Rotterdam is financing smart, sustainable solutions from innovative companies

Out of sixteen entries, the Municipality of Rotterdam chose five companies in the programme’s first round of subsidies. They will be given up to EUR 100,000 to make their innovative energy solutions commercially viable as soon as possible. The Municipality of Rotterdam chose these companies because their ambitions in the field of sustainability and economic growth complement each other in these smart energy systems. Alderman Arno Bonte (Sustainability): ‘Our aim as a city is to lead the way in sustainability. We can accelerate the energy transition if we have smart and innovative solutions. That is why we are helping companies to invest in sustainable innovations.’

Smart, enterprising and sustainable

The five companies selected are focusing their efforts on higher energy yields from wind turbines, better insight into the energy network for better utilisation of energy sources, wide use of small wind turbines that blend well into the environment and solar power systems for housing associations. By giving these creative thinkers room to experiment, the municipality hopes to accelerate the development of innovations needed to achieve its sustainability goals. At the same time, the success of these companies will boost the economy and employment in the city. Moreover, Rotterdam needs companies to be innovative if it wants to retain its important economic position in the future.

The Smart Energy Systems (SES) programme

With its Smart Energy Systems programme, the Municipality of Rotterdam is looking to accelerate private initiatives and innovations in the field of smart energy systems and to help them to scale up to produce commercially attractive applications. The programme has a wide scope. The scheme will be open to entries twice during 2021. The second round of subsidies is due to start in February 2021, which is when companies will be able to submit entries. The municipality is hoping to be supporting 15 to 20 initiatives by the end of 2021. An assessment will be made in 2021 to consider whether the scheme should be initiated again in 2022. Entries for the next round can be submitted via ondernemen010.nl/SES.

Implementing innovations and launching them on the market Applicants will use the subsidy to work towards implementing and launching their innovations on the market. Ideas from all kinds of fields can be submitted. Special attention will be given to proposals that address social innovation and participation. They could include feasibility studies, experimental developments or pilot studies of proposed innovations. Preferably, it should be possible to scale up the project so that maximum impact can be achieved.

More information about the Smart Energy Systems programme and the companies chosen is available on ondernemen010.nl/SES.