Background information

'SME: Green Competencies' is a nationwide EU-funded subsidy program targeting SMEs in Denmark in need of support in relation to the green transition. The purpose of the project is to increase the access of SME's to a qualified workforce and assist in developing the skills of employees, management and board members. It aims to give participants important skills concerning the green transition, enabling the businesses to meet and handle specific new tasks, comply with EU regulations and make strategic decisions concerning the green transition.

The project lasts four years and has a total budget of DKK 78.4 million (€ 10.5 million), whereof DKK 50 million (€ 6.7 million) is EU-funding from ESF Plus, administered by the Danish Board of Business Development.

Content of measure

'SME: Green Competencies' has three main activities that can be used depending on the specific needs of the participating business:

1. Green Kickstart (collective), is programme comprising collective, clarifying, and competence-building workshops designed for businesses seeking knowledge and clarification regarding their competency development needs relating to the green transition. Participation in these workshops is free and does not require an application.
2. A voucher totalling DKK 60,000 (€ 8,040) to be used for an individually tailored competency development programme with an advisor.
3. A voucher totalling DKK 60,000 (€ 8,040) that subsidies participation in available courses at educational institutions.

'SME: Green Competencies' targets Danish SMEs with 2-249 full-time employees. Participating business are required to co-finance the received voucher contribution, either in cash or in kind through registering at least 140 hours on the initiative. Participating businesses are also required to conduct market research and have their chosen advisor approved. Businesses may apply for more than one voucher, but may only have one ongoing programme at a time. This means that one programme must be fully completed before they can apply for a new voucher. Businesses have 12 months to complete a programme from when the voucher is granted.

Use of measure

No data is yet available concerning the uptake of the measure.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	SMEs	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No known involvement.

Views and reactions

While no source point to reactions to the measure from social partners, several employers' organisations, including the federation Danish Industries (Dansk Industri), share information concerning the measure on their websites.

Sources

• 01 April 2022: Competencies for the Green Transition in small and medium-sized enterprises (erhvervsfremmebestyrelsen.dk)
• 01 April 2022: FAQ SME: Green Competencies (virksomhedsprogrammet.dk)
• 10 October 2023: Help for competence development within green transition for SMEs (www.danskindustri.dk)