BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.12. The Energy Efficiency for SMEs initiative, the first European Union-wide program dedicated to boosting energy savings among small and medium-sized enterprises, is on track to exceed its targets after a strong first year of implementation, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group said, Trend reports.
The initiative delivered 6 billion euros in financing in 2025, enabling up to 150,000 SMEs across Europe to invest in energy efficiency and decarbonization measures.
Between 2025 and 2027, the EIB Group aims to provide 17.5 billion euros in financing to support as many as 350,000 SMEs in cutting energy costs and reducing their carbon footprint. The program was launched last year by the EIB Group in cooperation with the European Commission and is supported through the InvestEU fund.
The Solar Impulse Foundation, a non-profit organisation, contributed during the design phase by drawing on insights from its network of more than 1,600 innovative and energy-efficient solutions, the EIB Group said.
In its first year, the initiative included new EIB credit lines to partner banks in the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Spain to finance additional SME energy efficiency projects. The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, is also supporting the program through its infrastructure and cleantech venture capital funds, as well as the InvestEU Sustainability Guarantee aimed at accelerating the green transition of small businesses.
A key role has been played by the EIB Group’s Green Gateway advisory platform, developed with support from the European Commission’s InvestEU Advisory Hub. The platform acts as a one-stop portal for banks and SMEs to identify, assess and report green investments.
The initiative also features an upgraded Group Green Checker, a tool used to assess whether projects meet EIB Group green eligibility criteria for intermediated financing. Visits to the Green Checker rose by 43% last year to more than 30,000, following the introduction of additional green measures and activities. New features include a dedicated helpdesk, an expanded e-learning programme with 10 modules tailored to intermediaries and SMEs, and a new webinar series for partner banks.
At a Green Gateway event, the EIB Group also announced partnerships with Eiffel Investment Group and Solas Capital to establish joint financing platforms focused on SME energy efficiency and to expand available funding.
These investments will pilot so-called “servitisation” models, under which companies shift from purchasing energy-efficient equipment to buying targeted energy-saving services. Instead of owning equipment, SMEs pay for services such as heating or lighting, while providers own and maintain the assets, reducing upfront investment costs.
The servitisation approach, also known as energy efficiency as a service and promoted by the Solar Impulse Foundation, is designed to help SMEs access cutting-edge green technologies and improve competitiveness. The foundation has worked with market participants to test the viability and bankability of such financing models.
The Energy Efficiency for SMEs initiative is a flagship action under the EIB Group’s Strategic Roadmap 2024–2027, underscoring its focus on sustainable development, competitiveness and economic resilience.