"From Projects to Impact: Supporting SMEs’ Energy Transition": SMEnergy Final Conference

On 9 June 2026, the SMEnergy project successfully concluded its 30-month implementation period with the Final Conference, From Projects to Impact: Supporting SMEs’ Energy Transition, held at Impact Hub Budapest and co-hosted by PC-Trend and Energiaklub.

The event brought together policy makers, development agencies, SME support organisations, energy experts, researchers, and stakeholders from across the Danube Region to reflect on project achievements and explore how to sustain support for SMEs in their energy transition beyond the project lifetime.

The programme opened with a welcome from the hosts, followed by a keynote address and a series of presentations framing the broader context of SME energy transition in Europe. A presentation by Horst Schindler, Priority Officer & Project Officer for SO 2.1 Renewable Energy at the Interreg Danube Region Programme, provided key insights into programme-level perspectives on scaling and sustaining SME energy transition support across the region. SMEnergy partners then presented SMEnergy’s key results, including pilot activities and the development of one-stop shop (OSS) models designed to provide SMEs with structured and coordinated access to energy efficiency support, expertise, and guidance.

Throughout the morning, participants explored the project’s main findings, including lessons learned from pilot implementation across partner regions. Discussions focused on what worked in practice, which approaches could be transferred or scaled, and how different regional contexts influence the design of SME support systems.

The "Stronger Together: Cool initiatives accelerating SME transition roundtable" at the SMEnergy Final Conference

A central part of the conference was dedicated to interactive exchange. A rapid-fire partner reflection session provided concise insights from project partners, followed by two thematic roundtable discussions. The first, “The SME Reality Check – The Challenges of the Green Transition for SMEs: What’s Blocking Progress, What Works, and What Scales”, addressed the real barriers faced by SMEs and highlighted practical solutions and policy responses from across Europe. The second, “Stronger Together: Cool initiatives accelerating SME transition”, showcased collaborative initiatives and cross-border approaches supporting the green transition.

The programme also included thematic presentations linking energy transition to different sectors and real-life business cases. These included insights into SME energy efficiency in industry contexts as well as a case study from a logistics company demonstrating practical steps towards decarbonisation and energy savings.

Alongside the SMEnergy Final Conference, the venue also hosted a parallel professional programme under the EU-funded GreetGEO project, entitled “The Road to Geothermal Investments.” This side event focused on transforming geothermal and heat pump project ideas into investment-ready solutions. The programme addressed project development, financing opportunities, technological choices, and regulatory aspects, while also highlighting SME involvement and cross-border cooperation opportunities in geothermal energy development. The joint organisation of both events enabled valuable cross-project exchange between stakeholders working on different aspects of the clean energy transition.

The conference concluded with a World Café-style interactive session, where participants discussed key themes such as the future of one-stop shop models beyond project lifetimes, trust and credibility in SME support systems, policy–practice alignment, and cross-border learning. A final plenary wrap-up closed the formal programme, followed by networking opportunities.

As the SMEnergy project comes to an end, the conference reaffirmed the importance of coordinated and practical support structures for SMEs across the Danube Region. The knowledge, tools, and partnerships developed through the project will continue to inform regional action plans and future initiatives supporting SMEs in their transition towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.