An exciting opportunity for energy storage innovators in North-West Europe opened on the 25th of May. The STEPS Business Support Programme has launched a call to help them develop their technology by taking their solutions from the test stage to market-ready. Operating within North-West Europe (Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and parts of France, Germany and the Netherlands), this free programme gives SMEs the opportunity to optimise their products and develop their technologies with real-life testing. SMEs developing energy storage solutions can apply for the call until the 17th of June.

The STEPS Business Support Programme

With the aim of accelerating a sustainable energy transition on both a local and global scale, STEPS hopes to foster energy storage innovation in North-West Europe and boost the competitiveness of its businesses.

Energy storage (e-storage) innovators in the region 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.

STEPS image 2nd press release

The STEPS Business Support Programme will connect providers of new e-storage solutions with end-users to increase their technological readiness level (TRL) through real-life testing. A wide variety of roughly 20 testbed locations available through STEPS will allow SMEs to bring their products closer to the market.

With ten 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 North-West Europe, engaging with potential end-users, and increasing the awareness of solution providers.

"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," explains Wieteke Meijer from the STEPS consortium.