€36 million in EU funding for business incubators in the SAŠA coal region

SLOVENIA, April 3 - The call for proposals will support the establishment of business incubators in the SAŠA coal region. Support will be provided both for the construction and renovation of facilities and associated infrastructure, e.g. parking lots, and purchase of IT equipment, office furniture and other equipment necessary for the operation of the incubators. Aside from the main building housing the incubator, business units of the incubator located both within the eligible area of the call for proposals and in the degraded area of the SAŠA coal region will be eligible for co-financing.

Business incubators will provide a range of resources and support services to start-up and early-stage businesses and first-time founders to help them develop and grow. Their support services will involve office space and other infrastructures, as well as access to business advice, mentoring and networking opportunities to help businesses hone their business plans and collaborate with the educational and research sphere. The incubators will facilitate economic restructuring and the shift of the coal region towards resource and energy efficiency and sustainable development. This will help unlock new business opportunities and create new jobs in the region.

The Call for proposals for business infrastructure (business incubators) development projects in the Savinjsko-Šaleška (SAŠA) region under the Just Transition Fund 2025-2027 will be launched in the scope of Slovenia’s EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 under priority Restructuring of coal regions. It will pursue specific objective Just Transition Fund.

The call for proposals will make a total of €42,438.809.19 available; over €36 million will come from the Just Transition Fund.

The call for proposals will contribute to the goals of Slovenia's EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027. It will be published by the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia on 4 April 2025.