The Regional Operational Programme (2021-2027) for the Epirus region encompasses a set of strategies and measures across various domains, aimed at transforming the region into a modern energy, business, and transport centre both nationally and across Europe. One of its key priorities is to strengthen regional productivity, competitiveness, and innovative activity - especially for SMEs - through green and digital investments.

The Net Zero SMEs project will address the following specific objectives, as presented within the ROP, in view of advancing net-zero SMEs’ competitiveness, digital transformation, and research synergies:
- SO1.1. Development and strengthening of research and innovation capacities and utilisation of advanced technologies
- SO1.2. Realising and capitalising on the benefits of digitalisation for companies and research organisations.
- SO1.3. Boosting the sustainable growth, competitiveness and jobs creation of SMEs, including through productive investments.

S3 consists of 5 policy priorities, reflecting the most pressing challenges of the region. Net Zero SMEs touches upon the following priorities:

P3 – Innovation for Agile and Safe Production Means: The strategy emphasizes on strengthening the reindustrialization of the economy by investing local green tech manufacturers to invest in the production of net-zero solutions across industrial infrastructure, materials, and production methods. S3 also utilizes existing regional and EU funding mechanisms to create a business ecosystem dedicated to enhancing the innovation capacities of regional SMEs by fostering collaborations with research actors, while boosting their export activity through business synergies.
P4 – Sustainable energy system and housing: To secure regional energy resilience, S3 encourages the production of net-zero solutions in renewable energy production. Local green business actors are pivotal, as S3 supports their market presence through public procurement policies (particularly in the housing sector). Additionally, the strategy positions green innovation as a way to leverage ongoing EU energy trends and capitalize on the rising demand for net-zero solutions.

Furthermore, S3 (section 5.3.2) outlines several actions dedicated to boosting SME activity in regional green economic growth:
- Targeted financial schemes for green SMEs
- Dissemination of R&D results to SMEs
- Business support services provision
- Simplification of bureaucracy

The "Vas County Regional Development Program 2021-2030" outlines strategic development goals focusing on economic growth, social welfare, and infrastructure enhancement. Key priorities include improving public services, enhancing transport networks, and promoting sustainable settlements to foster a resilient, competitive economy in the region.

Net Zero SMEs touches upon Priority 1, namely ‘Economic Development’ which envisages support measures for green businesses, particularly SMEs. The specific objectives relevant to Net Zero SMEs are:

1.1 Encouraging SME investments
Actions: a) development of industrial ecosystems to boost green manufacturing, b) facilitation of support mechanisms to accelerate export SME export activity through entrepreneurship, c) support for the modernization of production infrastructure of SMEs.
1.2 Increasing the level of digitalization
Actions: a) provision of business support services for SMEs to capitalize on digital tools and methods to scale their operations.
1.3 Development of research ecosystems
Actions: a) improvement of SMEs’ R&D performance, by incentivizing joint projects and training programs with research actors.

The Integrated Development Plan of Gabrovo Municipality 2021 – 2027 emphasises the development of carbon-neutral industrial zones as a key aspect of its sustainable energy and climate action plan; to this end it seeks to strengthen the net-zero tech production capacities of local companies (particularly SMEs), by boosting their circularity, increasing innovation, and enhancing their market extraversion opportunities.

In alignment with the overarching goals of the project, the following objectives of GABROVO’s development plan will be addressed:
- SO.1: Enhance circular economy practices and resource efficiency.
- SO.5: Advance local economic development and foster an improved innovation environment.
- SO.6: Develop and better capitalise on science and education and promote lifelong learning.

These objectives include measures that focus on further developing renewable energy sources (RES) and hydrogen technologies for energy production, improving monitoring and reporting on carbon footprints, developing SMEs’ digital and green skills and expanding business links with science, research centers, and educational institutions.

The Regional Operational Programme of Western Greece 2021- 2027 (ROP) provides the strategic direction for the development of the region, focusing on innovation, SME growth, environmental sustainability and digital transformation. Under Priority 1 (PO1), the ROP aims to support the adaptation of local companies to the modern environment, by advancing the RES manufacturing capacities of SMEs, enhancing their competitiveness and entrepreneurship, as well as supporting their market extraversion and digitalisation.

The project addresses the following specific objectives of the PI:
SO1.1 - Development and strengthening of research and innovation capacities and utilisation of advanced technologies
SO1.2 - Realising the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organizations and public authorities
SO1.3 - Enhancing the sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and creating jobs in SMEs, including through productive investments
SO2.2 - Promotion of renewable energy sources under the Renewable Energy Directive

The Skive 2050 Climate Action Plan, managed by the Municipality of Skive (SKIVE), aims to bolster green SMEs' roles in advancing economic growth and resilience, by improving their innovation capacity through synergies with regional Universities and innovation labs, granting access to business guidance services and facilitating green tech upskilling programs.

Net Zero SMEs addresses 3 specific objectives falling under Priority 3, namely Business Growth in Green Balance:

SO1b - Green business models with a minimum of 50 Companies by 2030
Actions: facilitation of strategic guidance mechanisms for green tech SMEs to boost their export capacity and enhance their market knowledge.

SO1.f – Promote green skills in the workforce of the future
Actions: Establishment of upskilling programs in green sectors, to improve workforce skills in green tech industries. The Plan foresees to enhance SME’s ability to innovate and maintain competitive advantage in green tech manufacturing markets through a workforce specialized in these sectors.

SO1.g – Green focus in education programs
Actions: Promotion of synergies with the Technical University of Denmark to engage local businesses and researchers in funded programs, for the facilitation of joint ventures. The aim is to connect local green tech SMEs with research ecosystems, thereby increasing their innovation capacity, while providing the academic community with real-world business challenges.

The Climate and Energy Plan for Helsinborg 2025-2030 builds on its predecessor to guide climate neutrality by 2030 through green innovation. The Plan covers 10 areas for policy intervention, 4 of which are addressed by Net Zero SMEs, namely:

- Industrial Machinery: Incentivization of local manufacturers to invest in net-zero machinery production for decreasing the GHG footprint of the construction and industry sectors.
- Building and Construction: Establishment of procurement criteria for carbon-neutral materials and practices in construction incentivizing local SMEs to find climate-smart solutions.
- Energy: Boosting the development of net-zero energy production and storage solutions by local business actors, to meet the exponential energy demands from the increasing urbanization tendencies.
- Industry: Supporting the regional industry’s fossil-fuel phase out by enabling SMEs invest in clean energy production to power the production of green hydrogen, which is aimed at becoming the main industrial fuel.

The Plan proposes various tools and resources to support local SMEs in achieving these goals.

- Innovation and digitalization: Development of technology platforms for innovation and collaboration, enabling businesses to test new solutions in Helsingborg.
- Financing: Implementation of a Green Investment plan tailored to financing green SMEs.
- Cooperation: Strengthened collaboration of green SMEs and R&D for joint venture development.