SDE++ Apply
Are you going to produce renewable energy or apply CO2-reducing techniques? If so, you may be eligible for the subsidy sustainable energyproduction and climate transition (SDE++). This subsidy is intended for companies and organisations (non-profit and otherwise) in sectors such as industry, mobility, electricity, agriculture and the built environment. The Dutch national government cannot take part.
Opening round and budget 2024
The next opening round is from 10 September to 10 October.
A budget of € 11,5 billion is available for the SDE++ 2024.
| Phase | Start and end date 2023 | Subsidy intensity phase limit (€/tonne CO2) |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 10 September 9:00 to 16 September 17:00 hours | 75 |
| Phase 2 | 16 September 17:00 to 23 September 17:00 hours | 150 |
| Phase 3 | 23 September 17:00 to 30 September 17:00 hours | 225 |
| Phase 4 | 30 September 17:00 to 7 October 17:00 hours | 300 |
| Phase 5 | 7 October 17:00 to 10 October 17:00 hours | 400 |
For more information on the various phases, the maximum subsidy amounts and the ranking of applications, see the Features SDE++ page.
Categories
The SDE++ provides subsidies for the use of techniques for the generation of renewable energy and the reduction of CO2. The table below provides an overview of the techniques that may be eligible for SDE++ subsidy in 2023. In 2024 there will be a few new categories. We will publish these soon.
| Main category | Subcategory |
|---|---|
| Renewable elektricity |
|
| Renewable heat |
|
| Renewable gas |
|
| Low-carbon heat |
|
| Low-carbon production |
|
For some production facilities that use biomass to generate energy, there is a system of controls in place to ensure that the criteria for sustainability are met.
If you are granted an SDE++ subsidy, it will be awarded over a period of 12 or 15 years. The duration of your subsidy will depend on which technology you use.
Conditions
In order to be eligible for the SDE++ scheme, you must meet several conditions. There are general conditions and category-specific conditions. View the general conditions.
Applications
You can read how to do this, which appendices you need to enclose and how the Netherlands Enterprise Agency assesses the applications in the SDE++ Step-by-step plan.
Step-by-step plan
Continue reading if you want to find out how you can apply, and what documents you need to attach to your application. For more information about the phases, the maximum subsidy amounts and how applications are ranked, see the Features of the SDE++ Scheme page.
You login with eHerkenning (page in Dutch). For your application, you need at least Level 3 with RVO services authorisation at Level eH3.
At the moment, it’s not possible to apply for an SDE++ subsidy with a chain authorisation.
If you cannot use eHerkenning, you can also log in with your DigiD.
You send several supporting documents (information in Dutch) with your application, such as a transmission capacity indication, a feasibily study, the necessary permits and if applicable a site owner consent form. You have to make sure that you have gathered all the necessary attachments before you start the application process. We only process complete applications. This means that the application form must be completely filled in and all mandatory documents applicable to your category must be attached.
Shortly before the scheme opens, you have the option to prepare your application as a draft. If you do not complete the application in one go, you have the option to save the data you have entered:
- Click ‘Apply’ and log in to the online portal using eHerkenning (or DigiD).
- On the ‘Nieuwe aanvraag’ (New application) tab, you can scroll through the ‘Formulierencatalogus’ (Forms catalogue) list and open the ‘Stimulering Duurzame Energieproductie en Klimaattransitie (SDE++)’ (Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition (SDE++)) form.
- On the ‘Select Theme’ tab, choose the category for which you want to apply.
- Select the applicable form by answering a number of questions.
- Fill in the form with all the data about your production facility.
- Check your entries with the ‘Check’ button before moving on to the next tab. If any information is missing or has not been entered correctly, you will see an alert message.
- In the last tab of the application form, attach your supporting documents (the mandatory documents are marked with an ‘*’).
- Check the entire application for errors before you submit it. If you receive an alert message, navigate to the specified tab to correct the information you entered.
- Answer all questions truthfully.
Please note the following:
- Start by scanning all your supporting documents and uploading them to the online portal. If a file is larger than the maximum of 20 MB per attachment, please send the document in several parts with your application.
