Slovenia earmarks EUR 21.6 million for energy efficiency in tourism

The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology has published a call for tenders for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs in the field of tourism in a push to increase material and energy efficiency. Slovenia’s government said it intends to help improve competitiveness in the sector by promoting measures for the use of renewables and reducing the expenditure of energy and resources.

The EUR 22.6 million scheme is for cofinancing energy efficiency in tourism. Targeted projects are also for the use of renewable sources. The decision makers in Ljubljana said all SME entities in tourism in the cohesion region of Eastern Slovenia are eligible for the funds. On the other hand, in Western Slovenia, it is only the projects in the municipalities in the border area:  Ajdovščina, Bohinj, Bovec, Brda, Cerkno, Divača, Gorje, Hrpelje-Kozina, Jezersko, Kanal, Kobarid, Komen, Kranjska Gora, Miren-Kostanjevica, Preddvor, Renče-Vogrsko, Sežana, Tolmin, Tržič and Vipava.

The ministry invited legal entities and natural persons engaged in economic activity in the field of tourism to apply. The companies, proprietorships and limited liability cooperatives must be registered for operations in hotels and similar accommodation, holiday homes and resorts, renting private rooms, mountain lodges and youth hostels or restaurants and inns, according to the propositions.

The program covers costs in energy renovation of buildings and material efficiency, information and communication and outsourcing services. Funds are awarded as so-called de minimis state aid, as regulated by the European Union. Cofinancing can’t be higher than EUR 200,000 per project.

The package is divided into three rounds for transactions until 2022. The first deadline for submission is January 20. The other two periods of receiving applications are from September 1 to November 30 next year and in 2021, respectively. The sums per beneficiary are capped at 75% in Eastern Slovenia and 70% for Western Slovenia, the country’s only two cohesion regions.

The first public presentation of the contents of the call for proposals and the procedure is scheduled for tomorrow in Ormož and in Smarje pri Jelsah. In the following two days, equivalent gatherings about the program for material and energy efficiency for SMEs in tourism are set to be held in Krško, Kočevje, Ljubno and Ajdovščina.