Background information

The Ministry of Environment and Energy launched the program 'Changing Devices for Businesses' on 22 February 2024. The programme includes support for businesses to install energy-efficient equipment.

The aim of the programme is to improve the energy efficiency of businesses and reduce the consumption of primary energy, and consequently carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, by at least 30% for each enterprise.

The programme will be implemented within the framework of the action 'Saving - Doing Business' of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 'Greece 2.0,' financed by the European Union-NextGenerationEU.

Content of measure

The programme 'Changing Devices for Businesses' concerns the improvement of energy efficiency for existing businesses of all sizes - even individual ones - operating in Greece, holding a Greek VAT number, being active at the time of application, and established by 31 December 2023.

Beneficiary businesses are supported with the aim of installing energy-efficient equipment. This includes, among other things, heating systems using heat pumps, as well as solar heating systems, replacement of energy-consuming machinery and equipment items of businesses, smart energy consumption measurement devices. Additionally, expenses related to relevant services are covered, such as transportation, installation, customization of the new equipment and energy audit.

The maximum amount of support is €10,000 per business. Small businesses can submit applications with a maximum budget of €20,000, with the subsidy rate set at 50%, while medium and large enterprises can submit applications with a maximum budget of €25,000, with the subsidy rate reaching 40% for them.

Applications for participation are submitted through the electronic platform: https://exoikonomo-epixeiro2023.gov.gr/ from 22 February 2024, until the budget is exhausted.

Use of measure

The total budget of the programme will be €105.6 million.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	European Funds National funds

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

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

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

There is no any involvement of social partners.

Views and reactions

Although there are no official announcements from employers' organization following the publication of the measure, the replacement of businesses' equipment with new environmentally friendly and less energy-consuming ones was a consistent demand from them.

Sources

• 09 February 2024: Προδημοσίευση προγράμματος «Εξοικονομώ – Αλλάζω συσκευή για τις επιχειρήσεις (greece20.gov.gr)
• 22 February 2024: Από σήμερα η υποβολή αιτήσεων στο πρόγραμμα «Εξοικονομώ – Αλλάζω συσκευή για τις επιχειρήσεις (ypen.gov.gr)