Background information

In June 2022, the Ministry of Digital Governance, announced the "Development of Digital Products and Services" Program, which supports investment plans for the development of new products and services that fall within the IT and communications sector.

It will provide grants for the implementation of investment projects, that cover the entire cycle of development of digital products and services (new product development). The program is addressed to micro, SMEs in the IT and communications sector and aims to:

• Enhance healthy entrepreneurship with the appropriate use of ICT.
• Strengthen the IT sector (in terms of competitiveness and extroversion).
• Create new digital products and value-added services with a strong commercial perspective and sustainability.

The program is implemented in the framework of the action "Digital Transformation", funded by the Recovery Fund. Applications for the program started on 22 June 2022 and ended on 31 December 2022.

Content of measure

The programme "Development of Digital Products and Services" provides support, in the form of grants, for the implementation of investment projects covering the entire development cycle of digital products and services and including:

• Preparatory activities (market research, feasibility studies, actions to acquire new knowledge and skills for the development of new products).
• Development activities of new digital products/services.
• Additional marketing activities of new products and services.

Beneficiaries of the program are existing small and medium-sized enterprises, provided that:

• They are based in Greece with a Greek VAT number.
• They are active on the date of submission of the application for funding.
• They constitute a legal entity

The projects to be included for support must have a budget of between €200,000 and €2 million and a maximum implementation period of up to 24 months. The programme has a total budget of €100 million.

The grant covers part of the costs eligible for aid and the amount is based on the size of the company and concerns: Personnel costs, Third party services, Costs of instruments and equipment and Additional costs

Applications are submitted through the electronic platform .

Use of measure

On 18 October 2023, the Ministries of National Economy and Finance, and Digital Governance announced an increase in the budget of the "Development of Digital Products and Services" programme from €100,000,000 to €145,000,000. This aims to cover the total of approved investment projects, which, after the evaluation process, amount to 368

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies SMEs	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	European Funds National funds National Recovery and Resilience Facility

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

There is no involvement of social partners.

Views and reactions

There are no social partners' reactions to the measure.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 28 February 2023: Πρόγραμμα II «Ανάπτυξη Ψηφιακών Προϊόντων και Υπηρεσιών (digitalsme.gov.gr)
• 18 October 2023: Ανάπτυξη Ψηφιακών Προϊόντων»: Αυξάνεται στα 145 εκατ. η επιχορήγηση από το Ταμείο Ανάκαμψης για επενδυτικά σχέδια Μμ (www.naftemporiki.gr)