SMEnergy: empowering SMEs to lead the energy transition in the Danube Region 

SMEnergy is showing that small and medium-sized enterprises can play a decisive role in Europe’s energy transition when provided with the right kind of support. Launched in 2023 under the Interreg Danube Region Programme, the project developed and piloted an integrated model that helps SMEs plan and implement concrete energy transition measures. By combining local one‑stop‑shop services with transnational digital tools, SMEnergy is closing a persistent gap in SME decarbonisation: the ability to make informed, confident, and well‑supported investment decisions. The partnership is led by the Local Energy Agency Spodnje Podravje (LEASP). 

A regional challenge requiring tailored support 

Energy‑intensive SMEs across the Danube region face rising costs, tightening regulations, and pressure to decarbonise, yet many lack the knowledge, capacity, or trusted guidance to act. Fragmented advisory services, limited expert access, and uncertainty around funding have long hindered progress. By recognising this structural market failure, SMEnergy offers a publicly anchored model designed to ensure neutrality, reduce transaction costs, and strengthen regional economies. 

At the core are GEKOS hubs, regional one‑stop shops providing tailored mentoring, audits, workshops, and Energy Transition Roadmaps that translate diagnostics into prioritised investment plans. Across the consortium, partners, including LEASP in Slovenia, have piloted this approach with direct SME engagement: assessing current energy use, identifying savings potential, and preparing recommendations from soft measures to investments such as PV and e‑mobility. The hubs are complemented by the SMEnergy digital platform with tools, knowledge resources, and a cross‑border Green Energy Database and Marketplace. 

Driving measurable results for SMEs 

Pilot activities have already delivered significant results. More than 70 energy‑intensive SMEs have been engaged across eight countries, with 52 completing structured roadmap processes. Suggested measures range from low‑cost behavioural improvements achieving around 5% savings to deep investments capable of reducing energy use or costs by up to 70%. 

In Spodnje Podravje, LEASP’s pilot showed how personalised mentoring helps SMEs move from assessment to action, planning PV installations, preparing funding applications, or commissioning feasibility studies. As Tea O. Potočnik, Project Manager and EU Project Coordinator at LEA Spodnje Podravje, notes: “The SMEnergy project demonstrates that SMEs are willing to engage in the energy transition when support is practical, trusted, and tailored to their real capacities. The combination of digital and local advisory services proved essential for turning interest into concrete investment plans.” 

These outcomes translate into real‑world benefits: lower energy costs, improved competitiveness, easier navigation of funding, increased demand for local service providers, and direct contributions to emission reductions and energy security. Anchoring services in trusted institutions ensures neutrality, supports long‑term uptake, and aligns SME action with national climate goals. 

Looking ahead: ensuring long term impact‑term Impact 

Running until June 2026, partners are embedding GEKOS hubs and the digital platform into regional structures, developing follow‑up proposals to ensure continuity, and refining tools based on pilot feedback, including insights from Spodnje Podravje. A key policy message is emerging: one‑stop‑shop models like GEKOS should be recognised as essential public infrastructure for SME decarbonisation, requiring stable institutional support to maximise climate and economic benefits. 

With a proven model, strong institutional anchoring, and practical results on the ground, SMEnergy is helping SMEs turn decarbonisation intent into competitive, lasting change across the Danube region. 

This best practice is extracted from our publication ‘Sustainable Regions in Action‘. Discover more best practices here!