€10,000 for SME energy efficiency

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Keve), in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, has announced a call for proposals for the EENergy project, offering grants of up to €10,000 for energy efficiency actions.

The call, open until May 15, 2024, at 17:00 CET, aims to support at least 1,800 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) through the development of action plans by Sustainability Advisors of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

These plans are designed to help SMEs achieve a minimum 5 per cent improvement in their energy efficiency. Of these, 900 SMEs will be selected to receive direct financial support, in the form of grants, of up to €10,000 each.

Funded by the European Union’s Single Market Programme (SMP), the project will be implemented with the support of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

Eligible activities under the scheme include investments in software, equipment, or other technologies; advisory services related to identifying and implementing energy efficiency improvements; and skills development and training for employees on energy efficiency matters.

These activities can be combined, with a total budget exceeding €10,000, but the grant provided will not exceed €10,000 per SME.

Applicants must design their planned activities to achieve at least a 5 per cent reduction in energy consumption.

The reduction will be measured in kilowatt-hours (or equivalent units provided by the SME) within the framework of the implemented activity.

Interested Cypriot SMEs should contact the Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus or email [email protected].

The EEN sustainability advisor will assist them in designing a customised action plan for energy efficiency and submitting their application.

The application form and applicant guide are available on the EENergy project website.

Moreover, applications must provide information about the company itself, the planned energy efficiency improvement activities, and the projected budget for implementing these activities (action plan).

After the call deadline, all applications will be checked for eligibility, and the selection process will be conducted by lottery.

Upon signing contracts with the funded beneficiaries, the implementation of action plans will commence.

“All SMEs that apply, regardless of whether they receive funding, will receive assistance from EEN sustainability advisors during the implementation of their action plans,” the chamber explained.

“They will also receive anonymous reports comparing their energy efficiency performance with that of all other candidate companies (in terms of size, sector, and location),” it added.

In terms of eligibility criteria, the announcement noted that applicants must represent a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC.

In addition, the business must have officially been established before January 1, 2023 and have a VAT registration.

The business must also not be facing financial difficulties, bankruptcy, liquidation proceedings, legal cases, or other similar issues, as per Commission Regulation 651/2014/EC (Article 2, paragraph 18).

For further information or clarification, interested parties can call 22-889752, 22-889769, or send an email at [email protected].