Funding and Subsidies – Funding Programs in Greece
Update note: the very extensive overview originally presented here related to individual funding calls from 2011/2012 (based, among other things, on the now twice-superseded Law 3908/2011) and has fully expired. Investments in Greece today generally draw on the following three funding sources, which can be combined with one another depending on the project:
- Development Law 4887/2022 (as amended by Law 5203/2025): cross-sector and sector-specific funding regimes for investments generally from €100,000 to €1,000,000 (smaller company forms), or with no upper limit for “large investments”; forms of funding: grants, tax exemptions, leasing and wage-cost funding, and, for “new entrepreneurship,” also venture capital.
- ESPA 2021-2027: nationwide and regional lines of action for, among other things, competitiveness, digitalization, exports, agriculture, and tourism of small and medium-sized enterprises, predominantly as non-repayable grants.
- Greece 2.0 – Recovery and Resilience Plan: a combination of grants and low-interest loans (through participating banks) for investments in green and digital transition, outward orientation/exports, agriculture, and – increasingly since 2025/2026 – the defense industry; all projects must be completed by the end of 2026.
- In addition, specialized financing instruments continue to exist, such as low-interest microloans and guarantees through the state development bank (including under the Ταμείο Επιχειρηματικότητας [Entrepreneurship Fund] programs), which address in particular small and micro enterprises as well as working-capital financing.
Since new rounds of calls with their own deadlines, budgets, and funding rates are published on an ongoing basis, we recommend, for a specific investment project, a targeted, up-to-date review of the appropriate funding regime, rather than relying on an overview that is naturally quick to become outdated.
FAQ
Law 4887/2022 focuses on transparency, efficiency, and alignment with European future-oriented goals. Its key features include:
- Focus on future markets: priority funding for the green transformation (environmental protection) and digital transformation (Industry 4.0).
- Fully digital processing: applications and evaluation take place entirely electronically via the central state information system (OPS-Anaptixiako).
- Accelerated procedures: filing, evaluation, and approval follow a strict timetable. The law aims for evaluation times of under 60 days.
- Guaranteed budgets: a fixed budget is defined in advance for each call, giving investors planning certainty.
- Third-party audits: to speed up the process, certified private auditors from the national register can be used to inspect and sign off on investments.
- Equity: the investor's required own contribution to the eligible costs is generally at least 25% (excluding state aid).
The current law is no longer divided into a few fixed categories, but comprises 13 specialized funding regimes. The most important include:
- Green transition: funding for energy efficiency, the circular economy, and environmentally friendly technologies.
- Digital and technological transformation: support in converting to modern, digital business processes.
- Tourism & alternative forms of tourism: funding for new hotel construction (generally from 4 stars), modernizations, as well as agrotourism and health tourism.
- Manufacturing and the agri-food sector: strengthening local production and supply chains.
- New entrepreneurship (start-ups): targeted funding for newly formed companies to strengthen innovative capacity.
- Research and applied innovation: support for R&D projects.
- Large investment plans: special rules for projects with a budget of over €15 million (up to major projects over €50 million, for which special aid limits apply).
Depending on the region, company size, and type of investment, the Greek state grants various incentives, which can often also be combined:
- State grants: direct, non-repayable cash payments to cover part of the eligible investment costs.
- Tax exemptions: exemption from corporate income tax on the company's profits until the approved funding amount is reached.
- Leasing subsidies: financial support for installments on the leasing of new machinery or technical equipment.
- Wage-cost subsidies: subsidizing the wage costs of newly created jobs directly connected with the investment project.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a focus of Greek economic development policy and benefit from significant bonuses on the regional base funding rates:
Small enterprises can receive a surcharge of up to 20% on the base funding rate.
Medium-sized enterprises receive a surcharge of up to 10%.
Example: in a region with a base funding rate of 50%, a small enterprise can thus be reimbursed up to 70% of its eligible investment costs.
Yes. To comply with the requirements of EU state aid law (the General Block Exemption Regulation, GBER), funding rates are reduced in tiers for very large investment projects (over €50 million):
For the portion up to €50 million, the full local maximum rate is granted.
For the portion between €50 million and €100 million, only half (50%) of the local maximum rate is applied.
For amounts over €100 million, further reduced rates apply (34% of the local maximum rate), and these frequently require an individual review by the European Commission.
As of June 2026. All information on these pages is provided without guarantee or liability.