On December 2 the 2nd call of EENergy project has been launched, allowing Enterprise Europe Network clients of any industry and size to apply for a grant of 10,000 € with 100% intensity for the implementation of energy efficiency improvements. In the second round, just over € 2 million is still left across the European Single Market, which will be drawn proportionally among all the applications submitted.
To participate in the EENergy open call and become eligible to receiving a grant, SMEs must work with specialized sustainability advisors from the Enterprise Europe Network, who will support interested SMEs in designing a customized energy efficiency action plan and submitting their application to the EENergy open call. The application itself is straightforward and can be found on the project website, www.eenergy-project.eu.
In addition all of the participants (both funded and regular beneficiaries) are submitting data on energy spendings allowing World Bank to develop a study on average energy spendings among companies and their needs for energy efficiency improvements which will be passed on to European Comission for further research and use in the development of future support programmes.
Hanne Bregendahl Pihl, Coordinator of the EENergy project states: “EENergy provides an opportunity for companies in any industry to apply for the implementation of energy efficiency improvements, regardless of the previously received state support in other activities. This project allows European Union aid to be better targeted in areas where the need for support is seen by local partners who work with different sectors on a daily basis. Such support is extremely important for small and micro enterprises, as well as for those whose industries often fall outside the scope of other support programmes, as they allow for the introduction of sustainable solutions to promote their energy independence and sustainability. In addition the participation in the European wide study allows each and every company to bring their opinion on future support programs necessary.”
Initially 1626 projects were submitted under the 1st EENergy Call. After quality check and randomization of 50 % applications (randomization method provided by World Bank) companies have been divided to regular beneficiaries and funded beneficiaries which makes up 700 funded beneficiaries that were invited to sign contracts and proceed with energy efficiency project funding. Meanwhile the rest of the companies proceeded with their energy efficiency project implementations and remained beneficiaries of EEN services. All the projects implemented in frame of EENergy project up to date can be seen on www.eenergy-project.eu User Cases section.
The most popular areas where projects were submitted in the 1st Call are: the installation of alternative energy sources (solar panel systems, small wind turbines, heat pumps), the prevention of energy losses (insulation, replacement of windows and doors, modernization of heating systems), the replacement of energy consumers to more sustainable ones (replacement of lighting fixtures, ventilation systems and other components, such as servers in IT companies), energy efficiency trainings and consultancy.
EENergy project (101143477) is funded by the European Union through the Single Market programme and is implemented in cooperation with Enterprise Europe Network. EENergy aims to support 900 companies over 2 years with a total of EUR 9 million. € grant funding in all European Single Market countries with one-off grants of €10,00 with 100% aid intensity.
EENergy project can be found on www.eenergy-project and social networking platforms Facebook and Linked In.
Enterprise Europe Network is the world’s largest business support network and helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions innovate and grow on an international scale. The Network brings together experts from member organisations that are renowned for their excellence in business support. The network experts offer personalised services to businesses. They know the local business environment and have contacts for business opportunities worldwide. The Enterprise Europe Network can also offer a targeted approach aimed specifically at your business sector. Its groups of experts cover all key economic sectors and can help companies increase their resilience and support SMEs in their transition to more sustainable and digital business models.
