The Regional Governor of Western Macedonia, Mr. Giorgos Amanatidis, announced during a press conference yesterday the upcoming publication of two new Calls for Proposals under the “Western Macedonia 2021–2027” Programme.

These two Calls fall under Action 1.03.01a: “Strengthening sustainable development and business competitiveness / Business recovery in the Region of Western Macedonia” of the Operational Programme.

Submission of applications for existing businesses will begin on March 19, 2025, while for new and start-up businesses, submissions will open on March 26, 2025, with a deadline of three months.

The press conference was attended by:

• Mr. Nikos Lissaridis, Deputy Regional Governor for Entrepreneurship

• Mr. Spyros Skotidas, General Director of KEPA-ANEM

• Mr. Athanasios Kakoudis, Programme Director of KEPA-ANEM

• Mr. Yiannis Papadopoulos, Head of the Managing Authority

• Staff of the Managing Authority, Mr. Yiannis Papaioannou and Mr. Dimitris Moschos

• Mr. Leonidas Tentoglou, President of the Grevena Chamber of Commerce, representing the regional Chambers

The programme supports investment projects with a high co-financing rate, staff recruitment subsidies, clear evaluation criteria, and simple application procedures.

Funding Details:

• For existing businesses:

  • Total public funding available: €7.8 million

  • Grant coverage: 70% for all expenses, 80% for staffing costs

  • Eligible budget: €25,000 to €300,000

• For new and start-up businesses:

  • Total public funding available: €4.2 million

  • Grant coverage: 70% for all expenses, 80% for staffing costs

  • Eligible budget: €15,000 to €200,000

  • Implementation period: 24 months

“The safest path to generating income and creating jobs is entrepreneurship,” emphasized Mr. Amanatidis, adding that the goal is to support as many businesses as possible and to boost employment through additional incentives for hiring.

He also highlighted the realistic approach of the programme, which reflects the input and views of the region’s business representatives:

“We first consulted with the Presidents of the Chambers of Commerce of Western Macedonia to establish common ground on the content, conditions, and requirements of the programme.”

Mr. Amanatidis expressed his thanks to the staff of the Special Managing Authority for Western Macedonia 2021–2027 and the Intermediate Body KEPA–ANEM, stressing that the two Calls are designed to complement, not compete with, other funding schemes. Further business support initiatives will follow, such as the Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) programmes for the five major cities in Western Macedonia and the “Research – Innovate” programme.

“We will continue to work for the business community of our region, recognizing its crucial role in our effort to drive development and recovery in Western Macedonia.”