- If you want to apply for the wind categories, for biomass fermentation plants, for CCS or CCU you can submit a combined application.
In your application, please clearly indicate whether you are a medium-sized or a small SME.
You can submit your application as soon as the SDE++ scheme application round opens. The application round has five phases (see the table at the top of this page). You have to submit your application in the correct phase. Applications received after 17:00 CET or on non-business days are considered to have been received on the next business day. This also applies at the start of a new phase. Within one business day (from 17:00 to 17:00 on the next business day), the time of receipt of the subsidy application does not matter.
Please note the following:
- Please check your application carefully and make sure you’ve included all required permits and supporting documents.
- Submit your application.
- Immediately after you submit your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email indicating your case number.
- Your application is saved under ‘My Overview’; you can always find it there.
We process applications in the order in which we receive them. The following rules apply:
- If we receive more applications on one day than the remaining available budget, we rank them by subsidy requirement and euros per tonne of CO2.
- If the budget limit falls between two applications with the same subsidy requirement, we will draw lots to choose between these applications.
How do we assess your application?
- Completeness check: we only process your subsidy application if it is complete. The date on which we receive the complete application determines the ranking of your application.
- Content check: we check whether your subsidy application meets the subsidy conditions based on the technical and financial data.
- If we have any questions, we will contact you for additional or missing information.
- According to the SDE++ Decree, you will receive a letter with the decision within 13 weeks of your application. This period may be extended once, for a maximum of 13 weeks.
After the assessment, we will send you a decision. If the decision is positive, please note the following:
- The subsidy awarded to you is a maximum amount over the entire duration of the subsidy. It is based on the base energy price, which is the lower limit for the correction rate.
- We calculate the actual amount of the annual subsidy payment based on the amount of energy produced or CO2 reduced that is eligible for the subsidy and the level of the corrective rate.
You start implementing your project after receiving the decision.
If you receive a negative decision, you can lodge an objection or appeal within six weeks from the date of issue of the decision. Information on how to do so will be in your decision.
You can no longer apply for the subsidy in 2023. The facility is closed. The SDE++ 2024 will be open from 10 September to 10 October.
You will receive a subsidy decision within 13 weeks of submitting your application. This period can be extended once by a further 13 weeks. If it is positive, it will state the maximum amount of subsidy you may receive over the entire duration of the subsidy.
After the decision
Have you received a positive decision on your application for the SDE+ or SDE++? If so, you can start to implement your project. After realization of your production facility you will receive a monthly subsidy advance. Once a year your subsidy will be adjusted in accordance with your actual production rates and the actual corrective amount.
Priority for techniques within a category of techniques
Just like in 2023 there will be categories of techniques in the subsidy budget. A category ensures that certain techniques with a higher subsidy intensity have a better chance of being discussed. This concerns techniques that fall under 'Low-temperature heat', 'High-temperature heat' and 'Molecules'. These we call domains. In the brochure you can read which techniques are involved.
These techniques are less cost-effective in the short term, but in the longer term they are necessary for the energy transition. Costs may decrease as they become more widely used. To stimulate projects in these domains, we reserve € 1 billion per domain.
We treat subsidy applications within the categories in the same way as outside the categories. When the budget within a category has been divided, any remaining applications for this domain will be transferred to the budget outside the category. If budget remains within a category, we add this to the budget outside the category so that other techniques can still claim it.
Banking of production
SDE+(+) allows for the option of banking. In case the production is less than predicted, you can use the difference in later years. Producers can also carry over any excess output to the following year.
The latest form of banking cannot be more than 25% of the subsidised yearly production of energy, except for the wind categories. The wind factor provides an alternative to banking in covering the operator's risk of losing out on subsidy.
This infographic (pdf) explains the banking system.
Brochure SDE++
Every year we publish an information brochure that provides an overview of the techniques and categories that one can apply for. The terms and conditions of each category are also enclosed in this document. More information regarding the SDE++ 2023 can be found in the brochure below. Will we publish the 2024 version soon.
More information
- Find brochures about the various rounds of SDE+(+) applications on our features page
- Information in Dutch: Stimulering Duurzame Energieproductie en klimaattransitie (SDE++)
- Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
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