Green Accelerator — Grants for Sustainable Export Projects

Green Accelerator

Funds Danish companies and export alliances commercializing proven green technologies into international markets.

The Green Accelerator is a non-repayable grant program administered by EIFO (Danmarks Eksport- og Investeringsfond — the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark) under a Danish state special scheme. It was established in October 2020 as part of a political agreement to reboot Danish exports, and it supports the preparatory work for green technology sales abroad. The total pool is DKK 85 million, which is shared across all calls until exhausted; the program closes when the funds run out.

Awards cover between DKK 300,000 and DKK 5,000,000 per project. A single SME company is reimbursed 70% of total project costs (own contribution 30%), capped at DKK 2,250,000. A company alliance of two or more Danish companies (at least one SME) is reimbursed 80% of total project costs (own contribution 20%), capped at DKK 5,000,000 for the full alliance. All awards are subject to the EU De Minimis state-aid rule, which limits total public grants to any one company to EUR 300,000 over any rolling three-year period. Payment is made as a reimbursement after project completion, supported by an auditor's certificate — no advance payments are made.

Eligible applicants must be Danish enterprises registered in Denmark for at least three years, employ at least five full-time equivalents in the most recent financial year, and have a turnover of at least DKK 10 million and exports of at least DKK 5 million. For a company alliance, all members must be registered in Denmark; at least one must be an SME. Universities and research organizations are not eligible. Eligible costs are primarily consulting, advisory, and expert-assistance services: feasibility studies, market research, legal advice, ESG compliance analysis, patent filing advice, marketing campaigns and trade fairs, project management (capped at 10% of budget), accounting, and economy-class travel. Product/hardware costs are allowed but capped at 30% of total budget. Projects must be completed within 12 months of start and must start within 6 months of the grant commitment date.

Applications are submitted online through the SmartME portal (https://smartme.adalia.fi/login/EKF). The 2026 program has two calls: Call 1 opened 2 February and closed 2 March 2026 (now closed); Call 2 opens 21 September and closes 26 October 2026. Applications must be written in English with all financial information in DKK. Applicants are scored on up to 100 points: 15 points for company/alliance quality (number of SMEs, export preparedness) and 85 points for project quality (identified customer, strategic alignment, market and business case, export potential, activities and timeline, risk mitigation, project management, service provider capacity, budget, and additionality). Projects that generate export orders at least 10 times the grant amount within 24 months receive the most favorable assessments.

Key caveats: the DKK 85 million pool is shared across all calls and all 2026 grantees — it is not renewed each year and runs until exhausted. The scheme is time-limited; continuation beyond the current allocation is not confirmed. Only proven, ready-to-market technologies qualify — initial market studies or basic R&D are not fundable. Companies that have already exhausted their EU De Minimis budget through other public grants are ineligible regardless of project quality.