Background information

Besides households, businesses of all sizes have also been hit hard by sharply rising energy costs. The government has mapped its inventory of options for targeted support for SMEs, which cannot escape high consumption. For these so-called energy-intensive SMEs, the Energy Cost Contribution Scheme (TEK) will be introduced. It is expected that businesses will be able to apply for the TEK scheme through the Rijksdienst voor ondernemend Nederland (RVO) in the second quarter of 2023.

Content of measure

Businesses (SMEs) that consume a lot of energy and for which energy costs are a large part of their total expenses can apply for the TEK scheme for help with the high energy bills they have to pay. The scheme is compensation for part of the increased energy costs. The TEK scheme is for the period 1 November 2022 to 31 December 2023. The temporary aid is designed to give businesses room to make their business more sustainable or change their business model so that they can recover the high energy prices in the future. The amount of the TEK is 50% of the amount a business pays more in energy costs than the threshold price. The threshold price is €1.19 per m³ of gas and €0.35 per kWh of electricity.

A business can apply for the TEK scheme if it is considered energy-intensive. This means a high energy usage because of the type of work a business does, for example bakeries, saunas or garden centers. The conditions for the TEK are: being an SME and being registered with the Chamber of Commerce; consuming at least 5000m³ of gas or 50,000 KWh of electricity per year; having energy costs of at least 12.5% of the company's turnover.

Use of measure

No information available yet.

Target groups

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

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Employers' organisations Company / Companies	National funds

Social partners

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

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

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

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Unknown (no mention of this in the government policy)

Views and reactions

Employers' organisations have already criticized the measure for several reasons. They argue that the amount of subsidy is not high enough to keep businesses afloat. Furthermore, they wonder why the measure is not for larger companies of more than 250 employees, as they also face the same rising costs. Also, they argue that many companies may not meet the 12,5% of turnover-demands, while their costs could increase significantly. Finally, they will check if the measure is equal to measures in other EU countries, to preserve the level-playing-field.

Sources

• 14 October 2022: Kamerbrief regeling Tegemoetkoming Energiekosten (TEK) voor energie intensieve mkb-bedrijven (www.rijksoverheid.nl)
• 19 December 2022: TEK-regeling op hoofdlijnen uitgewerkt (www.rijksoverheid.nl)