More than 350,000 companies across Europe are expected to improve their energy efficiency.
This year, the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) organisers are proud to introduce a new Award category: SMEs Driving Energy Efficiency Award.
It is a recognition designed to celebrate the creativity and impact of SMEs that develop business or financing models to accelerate the uptake of energy efficiency solutions in the EU.
Through this Award, EUSEW aims to reward small and medium-sized enterprises pioneering new approaches to make energy upgrades more accessible, affordable and scalable.
The perfect finalist is an EU-defined SME operating in at least one EU Member State with either a pilot project or a commercially active initiative and featuring an innovative dimension related to energy efficiency business or financing models.
The launch of this new Award also arrives at a turning point for European SMEs. This year, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group announced a €17.5bn financing initiative dedicated entirely to energy efficiency in SMEs, one of the largest commitments of its kind.
More than 350,000 companies across Europe are expected to improve their energy efficiency thanks to this initiative. This new programme will almost double current support between 2025 and 2027, helping SMEs cut energy use and reduce emissions.
As part of the initiative, the EIB will work with private partners through dedicated investment platforms to support SME energy efficiency projects. This approach will also help attract more investors and bring additional capital into the European energy efficiency sector.
Overall, these measures show the strong commitment of the EIB Group and the European Commission to helping SMEs in their clean energy transition, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and supporting decarbonisation under the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal and Action Plan for Affordable Energy.
Those interested in this Award can read the guidelines and apply now.
