Green transition of manufacturing: 2023 announcement

Note, 30 October 2026. This announcement was published on 24 November 2023. The call Support to Enterprises for the Transition to an Energy and Resource Efficient Economy for 2024 was published on 6 June 2024, accepted applications from 13 September 2024 and, after two extensions, closed on 30 June 2025 at 11:00. The call is closed. Current calls are tracked in our guides EU grants for businesses 2026 and Business incentives and upcoming calls 2026.

A new EU call for entrepreneurs, “Support to Enterprises for the Transition to an Energy- and Resource-Efficient Economy 2” (Potpora poduzećima za tranziciju na energetski i resursno učinkovito gospodarstvo 2), was expected to be published by the end of 2023.

The call aimed to encourage productive investments by small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-capitalisation companies (mid-caps) in energy-intensive industries that will result in a more energy- and resource-efficient economy by promoting the circular economy through the introduction of resource efficiency into the production cycle and the product life cycle, including the sustainable supply of primary and secondary raw materials and/or decarbonisation and a greater use of renewable energy sources and lower emissions from energy-intensive industries.

The purpose of the call was to support a faster and better adaptation of the economy to current and future environmental requirements and, through investments in the green transition and the creation of green skills, to help reduce negative impacts on the climate and the environment, increase the sustainability of production, preserve existing jobs and create new ones and strengthen local and regional competitiveness.

The expected effect of the investments financed under this measure is a reduction in harmful emissions of at least 20% compared with investments not focused on energy efficiency, while the use of renewable energy sources and the use of recycled and recoverable materials will amount to at least 20% of the total volume of materials in production.

The aid amounts depended on company size, so companies were divided into two groups:

GROUP 1 (Small and medium-sized enterprises):

Minimum grant amount: EUR 70,000.00
Maximum grant amount: EUR 995,421.06

GROUP 2 (Mid-capitalisation companies):

Minimum grant amount: EUR 265,445.62
Maximum grant amount: EUR 4,645,298.29

The important provisions on applicant eligibility are as follows:

– The planned investments contribute at least 20% of their value to achieving at least one of the following objectives:

– promoting the circular economy by introducing resource efficiency into the production cycle and the product life cycle, including the sustainable supply of primary and secondary raw materials;

– decarbonisation and reducing emissions from energy-intensive industries, including the demonstration and deployment of innovative low-emission technologies.

– The applicant must have at least 10 employees (FTE) in the year preceding the application

– The applicant must have reported a positive EBITDA in the year preceding the application

– The applicant must have a share of energy costs in revenue ei=≥2.00% (ei=AOP262/(AOP128+AOP129)*100) in the year preceding the year in which the application is submitted

– In the year preceding the application, the applicant must have reported operating revenue of at least 50% of the total project value

– In the year preceding the application, the applicant must have a share of capital and reserves in total liabilities of at least 15%

– The activities are carried out within sector C Manufacturing (NKD 2007):

10	Manufacture of food products
11	Manufacture of beverages
13	Manufacture of textiles
14	Manufacture of wearing apparel
16	Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture
17	Manufacture of paper and paper products
18	Printing and reproduction of recorded media
20	Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
21	Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations
22	Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
23	Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
24	Manufacture of basic metals
25	Manufacture of fabricated metal products
28	Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.
31	Manufacture of furniture

– For projects involving construction, the applicant must submit the appropriate act (a final building permit bearing the finality clause, or another appropriate act on the basis of which construction/reconstruction of the building can begin) when submitting the application.

Funding was expected for at least 250 SME projects and 40 mid-cap projects.

The published call and its final conditions are described in our article EUR 145 million for the transition to an energy and resource efficient economy, and how much its applicants budgeted for advisory services in the article on price transparency in the consulting industry. Investments in energy savings are today financed by the HBOR energy efficiency loan with a capital rebate, a write-off of up to 50% of the principal.

For more information and/or an eligibility check for this call, and for help in preparing your project proposal, contact us at info@omniasolutions.hr.

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