Small businesses in Greece have received financial compensation for income lost during COVID-19, thanks to a project from the Greek Ministry of Development and Investments, supported by the ESF.

When the Covid19 pandemic hit Greece in spring 2020, the resulting closures and newly-required sanitary restrictions left self-employed people and small businesses with significant income shortfalls. 

With the help of the European Social Fund (ESF), the Greek government launched a project which provided individuals and businesses with critical finance assistance.

The project provided financial support for nearly half a million enterprises, including self-employed people who lost income in April 2020 as a result of the ongoing pandemic.  

George Petrakakis runs Tacitus Ltd, a small medical supplies provider employing two persons, which was severely affected by the lockdown. ‘As a result of the first lockdown, our planned supplies were suspended and we experienced financial problems. The compensation payment of 800 euros felt like some cure to the problem of covering monthly expenses.’