Dutch greenhouse growers submitted 23 applications requesting €26.5 million under the 2026 Market Introduction Energy Innovations programme (MEI), according to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The available subsidy budget is €8.5 million.
Requested support therefore amounts to approximately 3.1 times the budget, an editorial calculation from the agency’s figures. The €26.5 million represents applications for subsidy, not awarded grants or the total capital cost of proposed installations.
Selection follows the closed round
Applications ran from 8 to 24 September 2026. RVO says complete submissions are ranked after closing and support is allocated in that order until the budget is exhausted. Applicants should receive decisions within 13 weeks of the closing date. The published update does not identify the successful projects or the eventual amounts granted.
Energy performance determines eligibility
The 2026 regulatory amendment focuses MEI on innovative greenhouse energy systems in early market introduction. It requires at least 25% lower carbon dioxide emissions and 15% lower primary energy use against the project’s reference situation. These are eligibility thresholds, not measured results from the current applications.
For suppliers and growers, the oversubscribed round signals demand for support, but provides no breakdown by technology, equipment supplier or greenhouse area. Award decisions will be the next evidence of which investments move forward.
Key takeaways
- 23 applications sought €26.5 million against an €8.5 million budget.
- The application window has closed; funding awards remain unknown.
- The demand ratio does not measure installed capacity or realised savings.
