Serbia SMEs tap EBRD-EU green financing to expand capacity and competitiveness

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Serbia SMEs green financing

Highlights

Since late 2023, the SME Go Green programme has mobilised more than €80 million for 450 projects in the Western Balkans, with €45.5 million invested across 289 Serbian projects.
DMA Koping used SME Go Green funds and a 10 per cent EU grant to install an automated insulating-glass line, increasing capacity and sustainability while stabilising pricing and delivery.
By September 2026, SME Go Green investments will deliver annual energy savings across the Western Balkans equivalent to consumption of over 12,000 households, with Serbian SMEs receiving up to 15 per cent EU grants for renewables.

Programme funding drives factory upgrades

As reported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the SME Go Green programme is helping businesses across Serbia and the wider Western Balkans finance cleaner technology and more efficient production systems. Run by the EBRD in partnership with the European Union, the programme combines lending through local financial institutions with EU-funded investment incentives and free technical assistance.

Since its launch in the Western Balkans at the end of 2023, the programme has supported 450 projects and mobilised more than €80 million in investment. In Serbia alone, businesses have invested €45.5 million through 289 projects, covering areas such as solar power, energy storage, cleaner vehicles and more efficient industrial equipment.

DMA Koping, a Serbian producer of aluminium, glass and steel structures and modern facade systems, has used the programme to install a new automated production line for insulating glass. The company says the equipment increases capacity, reduces downtime, improves production planning and cuts waste, while more efficient use of water and gas also makes operations more sustainable.

An EU-funded grant equal to 10 per cent of the eligible investment has helped ease DMA Koping's financing burden, while technical assistance has supported preparation and implementation of the project. Vladan Ignjatović, who has led the company since its founding in 2008, says the investment allows DMA Koping to offer more stable prices and deliver projects with more reliable timing.

Efficiency gains support broader market access

The benefits of these investments extend beyond lower energy use. For manufacturers such as DMA Koping, newer technology also supports higher product quality, safer working conditions and stronger ability to meet customer deadlines in price-sensitive markets.

The company adds that the improved quality of its insulating glass also helps raise the energy performance of the buildings where the product is installed. That creates a wider commercial benefit as Serbian businesses adapt to evolving EU technical, environmental and market requirements.

Across the Western Balkans, the cumulative effect is becoming more visible. By the end of September 2026, SME Go Green investments are enabling annual energy savings equivalent to the yearly consumption of more than 12,000 households.

In Serbia, the financing is available through Banca Intesa, Intesa Leasing, OTP banka, OTP Leasing, NLB Komercijalna banka, UniCredit Banka and Erste Banka. Eligible SMEs can receive EU-funded grants equal to 15 per cent of the total loan amount for renewable energy, agribusiness and related value-chain projects, or 10 per cent for other eligible investments, alongside free technical assistance.

Earlier, we outlined Pakistan’s push for expanded SME lending alongside higher housing and farm credit targets for banks.

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