To encourage companies to:

• obtain certificates or new management systems, products, processes, services
• maintain/renew certificates for management systems, products, processes, and services

which will increase their competitiveness, the possibility of expanding into foreign markets, and improve the quality of operations and products.

Companies can use the voucher to co-finance eligible costs related to:

• obtaining certificates or maintaining/renewing certificates for management systems, products, processes, and services, as well as validating environmental statements, obtained on the basis of international/European/equivalent Slovenian standards and schemes (ISO, IATF, IEC and ITU, EN, and ETSI, EMAS, ECOLABEL, IFS, BRC, FSC, PEFC, COSMOS)

The certificates within these schemes also cover some key areas for growth and development, such as digitalisation, green transition, circular and sustainable economy.

• 60% co-financing of eligible costs
• Minimum subsidy: EUR 1,000.00
• Maximum subsidy: EUR 9,999.99

• EUR 3.0 million for the period 2024–2028

• micro, small and medium-sized enterprises based in the Republic of Slovenia, which, as legal or natural persons, are engaged in economic activity and are organised as companies or self-employed individuals or cooperatives

• Costs of preparation for certification (costs of external contractor)
• Costs of purchasing the standard
• Costs of initial acquisition, maintenance and renewal of certificates for management systems, products, processes, services and validation of environmental statements, obtained on the basis of international/European/equivalent Slovenian standards and schemes (ISO, IATF, IEC and ITU, EN, and ETSI, EMAS, ECOLABEL, IFS, BRC, FSC, PEFC, COSMOS).

VAT is not an eligible cost.

Co-financing is only eligible for certificates obtained for the first time after 1 January 2024.

SMEs can claim costs incurred in the period from 1 1. 2024 to 30 9. 2028.

Activities that will be carried out and paid for within the eligibility period specified in the co-financing contract will be eligible for co-financing. The beneficiary must carry out all activities before submitting the payment request.

• the certification body must be accredited or notified by any of the national accreditation organisations that are signatories to the multilateral agreement with European Accreditation. This applies to: ISO, IEC and ITU, CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, PEFC, IFS, BRC;
• the certification body must be recognised by the standard holder or scheme owner
  This applies to:
  • IATF
  • FSC
  • ECOLABEL (awarded by the Slovenian Environment Agency)
  • COSMOS
    The requirements for the establishment, verification and validation, and registration of an environmental management system under the EMAS scheme are laid down in Regulation EC 1221/2009, as amended.

• When selecting an external contractor, the SME must act economically and obtain the service at market price
• The SME must have at least one (1) employee during the project
• The certificate must be valid at the time the eligible costs are claimed
• The certificate must be issued by the date of submission of the payment request
• SMEs can obtain funding for this public call several times a year. SMEs must submit a separate application for each certificate

Publication of the public call in the Official Gazette l. RS no. 52/2024 of 21 6. 2024:

• Public call
• Call documentation
• Statement of the certification body in Slovenian
• Statement of the certification body in English
• Sample contract
• Form – request to replace an external contractor
• Programme areas
• Special conditions