Around Easter, we will have the first new calls for new NSRF programmes

Around Easter, we will have the first new programme calls of the new ESPA (2021-2027), starting with the Competitiveness Programme (EPANEK) and the Ministry of Development and Investment, the relevant departments are preparing for it.

According to officials of the Ministry of Development and Investment, services are already working on the approvals of the new NSRF, so that no time is wasted and there is no «funding gap» between the two programming periods, while the law on the new NSRF is expected to be adopted by the beginning of March and the comments on the whole programmes are expected from Brussels.

It should be noted that although our country was the first among the EU member states to receive the «green light» from Brussels at the end of last July for the «central NSRF» and was again the first country to submit the entire programme last October, however, the final approval by the EU is expected by March, as the European Commission itself is in a phase of internal control and several procedures have been frozen.

In the meantime, the public consultation on the draft law entitled: «Management, control and implementation of development interventions for the programming period 2021-2027» and by the end of February it will go to the Parliament for adoption. The draft law is a necessary condition in order to activate the new programmes.

The preparations for the first actions to be announced, which will support small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, concern the most important and largest pillars, namely investments for the «green» and «digital» transition of businesses and fall under the «umbrella» of the Competitiveness Programme«, amounting to €3.9 billion, out of a total of €26.18 billion under the new NSRF.

In addition, as ministry officials remind, the basic philosophy is not to have many different invitations but large, horizontal invitations. In practice, this means simultaneous access to financing, companies from numerous sectors of the economy. Indicatively, it is noted that a digital or green asset upgrade action will be open to businesses in retail, tourism and other sectors and the aim is to keep the calls open all the time, with a constant increase in the budget, so that there is a continuous flow of results, integrations and payments. Depending on the investment, the company will be given a reasonable period of time to make its investment and in case the investment is not made, it will be automatically deactivated so that the next business effort can join.

It is also considered that the invitations should be issued at regular intervals, so that the person concerned knows in advance that, for example, in September the invitation of interest will be issued.

It is noted that responsibility for the management of the programmes remains with the Ministry of Development and Investment, except for the MIPs and the Digital Policy programme. So the planning is for this area as well.

A process of merging staff structures is underway, two new departments are being introduced to “run” state aid projects and a separate structure is created specifically for the regions, because better coordination is needed there and the assistance they will be given will be multi-level.

In addition, a new unit is created to separate the activities of the Recovery Fund, the Special Service for State Aid is strengthened in the management of financial instruments and a memorandum of cooperation is being prepared with the social partners on the resources they will manage from the new NSRF and what actions they will implement.

At the same time, a system is being developed to avoid double funding, to have a clear strategy, what will be funded by the NSRF and what will be funded by the Recovery Fund, but there will also be synergies between the different Funds while a project maturity mechanism was also established which has as its main vehicle the Hellenic Investment Fund. That is, the projects that will be directed to the Hellenic Property Fund will be prioritized by the Governmental Public Procurement Committee that need special care. These are projects of the Recovery Fund that exceed 50 million euros and projects of the NSRF that exceed 30 million euros.