Regional support for companies from the SME sector

New forms of support for SME sector entrepreneurs

EENergy Project

The EENergy (EEN) project is one of the European Union initiatives that aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises obtain financing to improve the energy efficiency of their companies. 9 million euros in grants are available, with a single value of up to 10 thousand euros per company.

The project aims to help companies achieve better energy efficiency to offset higher costs resulting from rising energy prices and disruptions in supply chains.

It is worth paying attention to the conditions for entering this competition: the company must be active on the market at least since the end of 2022 and, as it is defined, “have the ability to implement activities at the operational and technical level”. Companies from energy-intensive industries are especially invited to participate in this competition.

There are other conditions for entering this grant competition: firstly, the company must operate in Europe, and secondly, it should demonstrate its willingness to improve its energy efficiency by at least 5 percent.

What is also important, the company must meet the criteria of a European SME in terms of the number of employees and the size of the balance sheet total.

A subsidy of EUR 10,000 can cover up to 100% of the investment costs and does not require repayment (it is a non-refundable grant).

To benefit from this money, an entrepreneur should register on the project website, consult their action plan with an EEN sustainability advisor, and then submit an application by March 31, 2024 (details here: https://een.org.pl/component/content/article/85684:wystartowal-projekt-eenergy-do-zdobycia-10-tys-euro-na-graniczenie-zuzycia-energii-w-firmie).

The subsidy can be used for a wide range of activities improving the company’s energy efficiency, e.g. carrying out an energy audit, replacing old equipment with more energy-efficient ones, purchasing and installing renewable energy systems, implementing energy management systems, training employees in the field of energy efficiency or obtaining energy performance certificates.

For the catering and hotel industry in the Opole region

The Opole Economic Development Center (OCGR) has planned five competition calls for SME sector companies for 2024. PLN 222 million is to be distributed among entrepreneurs in the hotel, catering and cultural sectors.

The first recruitment, in March of this year, will start on internationalization and economic promotion. A total of PLN 8 million has been allocated for support for SMEs. Companies from the hotel, restaurant and catering industry, which has suffered particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, can count on it.

– This money will be available to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that want to finance, for example, trips to international fairs, but also promotional materials that will help promote their offer and find new business partners – announces Michał Durzyński, deputy director of OCRG.

The maximum funding may amount to 90% of the eligible costs of a given competition project, but not more than PLN 540,000 for one entrepreneur.

From EFL for green SMEs

The European Leasing Fund (EFL) has prepared a new offer for financing investments within the framework of European Leasing. As of mid-January this year, micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (with assets below EUR 43 million, with total turnover below EUR 50 million and employing less than 250 people) can count on financing through leasing of fixed assets, but mainly from the group of so-called green assets.

EFL provides here a lower financing cost (by 25 basis points) and the possibility of purchasing electric passenger cars and delivery vans, as well as electric heavy vehicles, semi-trailers and trailers, and machinery and equipment through leasing. The minimum financing period is 24 months, and the maximum transaction value is EUR 12.5 million.