In a context of energy price volatility, improving energy performance is becoming strategic. The ISO 50001 standard provides companies with a framework to sustainably manage their consumption and identify levers for improvement through an Energy Management System (EnMS). To encourage its implementation, the PRO-SMEn scheme awards a grant to companies that obtain ISO 50001 certification. But who can benefit and under what conditions? Here is the essential information.
The PRO-SMEn grant: Ambition and eligibility requirements
Ambition of the PRO-SMEn scheme: Encouraging the deployment of the ISO 50001 standard
The PRO-SMEn scheme is part of the PACTE Industrie 2023-2028 program and is supported by ADEME and ATEE. Its objective is to support and encourage private-law companies to achieve energy savings by relying on an effective and proven methodology: the ISO 50001 standard.
This standard is based on a continuous improvement approach. It allows companies to identify their main areas of consumption, implement appropriate actions, and regularly monitor the results. The standard is also accompanied by team awareness of energy-related issues, in order to ensure that the savings achieved are sustainable over time.
OEE, or SPR, is a benchmark indicator. Expressed as a percentage, it measures the time during which an installation operates optimally. In other words, when it produces compliant parts, at the planned speed, and without downtime.
ISO 50001 provides for the implementation of an energy management system (EnMS) which must be certified to obtain ISO 50001 certification. Implementing such a system currently allows for an exemption from the obligation regarding the regulatory energy audit.
The EnMS covers 5 areas of action: regulation (monitoring and compliance with energy requirements), human resources (team training and skills management for sustainable development), maintenance (configuration and maintenance of installations), plant design (more efficient equipment, technological monitoring), and purchasing policies (control of energy contracts and integration of environmental criteria into investment decisions).
ISO 50001: A requirement or a voluntary approach?
ISO 50001 certification remains a voluntary approach for companies that are not high energy consumers.
Indeed, companies affected by the regulations are notably distinguished according to their annual final energy consumption level:
- Above 23.6 GWh/year: The company must implement an energy management system (EnMS) covering at least 80% of its final energy consumption. An ISO 50001 EnMS allows this obligation to be met.
- Between 2.75 GWh/year and 23.6 GWh/year: The company must carry out an energy audit every four years, except when it has a certified EnMS covering the required scope. The industrial energy audit must also cover at least 80% of the final energy consumption concerned.
For companies affected by these obligations, implementing an ISO 50001 certified EnMS can both sustainably structure the management of their energy performance and satisfy the applicable regulatory requirements.
PRO-SMEn eligibility criteria to know
Any industrial company, regardless of its size, whose NAF code appears on the list of eligible activities, can apply for the PRO-SMEn grant. The industries concerned are extractive (stones, minerals, etc.) and manufacturing (agrifood, textiles, plastics, metallurgy, etc.).
The site concerned by the certification must be located on national territory. Only one grant application can be submitted per SIREN number, with a limit of five applications for large groups and mid-caps. Furthermore, only first-time certifications are eligible: it must therefore be a first certification process for the company.
It is important to note that a newly created company (without a history of energy consumption) cannot benefit from PRO-SMEn aid.
Regarding the EnMS, it must be certified according to the ISO 50001 standard. In the case of a multi-site organization, the certificate must explicitly cover all the sites concerned to allow the grant to be obtained.
Finally, the certification must have been issued by a certification body duly accredited for certification according to the ISO 50001 standard.
The PRO-SMEn grant can reach €40,000: Amount and application procedures
Calculation of the PRO-SMEn grant
The PRO-SMEn grant is part of the Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) framework, which aims to support companies in improving their energy performance and reducing their energy consumption.
The scheme has a total financial envelope of 11.2 million euros, allowing for the funding of up to 280 grants, with a maximum amount of 40,000 euros each.
This funding is based on contributions from five energy suppliers: EDF, Electricité de Strasbourg, GazelEnergie, SCA Pétrole et Dérivés, and TotalEnergies.
The amount of PRO-SMEn aid is determined based on the annual energy expenditures associated with the sites covered by the ISO 50001 certified energy management system (EnMS).
Expenditures recorded during the last closed financial year are used to establish its amount. The grant represents 20% of the amount of these energy expenditures, excluding VAT. The reference energy expenditures are those from energy bills (electricity, network gas, fuel oil, biomass, etc.).
PRO-SMEn scheme: What the grant actually covers
The grant constitutes financial aid linked to obtaining a first ISO 50001 certification. It should not be confused with the reimbursement of costs incurred for support, implementation of the EnMS, or the certification itself.
Application campaigns for the PRO-SMEn scheme
To access the PRO-SMEn grant, two steps must be followed:
- Registration with the submission of an identification questionnaire,
- The final grant application once ISO 50001 certification has been obtained.
Important: The scheme is no longer open to new registrations at this time.
Given the success of the scheme and the large number of applications received, 280 registration files had already been recorded as of July 16, 2025, corresponding to the maximum number of grants that can be funded by the PRO-SMEn envelope.
A waiting list registration was initially offered. However, the registration questionnaire is now closed. Companies wishing to benefit from the PRO-SMEn grant will therefore have to wait for the opening of a future campaign.
Nevertheless, while access to the PRO-SMEn grant is no longer possible, ISO 50001 remains a reference framework for companies wishing to sustainably reduce their energy consumption and better manage their performance.
Dametis supports you in obtaining and maintaining your ISO 50001 certification!
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