The Operational Program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (EPAnEK- NSRF 2014-2020) turned out to form an important foundation for the majority of the investment initiatives designed to support Greek enterprises during the Covid -19 pandemic crisis.

Specifically, the Ministry of Development and Investments, in collaboration with the Managing Authority of EPAnEK, have effectively made use of the flexibility offered by the European Commission to the Member States, in order for them to utilize the Union resources and the funds not yet been allocated.   They designed and activated a series of important programmes, which are part of the NSRF 2014-2020, providing the valuable and necessary resources of the Structural Funds to companies.

The following programmes were activated through EPAnEK:

• Subsidy Loans for Existing Small & Medium Business Loans Affected By the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic Measures with a budget of 750.000.000 euros.

• Repayable Advance Scheme  (RAS) for Undertakings under the Temporary Framework for State Aid Measures to Support the Economy In the Current Covid-19 Outbreak with a total budget of 900.000.000 euros.

• Portfolio Guarantee Fund in the Current Covid-19 Outbreak with a total budget of 1.780.000.000 euros for the provision of guarantees in new working capital loans amounting to 6.500.000.000 euros.

• The Entrepreneurship Fund II (TEPIX II) was redesigned with the introduction of Sub-Programs 3 and 4, regarding the provision of interest-free working capital, with an interest rate subsidy of 100% for two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   The total budget of the co-financed Fund amounts to 1.003.300.000 euros.  Respectively,  the available resources for the "Business Financing" Action increase, amounting to 989.253.800 euros, forming the total co-invested funds of the Hellenic Development Bank (HDB)- Banks for all four sub-programs to approximately 2.3 billion euros (HDB: 1.003 billion euros – Banks: 1.297 billion euros).

At the same time, many companies and organizations - beneficiaries of EPAnEK, utilized the resources and support of the Program by creating new products, applications and services related to the fight against the pandemic.