📢 Pre-announcement of a new action to support innovation! Competence Centers are modern public-private innovation structures created to support the technological needs of the country’s productive ecosystem in sectors with high potential, covering the gap between supply and demand of specialized innovation services/products and technology transfer within one or more value chains. 💶 Grant from €1,000,000 to €3,000,000 for infrastructure, know-how, and technology transfer.
🔎 What are Competence Centers?
They are collaborative innovation structures between businesses, research institutions, and public bodies, aiming to:
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✅ Support SMEs in critical sectors
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✅ Provide specialized/innovative services and products
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✅ Transfer technology and strengthen innovation
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✅ Contribute to the technological transformation of the Greek economy
The action is part of the “Competitiveness” 2021–2027 Program and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
💡 AFS fully undertakes the preparation of your application before the official submission period opens.
📍 Who is eligible?
Entities that operate or are to be established as Competence Centers, in the following legal forms:
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Société Anonyme (S.A.)
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Limited Liability Company (LLC), General or Limited Partnerships, I.K.E.
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Cooperatives
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Non-profit legal entities
Required partners:
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1 Research and Knowledge Dissemination Organization (Universities, Research Centers as defined by national law)
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5 independent enterprises (domestic or foreign)
🧭 Priority sectors (RIS3 2021–2027)
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Materials, Construction & Industry
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Tourism, Culture & Creative Industries
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Agri-Food Chain
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Environment & Circular Economy
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Life Sciences, Health & Pharmaceuticals
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Transport & Logistics
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Sustainable Energy
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Digital Technologies
💶 Budget & Grant
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Total Public Funding: €20.000.000
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€1,000,000 to €3,000,000
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Project duration: up to 36 months
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📅 Applications open until budget exhaustion (exact dates to be specified in the official call)
📌 Prepare early – the call is coming soon!
🧾 Eligible expenses
• Investment expenses in tangible and intangible assets • Operating expenses (Article 27 of EU Reg. 651/2014) • Contracted research expenses (Article 25 of EU Reg. 651/2014) • Technology transfer services • Training and pilot implementation (focus on Industry 4.0) • Networking, shared infrastructure, interconnection of stakeholders
🎯 Action objectives
✔️ Promote innovation and competitiveness ✔️ Transfer technologies to SMEs ✔️ Establish and operate collaborative innovation schemes ✔️ Enable digital and technological transformation ✔️ Connect enterprises with research and the market
🤝 AFS undertakes for you:
✔️ Strategic project design ✔️ Eligibility check for the entity/consortium ✔️ File preparation & drafting ✔️ Electronic submission ✔️ Support through to final approval
📩 Interested in creating or upgrading a Competence Center?
The AFS team is ready to design with you a fully eligible and competitive project for inclusion in this new action.
👉 Contact us today
