Frequently Asked Questions

Once the completion decision has been issued, you will be asked to provide specific documents to the Financing Programs and Development Department of EKOME, so that, following the audit, the aid will be remitted by bank transfer to the beneficiary’s IBAN.

If the beneficiary is a production company with a Greek Tax ID number, it may obtain a short-term loan from a domestic bank equal to the assigned aid, which will be used to implement the investment plan. In this case, the aid shall be paid directly to the bank with which the contract of assignment of the claim is signed.

The final USB 3.0 deliverable shall include material which substantiates that the cultural criteria have been met, and which allows for the investment plan to benefit from an aid scheme. A review of the credit points for the fulfilment of the cultural criteria is advisable, highlighting any deviations from the application for inclusion. The hard disk shall contain photographs from the filming, local press reports about the production, making-offs, opening and/or end credits with EKOME’s logo, etc.

To speed up audits, the documents in the hard copy file should be classified following the logic of Annex 2 of JMD 7651/2021 (Government Gazette B1086/22.03.2021), which divides eligible expenditure into seven distinct categories (copyright expenses, crew fees, etc.) and the Budget and Financial Statements Table.

Examples of the hard copy documentation are:

a) Report by the Certified Auditor in accordance with the standard specified in the corresponding JMD 1086/22.03.2021;

(b) copies of the supporting documents for all eligible expenses, stamped with the application form’s unique number, clearly photocopied from the originals, with an equally clear proof of payment attached;

(c) a list of supporting documents requested by the Operator and their settlement (see standard file “BUDGET AND REPORTING TABLE TEMPLATE” in the Aid Request Guide). To facilitate the audit, this table should also be included in the electronic files the entity uploads to the State Aid Information System (SAIS) during the audit request stage;

(d) supplier account statements (records);

(e) the Operator’s current account statement;

(f) the USB 3.0 hard disk with the audiovisual material supporting the fulfilment of the cultural criteria;

g) If the operator has regular staff working for the investment plan in question, the hard copy shall include detailed timesheets of the hours spent on the investment plan (in relation to the total hours worked).

No, your request will not be rejected due to omissions, as these are identified and recorded in the course of the audit process, as described in the relevant case law. The Audit Committee shall examine the supporting documents filed, and send an e-mail detailing the missing supporting documents to the investment plan Operator. The Operator shall have twelve (12) calendar days from the date this message is received to collect and send the missing supporting documents to EKOME.

At the audit stage, you shall identify any deviations/amendments with respect to the technical description of the investment plan already approved by the relevant application for the date aid. In other words, you may use your original text, adding the final variations with justification and concluding with the final implemented investment plan. If at some point, e.g., in (b) (scenario) no changes have been made, indicate that there has been no change to the original plan.

To assist investment operators, EKOME developed and uploaded at www.ependyseis.gr (Information) a State Aid Request Submission Guide, which clarifies the number and type of supporting documents necessary to file a Audit Request. Please note that filing of the request consists of two stages: (A) firstly, the electronic application is submitted at www.ependyseis.gr with the supporting documents in electronic format; (B) a hard copy with copies of the supporting documents and the necessary accompanying documents is submitted to EKOME (as described in the State Aid Request Submission Guide), along with the Certified Auditor’s Report, in accordance with the standard specified in the corresponding JMD 7651/2021 (Government Gazette B/1086).

You are advised to avoid finalizing the digital Audit Request before you have resolved all your financial questions! The Audit Guide takes you step by step through the process.

For any technical questions or difficulties when filing the Review Request digitally via the State Aid Information System (SAIS), please contact: info@ekome.media.

For more general financial questions regarding the Audit Request, please forward your queries to: cashrebate@ekome.media. The investment plan management team will provide direct guidance.

There is no extension to the Audit Request submission. However, if the investment plan has not expired, the Operator may request an amendment for the extension of the investment plan’s expiration date, postponing it to a later date.

This table shall be submitted in Excel format, both in hard copy and digital copy, together with the remaining supporting documents. A template can be found at www.ependyseis.gr.

You should submit the electronic application for audit to the State Aid Information System (SAIS) (www.ependyseis.gr) with supporting documents in digital format. You shall send a hard copy to EKOME, within 3 days of filing the application with the State Aid Information System (SAIS), accompanied with copies of expenses receipts and their supporting documents (as described in the Aid Request Guide).

As regards the attachments sent to the State Aid Information System (SAIS), the following limitations apply:

• Maximum size of each attached file: 10MB
• Total maximum size of attachments per operation: 50MB
• Acceptable file types: .gif, .zip, .rar

You may submit a request for audit within a period of no more than six (6) months from the date your investment plan has been completed. You will have to file your request at www.ependyseis.gr, accompanied by the necessary supporting documents, and the report of the Certified Accountant you hire and pay. The Certified Accountant’s Report should follow the standard set out in JMD 7651/2021 (Government Gazette B/1086).

The State aid (cash rebate) is disbursed by EKOME once the production of audiovisual projects has been completed and the costs of the investment plan have been audited. The rebate amounts to 40% of the eligible expenses implemented in Greece. The amount of State aid from EKOME shall not be paid in instalments during production, nor in advance at the start of the production, but once production has been completed, as a rebate.