Government supports SME sector in making travel behavior more sustainable

The State is making EUR 2.5 million available to make employee travel behavior at SMEs more sustainable. The subsidy scheme is available to, among others, industry associations, entrepreneurs' associations and business investment zones. The Subsidy Scheme Collectives SME Sustainable Travel Behavior (Cover) is implemented by the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO). The application opens on January 14, 2025.

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Need advice about a mobility budget?

A mobility budget is a fixed amount per year that employees may use to offset their commuting expenses. The main goal is more flexibility. With this budget, they can decide for themselves whether to travel by public transport or use shared transport, for example.

The concept is still fairly new and offers an alternative to the leased car. That is still seen as an attractive working condition, but is increasingly being left behind as people work more from home. Then a flexible mobility solution such as a travel budget is more efficient. It allows employees to choose how and when they do so.

Want to start working with a mobility budget, but don't know how to get started? Our advisers will be happy to advise you on getting your mobility budget up and running.

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Organizations can apply for grants for projects and activities that aim to permanently make the travel behavior of SME employees more sustainable. These must be activities that reduce the use of fossil fuels in employee commuting and business travel. Freight transport and logistics are excluded from the scheme.

Conditions for the subsidy

To be eligible for the subsidy, SME organizations must be able to demonstrate that projects result in a CO2 reduction. A maximum of 0.75 euros in subsidy is available against one kilogram of CO2 reduction, according to the explanation from RVO. Furthermore, the CO2 reduction must be permanent, even after the support ends. Applicants receive a maximum of 75% subsidy on the costs they incur. The maximum subsidy amount per project is 100,000 euros.

Examples of measures

RVO lists a number of examples of activities that may be eligible for support, such as framework agreements with providers of sustainable transport, agreements for joint private transport at business parks, collective bargaining agreements for sustainable transport, home working schemes and a sustainable mobility budget for employees.

Want to know more?

Look for more information on the website of RVO