The action «New Opportunity» under the Programme «Epirus 2021–2027» gives unemployed people and employees in part-time, alternating or seasonal employment the opportunity to set up their own business in the Region of Epirus, with a grant of up to 90%.
The deadline for submitting applications has been extended until 21 October 2026 at 15:00, giving interested parties more time to prepare their application properly.
Who is the grant for?
The programme is addressed to people under the age of 60 who want to set up a new business in Epirus and belong to one of the eligible categories:
- registered unemployed persons with DYPA at the time of submitting the application,
- employees with part-time, alternating or seasonal employment on 12/05/2026,
persons who were unemployed on 12/05/2026 and subsequently worked part-time, alternately or seasonally up to the date of submission.
The programme also places additional emphasis, among other things, on youth and women’s entrepreneurship, the relevance of studies to the activity, and the cooperation of more than one beneficiary.
How much is the grant?
The subsidised budget of each investment plan ranges from:
- €10,000 to €50,000
- and may reach up to €60,000, where more than one beneficiary participates in the business scheme.
The grant rate is set at:
- 90% for Sub-action 1 80% for Sub-action 2
- while the beneficiary’s social security contributions can be funded at a rate of 100%.
The two sub-actions of the programme
The action is divided into two different Sub-actions, depending on the area in which the new business will be established.
Sub-action 1 – Grant of 90%
This concerns specific areas of the Strategy «Route through the Ancient Theatres, Nature and Culture in Epirus», such as areas in the Municipalities of Konitsa, Northern and Central Tzoumerka and specific areas of the Municipality of Souli.
Sub-action 2 – Grant of 80%
This concerns the remaining eligible areas of Epirus and specific sectors of activity, such as:
- Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries
- Agri-food Chain
- Materials, Construction and Industry
- Environment and Circular Economy
- Life Sciences, Health and Pharmaceuticals
- Sustainable Energy
- Digital Technologies
The choice of the correct Sub-action depends both on the implementation area and on the activity of the new business.
Which expenses can be subsidised?
Funding can cover a significant part of the costs required to establish and operate a new business.
Eligible expenses include, among others:
- social security contributions,
- salary cost of a new employee,
- machinery and professional equipment,
- digital equipment,
- fit-out of business premises,
- business premises rent,
- software and licences,
- creation of a website, e-shop or application,
- consultancy support services,
- staff training,
- promotion, advertising and participation in trade fairs.
The programme can therefore finance both the initial investment and significant expenses of the first period of the business’s operation.
Basic participation requirements
Among the main conditions provided are:
- age under 60,
- individual income for 2025 up to €22,000 or family income up to €35,000,
- no discontinuation of a sole proprietorship after 1/1/2025,
- no other funding received for starting business activity after 1/1/2023,
- the requirements concerning the applicant’s qualifications and employment status must be met.
Particular attention is required regarding the supporting documents, as after the second amendment of the call for proposals specific documents constitute a mandatory condition of participation and their absence may lead to rejection of the proposal.
Attention before starting a business
One of the most important points of the programme is that the new business must be established after the final submission of the application.
At the same time, an independent business premises in the eligible area is required, while the use of a home, co-location or co-working as the registered office is not permitted under this action.
The assessment is comparative
Submission of an eligible application does not automatically mean approval.
Applications are assessed comparatively, on the basis of criteria relating to the beneficiary’s situation, the quality and viability of the business plan, financial forecasts, duration of unemployment, studies, age and other characteristics.
Approval requires an overall score of at least 35/100, as well as a positive score in specific criteria of the business plan.
AFS takes over the entire process
Proper preparation of a funding application does not end with the submission of the file. It requires an initial eligibility check, proper formulation of the business plan, verification of the supporting documents and monitoring of the project after its approval.
AFS – Athens Financial Services takes over the overall support of the process, from the initial pre-check and preparation of the proposal to submission and, after approval, monitoring the implementation of the investment plan until its completion.
Thus, the interested party does not need to manage the individual procedures and requirements of the programme on their own.
Are you interested in the programme?
Contact the AFS team so that we can examine whether you meet the conditions and what financing possibilities exist for your new business.
📞 210 8317 702 📧 info@afs.gr
Or fill in the contact form and the AFS team will contact you.
