An exciting opportunity for energy storage innovators in North-West Europe to develop their technologies opens this month. The STEPS Business Support Programme works with small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and offers support to take their solutions from the test stage to market ready. Operating within North-West Europe (NWE), the free programme gives SMEs the opportunity to optimise their products and develop their technologies with real-life testing.
With the aim to drive energy storage innovation in the region and boost the competitiveness of its businesses, STEPS hopes to accelerate the sustainable energy transition on both a local and global scale.
SMEs developing energy storage solutions can apply for the call starting the 25th of May 2021.
Energy storage (e-storage) innovators in NWE face significant challenges in getting their solutions to the market, particularly when looking for opportunities to test their technology with real end-users. This can leave their development in a state of inertia. However, SMEs working to build a cleaner, more sustainable future should be given the tools they need to succeed and accelerate the green transition. That’s why the STEPS Business Support Programme is offering support to e-storage SMEs.
"The European energy market is fragmented in terms of market forces, systems, regulations and policies. This makes it difficult for a storage company to internationalise. STEPS will contribute to widening their playing field from this perspective as well."
Wieteke Meijer, Project Manager at leadpartner Oost NL
The programme combines business support and knowledge partners from Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom to strengthen the competitiveness of innovative e-storage solution providers in the NWE region. A wide variety of roughly 20 testbed locations available through STEPS, allowing SMEs to bring their products closer to the market through tailored, real-life testing. With 10 partners specialised in a variety of e-storage areas - from technology to business expertise - the STEPS consortium provides a user-centric, demand-driven approach to developing e-storage solutions.
Knowledge and business partners will advise e-storage SMEs on entering new markets in NWE, engage with potential end-users, and increase the awareness of solution providers. Going further, STEPS will connect providers of new e-storage solutions with end-users via a business support programme to increase their technological readiness level (TRL) through real-life testing.
Through the STEPS programme, e-storage innovators in the region will solve local challenges and become formidable competitors in the global market.
Apply to the programme via https://www.stepsnwe-application.com/.