Maximize energy efficiency with notice MPR-2026-01

Energy-intensive operations are under pressure from all sides: volatile energy prices, increasingly demanding ESG expectations and the need to protect margins in a competitive context.

In Portugal, notice MPR-2026-01 creates a rare opportunity: up to 85% non-refundable support for companies investing in energy efficiency and decarbonization projects starting at 400,000 euros - as long as they can act quickly and demonstrate impact.

In this article we explain how this notice works, what kind of projects it can support and how Nextbitt's EMS (energy management) and EnvMS (environmental management) platforms help you turn this temporary funding window into structural and measurable value for your organization.

Two Regimes, Three Application Phases

General Regime: Fast Track for SMEs and"Standard" Projects

The General Regime is the most direct route for:

• SMEs and large enterprises
• Located in the North, Centre, Alentejo and Algarve regions
• With projects starting at 400,000 euros of eligible investment

Applications under this regime:

• Phase 1: until 27 February 2026, at 18:00
• Phase 2: until 29 May 2026, at 18:00​

This structure allows companies with already mature projects to move forward in Phase 1, while those needing more time can prepare a more robust application for Phase 2.

RCI – Contractual Investment Regime: Strategic Route for Large Enterprises

The Contractual Investment Regime (RCI) targets large enterprises and larger-scale projects, typically starting from 25 million euros of eligible investment, with a maximum limit of 30 million euros of support per project.

Key RCI features:

• Available to large enterprises, including those headquartered in the Lisbon region
• Support conditions negotiated case-by-case through an investment contract with the State
• Phase 3: applications until 30 December 2026, at 18:00​

In practice:

• If you are an SME or large enterprise with projects in the hundreds of thousands to several million euros range, priority should be the General Regime and Phases 1 or 2.
• If you are a large enterprise with large-scale decarbonisation ambitions – including in the Lisbon region – the RCI opens the door to a bespoke negotiated support package, with a multi-year implementation horizon.

What types of projects can be supported?

MPR-2026-01 has been designed in an intentionally broad way, to accommodate different efficiency and decarbonization strategies in various sectors. Examples of typical interventions:

Energy efficiency in buildings and facilities

• Renovation and optimization of HVAC systems and their control systems
• Efficient lighting with management and automation systems
• Improved insulation and building envelope
• Advanced energy monitoring and management systems

Modernization of production processes

• Replacement of obsolete equipment with high-performance alternatives
• Optimization of processes to reduce specific energy consumption
• Recovery and reuse of waste heat

Electrification of thermal processes

• Replacing fossil fuel boilers and furnaces with electric or heat pump-based systems
• Electrification of industrial processes traditionally dependent on gas or other fossil fuels

Low-carbon technologies and fuels

• Adoption of low-carbon process technologies
• Progressive replacement of fuels with less carbon-intensive alternatives, where admissible and in line with decarbonization objectives

On-site renewable energy (as a complementary measure)

• Installation of solar photovoltaic systems for self-consumption

• Thermal systems based on renewable sources, in line with the overall decarbonization strategy

In all cases, projects must demonstrate measurable reductions in energy consumption and/or GHG emissions and present a robust methodology for quantifying and tracking these gains over time.

Why is this warning so relevant now?

There are three forces shaping companies' investment decisions in 2026:

• Energy costs and volatility
  Energy remains a major cost center in industrial, logistics and service operations. Structural efficiency gains protect margins and reduce exposure to price shocks.
  
  
• Regulatory pressure and ESG
  The European Green Deal, the Fit for 55 package and associated regulations are raising expectations on decarbonization and transparency. Many companies - especially larger ones - have to report energy consumption and emissions with auditable data, in line with frameworks such as the CSRD.
  
  
• Access to capital
  Projects that reduce regulatory and transition risk and improve their ESG profile are increasingly valued by investors and financiers. Leveraging public incentives improves the return on projects and can speed up their internal approval.

MPR-2026-01 sits exactly at this intersection: it uses public financing to reduce the risk of investments that are both economically rational and strategically unavoidable.

Why work with Nextbitt on MPR-2026-01 projects?

Applying for MPR-2026-01 isn't just about applying for financial support - it's about making a commitment to deliver and demonstrate reductions in consumption and emissions over several years. This is precisely where many projects fail: they underestimate the effort required to structure data, track performance and report consistently.

Nextbitt supports your company on two fronts: ensuring a solid application and proving impact throughout the life of the project.

1. Before the application
2. During implementation and operation

With Nextbitt's EMS and EnvMS platforms, your organization can:

• Consolidate energy consumption data across different facilities, assets and meters
• Establish a robust baseline for consumption and emissions
• Identify where the greatest opportunities for efficiency and decarbonization lie
• Set realistic savings targets and performance indicators, aligned with the priorities of the notice
• Structure a data-based project narrative that is more credible to evaluators

Once the project has been approved and implemented, Nextbitt helps your company to:

• Monitor energy performance and GHG emissions on an integrated platform
• Track each measure (e.g. equipment replacement, process change) against the expected impact
• Detect deviations early and support corrective actions
• Produce the necessary information and reports for management authorities, internal bodies and ESG reporting

Instead of seeing MPR-2026-01 as a one-off financing operation, your company now has a permanent digital infrastructure for energy and environmental performance management.

Practical roadmap for taking advantage of MPR-2026-01

To turn this opportunity into concrete projects, companies can follow a structured path:

1. Check eligibility and choose the right scheme

• Confirm region, size of company and scale of project
• For investments of 400,000 euros or more, focus on the General Regime and the deadline of February 27, 2026
• For large-scale transformation programs (≥25M€), assess the potential of the RCI regime

2. Map the energy and emissions baseline

• Collect consumption data from the main facilities and processes
• Use or implement tools such as EMS and EnvMS Nextbitt to consolidate and structure this information
• Identify data gaps and define how to close them quickly

3. Identify and prioritize measures

• Select measures with strong technical and economic potential (payback, impact, feasibility)
• Grouping measures into coherent project packages, aligned with the call's typologies
• Combine "quick wins" with more far-reaching structural interventions

4. Prepare an application based on data

• Set clear targets for energy savings and emission reductions
• Demonstrate how monitoring and verification will be carried out, using management systems
• Fit the project into the company's wider competitiveness and ESG strategy

5. Implement, monitor and optimize

• Carry out the approved measures in accordance with the defined plan and timetable
• Use Nextbitt to monitor performance, detect deviations and promote continuous improvement
• Reuse the same data infrastructure for ESG and sustainability reporting beyond the duration of the incentive

Assess your project's eligibility and potential

Is your company considering investments in energy efficiency or decarbonization in Portugal?

MPR-2026-01 is one of the most interesting levers in this cycle - especially when combined with energy and environmental management tools that allow you to measure and prove results.

Nextbitt can support your organization by:

• Quickly assessing eligibility for the General Scheme or the RCI
• Identifying the efficiency and decarbonization measures with the best return
• Structuring monitoring and reporting using the EMS and EnvMS platforms

→Schedule an eligibility and opportunity assessment session with our team to discuss your company's context and project potential under MPR-2026-01.