investment project must be demonstrably linked to at least one specific Smart Specialisation priority of the Region of Crete. The six main sectors are:

• Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries.

• Agri-food Value Chain.

• Environment and Circular Economy.

• Life Sciences, Health and Pharmaceuticals.

• Sustainable Energy.

• Digital Technologies.

Note: Operating in one of the above sectors does not automatically imply eligibility. The specific KAD must be checked against Annex III, there must be a link to the specialised priorities of Annex XI and the innovative nature of the project must be documented in detail.

⬢ Eligible Expenditure by Category

The programme finances expenditure directly supporting the development and market introduction of the innovative product or service.

1. Equipment and Technological Infrastructure

• Production and mechanical equipment.

• Computers, peripherals, networking equipment, servers and backup equipment.

• Other supporting equipment, up to 5% of the eligible investment budget and a maximum of €4,000.

2. Building Works and Accessibility

• Small-scale premises improvements: up to €15,000.

• Accessibility interventions for persons with disabilities: up to €5,000.

3. Support Services and Certifications

The service provision category may account for up to 40% of the eligible investment budget.

• Consultancy and other external services exclusively relating to the project.

• Specialist studies and expert services.

• Consultancy support for project monitoring and implementation management: up to 5% of the budget and a maximum of €5,000.

• SaaS and cloud computing services.

• Certification of services and processes: up to €10,000.

4. Software and Licences

Purchase of software and usage rights (licences), up to 50% of the eligible investment budget, subject to the specific restrictions of the Call.

5. Promotion, Marketing and Networking

This category is permitted up to a total of 15% of the eligible investment budget.

• Publicity expenditure: up to €8,000.

• Participation in trade fairs: up to €5,000.

• Development of a new website: up to €3,000.

6. Patents and Indirect Costs

• Acquisition, validation and protection of patents: up to €10,000.

• Mandatory indirect costs: 7% of eligible direct expenditure. This amount is included in the total eligible investment budget.

⬢ Public Funding Rate

The public funding rate amounts to 75% of the approved eligible investment budget. The required private contribution is 25%.

⬢ Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

The evaluation is comparative and is based on three groups of criteria.

A. Quality of the Business Plan – 40%

The completeness and consistency of the business plan, financial viability, market prospects and differentiation of the product or service are examined.

B. Experience and Education of the Business Team – 20%

The relevant professional experience and academic qualifications of the partners or shareholders are assessed in accordance with the conditions of the Call.

C. Innovation and Maturity – 40%

The originality of the product or service, any registered patent and the level of maturity are assessed.

Minimum acceptable score: 30/100. Reaching the minimum threshold does not automatically result in approval, as the final ranking depends on the comparative evaluation and the available programme budget.

Important: A registered patent is not a mandatory participation requirement, but it is taken into account in the scoring. If the total score for the “Innovation and Maturity” group is zero, the application is rejected.

⬢ Application Submission and Deadline

Funding applications are submitted electronically through the Integrated State Aid Information System (OPSKE) .

• Opening: 29 September 2026 at 13:00.

• Deadline: 30 November 2026 at 15:00.

• Implementation period: Up to 24 months from electronic notification of the final approval, in accordance with the conditions of the Call.

Frequently Asked Questions