Article 7
Criteria of eligibility for grant and interest subsidy and leasing subsidy

1. Eligibility for grant and interest subsidy as well as leasing subsidy shall be determined by virtue of deci-sion of the Minister of National Economy or the rele-vant competent body, according to the stipulations of article 8 below, based on the following criteria:
(a) Criteria of viability applicable to investments and/or equipment leasing programs or business plans in all sectors:
(i) The features of the organisation, and more spe-cifically its experience, the range and results of its ac-tivities in the past, its solvency and financial status, as well as the documented availability of own funds to cover the financing needs of the undertaking (own par-ticipation in the investment plus required working capi-tal). In case of operating undertakings, account shall also be taken of their operating results in the recent past and current financial position.
(ii) Profitability prospects of the undertaking already existing or to be established, to the extent it may be influenced by the proposed investment, program or business plan, with respect to the assessment of the condition - prospects of its industrial markets.
(iii) Completeness of the business planning of the investment and/or leasing program and the organisa-tion of the undertaking implementing it.
(b) Joint priority - eligibility criteria of viable invest-ments and/or equipment leasing programs or business plans in all sectors of economic activity:
(i) Increase in employment and especially the crea-tion of new long-term insured full-time jobs.
(ii) The extent of own participation in the investment or business plan and in the working capital.
(iii) Dynamism of and success in previous and cur-rent activities of the undertaking and majority share-holders or partners in case of newly established un-dertakings.
(iv) Implementation of the investment and/or equip-ment leasing program or business plan in such areas of Greece where there are larger aids, or local em-ployment agreements have been concluded.
(v) Number and importance of investment plans and/or equipment leasing programs and/or business plans of the organisation that have been made eligible for grant and subsidy under Law 1892/1990 and these presents.
(c) Additional priority - eligibility criteria of viable in-vestments and/or equipment leasing programs of manufacturing and mining undertakings under in-stance (h) of para. 1, article 3.
(i) Prospects of dynamic growth of the sector in which the investment and/or program shall be imple-mented.
(ii) Designation of the products to be manufactured as new or of state-of-the-art technology, or the pro-duction of electricity from mild forms of energy.
(iii) Competitiveness of the products to be manufac-tured worldwide.
(iv) Contribution to energy saving, protection of the environment and decrease in the pollution.
(v) Relocation of operating plants from area A. Moreover, the relocation from other areas, provided it shall be effected for environmental purposes.
(vi) The extent of participation of raw and auxiliary materials in the manufacturing cost of production per product unit.
(vii) Implementation of investments under sub-instance (xxii) of instance (a) of para. 1, article3, by merged manufacturing SMEs under such sub-instance.
(viii) Contribution of the investment to the estab-lishment and engagement of other undertakings de-pending on the extent of its influx (materials and ser-vices) from the domestic market compared to the overall influx required for its operation.
(d) Additional priority - eligibility criteria of viable in-vestments and/or equipment leasing programs in the primary sector:
(i) classification of the investment as top, medium or low priority activity according to the country's agricul-tural policy;
(ii) contribution to energy saving, protection of the environment and decrease in the pollution;
(iii) relocation of operating plants provided it shall be required for environmental purposes.
(e) Additional priority - eligibility criteria of viable in-vestments and/or equipment leasing programs of tour-ist undertakings:
(i) standard of services rendered by hotel facilities to be established, expanded or modernised (class, stars) and camping facilities;
(ii) upgrading to a higher class in case of invest-ments concerning the modernisation of hotel and camping facilities';
(iii) establishment of facilities for special forms of tourism;
(iv) conversion of traditional or listed buildings or houses into hotel facilities;
(v) contribution to the protection of the environment and decrease in the pollution;
(vi) possibility of the undertaking to continue the op-eration of the facility beyond the tourist season of the greater area.
(f) Additional priority - eligibility criteria of viable in-vestments and/or equipment leasing programs or business plans for undertakings of the service sector:
(i) state-of-the-art technological services;
(ii) software development, technology and industrial design development and applied research laborato-ries;
(iii) joint venture centres and International Trade Companies;
(iv) handling and storage of liquid fuels and liquid gas on insular areas;
(v) Therapy and rehabilitation centres and inde-pendent living houses for disabled people.
(g) The evaluation details, operation, marking and the way in which such criteria shall be applied, as well as any detail on the application of this paragraph are specified by virtue of decision of the Minister of Na-tional Economy. A similar decision shall stipulate the minimum percentage of marks from joint and addi-tional criteria per sector, valid for all four sectors un-der instances (c) to (f) above, which any investment or program shall be immediately approved upon review and marking, provided that the allocation for grants and leasing subsidies suffices. If it is lower, it shall only be approved at the end of the year according to the stipulations of para. 10, article 8.
2. A joint decision of the Ministers of National Econ-omy and Development shall also define the criterion of the undertaking's dynamism in the current situation, as well as the additional criteria -apart from the joint criteria under instance (b) of para. 1 above applicable accordingly- of eligibility for grants of business plans of manufacturing, mining and software development undertakings under sub-instance (xv) of instance (a), sub-instance (v) of instance (e) and sub-instance (xii) of instance (g), respectively, of para. 1, article 3, which are reviewed by the Ministry of Development. The completeness of the business plan, the sequence of the proposed actions therein, the feasibility of target achievement, etc. shall be considered as additional criteria.
The evaluation details, operation, marking and the commensurate way in which such criteria shall be ap-plied, as well as any detail on the application of the aforementioned business plan shall be defined by the same decision.
3. Apart from the stipulations in instance (a) of para. 1 above, the additional special criteria of eligibility for investment grants and other expenditures under sub-instances (xvii), (xviii), (xix) and (xxi) of manufacturing undertakings under instances (a) and (f) of para. 1, ar-ticle 3, which are reviewed by the General Secretariat for Industry of the Ministry of Development, are de-fined by virtue of joint decision of the Ministers of Na-tional Economy and Development. The evaluation de-tails, operation, marking and the way in which such criteria shall be applied, as well as any detail on the application of the aforementioned investments shall be defined by the same decision.
4. The criteria, evaluation details, operation, mark-ing and the way in which such criteria shall be applied, in order for business plans aiming at the rescue and restructuring of industrial and mining undertakings un-der para. 2, article 10, to be eligible for grant, are de-fined by joint decision of the Ministers of National Economy, Development and Labour and Social Insur-ance.
5. In order for investments abroad under para. 2, ar-ticle 3, to be eligible for grant, no account shall be taken of the criteria under instances (b), (c) and (d) of para. 1 above. Investments shall be made eligible for the grants herein only if they are deemed viable ac-cording to the criteria of instance (a) of para. 1 above, and additionally if they contribute, as much as possi-ble, to the enhancement of productive procedures in border areas of the country, where the investment shall be implemented, and the maintenance of local populations in their place of residence.