Energy is one of the few large cost lines a manufacturer can genuinely act on. On the public support side, there are now two distinct instruments aimed at that line: the Efficiency Enhancing Project (VAP) grant, which contributes to the cost of the investment, and the Energy and Carbon Reduction (EKA) programme, announced by Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources on 27 June 2026.
They are not variations of the same thing. One pays while you invest; the other pays once the investment delivers. That distinction shapes how you build the application file.
Two schemes, two different logics
| VAP | EKA | |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | During the investment | After results are measured |
| What it assesses | Project cost and projected savings | Realised performance |
| Support rate | Up to 30% of investment cost | 30% |
| 2026 ceiling | TRY 27,092,663 | TRY 18,061,775 |
| Who | Industrial facilities, mainly industry and energy sectors | Industrial plants, commercial buildings, service sector |
The figures above are the 2026 ceilings cited in ministry announcements. They are reset periodically, so confirm current amounts against the live call text before applying.
The real opportunity is combining them: a plant can have the efficiency investment supported under VAP, then have the resulting saving assessed a second time under EKA. That only works if you can document the saving.
VAP: a grant against investment cost
VAP rests on Energy Efficiency Law No. 5627 and the Regulation on Increasing Efficiency in the Use of Energy Resources and Energy, published on 27 October 2011. The scope is broad — equipment replacement, rehabilitation of existing systems, process optimisation, revision of heating and cooling systems, waste heat recovery, cogeneration, and renewable-based heat generation projects are all assessed.
Two conditions are routinely underestimated:
- The minimum saving threshold. Projects are expected to deliver at least 150 kW of instantaneous saving in the industry and energy sectors, and at least 50 kW in other sectors. Small, scattered improvements do not qualify on their own; they have to be consolidated into one coherent project.
- The energy management certificate. Applications require a TS EN ISO 50001 certificate issued by a body accredited by TÜRKAK. For a plant without one, that is a prerequisite to clear before the project itself. We covered what the standard actually demands in our ISO 50001 energy management guide.
The process is not simple paperwork either. An energy monitoring system is expected so that savings can be demonstrated, and its cost can be built into the project budget. The ministry also asks for video documentation of the file — the physical situation on the shop floor has to be evidenced concretely.
EKA: paying for the outcome
EKA runs on a different logic. Here the state looks not at what you spent but at how much you cut. According to the ministry’s announcement, the programme measures reductions in energy intensity, specific energy consumption per unit of output, or carbon emission intensity.
The published framework highlights:
- Support at 30% of energy expenditure, with a 2026 ceiling of TRY 18,061,775.
- In this first round, a total of 20 businesses — 10 from industry and 10 from commercial buildings and services.
- Applications submitted electronically through the Energy Efficiency Support Management System (EVDES), which runs on e-Devlet integration.
- Priority in the 2026 round for businesses achieving the largest reduction in carbon emission intensity.
A quota of twenty makes this competitive. In that kind of ranking, what separates applicants is not a statement of intent but a measured, verifiable reduction. At the time of writing, the 2026 application calendar had not yet been published; track it through enerji.gov.tr and EVDES announcements.
The actual prerequisite: measurement
Both schemes lead to the same door. VAP wants projected savings, EKA wants realised reductions. Either way, you have to show it with data.
What we typically find on site: the plant knows its monthly electricity bill, but not which line, which machine or which shift produced it. That baseline supports neither a credible application file nor later verification.
In practice the measurement layer has three parts:
- Meters and sensors. Sub-metering below the main incomer — by line, by panel, by critical machine. Compressed air, steam and natural gas belong in scope too; in many plants the largest loss is not in electricity but in compressed air.
- Collection. Pulling data from machines and meters automatically. Even older equipment can be covered through external sensors and machine-to-machine methods, as described in collecting production data from machines.
- Reporting. Turning raw consumption into something meaningful by dividing it by output. “We used 240,000 kWh this month” is not information. “Consumption per tonne fell to 92 kWh” is evidence.
That third layer is exactly what EKA assesses — consumption per unit of output. The same data feeds production dashboards on the digital transition side, so two investments run on one infrastructure.
One dataset, several obligations
Tying an energy measurement investment to a single grant application undersells it. The same dataset:
- Forms the basis of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in a carbon footprint calculation,
- Feeds product-level emission declarations under the EU’s carbon border mechanism for exporters,
- Supplies the energy and emissions disclosures required by sustainability reporting,
- Establishes the baseline for Türkiye’s emissions trading preparations.
Set up once, properly, it serves four agendas at the same time. This is the point we keep returning to on the green transition side: measurement is not a cost line, it is the infrastructure every later step stands on.
Ninety days to an application-ready position
For a manufacturer starting from scratch, a workable sequence looks like this:
- Weeks 1–3 — Baseline. Pull 24 months of energy bills, identify the major consumers, build a rough energy balance.
- Weeks 4–6 — Measurement plan. Decide where meters and sensors go, and cost it out. Remember that this cost can sit inside the VAP budget.
- Weeks 7–10 — Installation and data flow. Commission meters, centralise the data, open the first dashboards.
- Weeks 8–12 — Certification and file. Run the ISO 50001 work, write the project scope, justify the savings calculation and payback period.
The timeline assumes the measurement build and the application preparation run in parallel. Done sequentially, it takes twice as long.
One caution: budgets, ceilings and conditions for these programmes are revised periodically. Do not take any figure here as fixed — confirm the current call text with an official source or a qualified adviser before applying.
What single-hand delivery changes
When the meter supplier, the software vendor, the energy consultant and the incentive adviser all work separately, information leaks at every handover. Measurement points get chosen badly, data is not collected in a reportable form, and by the time the file is written you are redoing work.
İkiz Eksen’s approach is to build that chain from one hand: turnkey projects that connect measurement, software and compliance. The experience behind it comes from Qera — more than 550 customers, over 15 sectors, more than 100 ERP projects and a team of roughly 35 specialists. The data layer runs on Microsoft Azure, and we deliver across Türkiye.
A short conversation to establish where to start is usually the most efficient first step — get in touch or see our solutions. If you want to know how we run projects, our methodology sets it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply to both VAP and EKA?
The framework in the ministry’s announcement allows a business to be supported both at the investment stage (VAP) and on the performance results of that investment (EKA). Each programme has its own conditions and calendar, though, so clarify which cost item falls under which scheme with an official source before applying.
I don’t hold ISO 50001 — am I excluded from VAP?
VAP applications require a TS EN ISO 50001 certificate issued by a TÜRKAK-accredited body, so that work has to start first. The useful part: the energy measurement and monitoring infrastructure the standard requires is largely the same infrastructure the application file asks for, so the two efforts overlap.
My savings don’t reach the minimum threshold on their own. What then?
Consolidating small improvements into a single project is the common route. Compressed air leaks, lighting renewal, motor replacement and waste heat recovery may each fall short individually, yet clear the threshold as one integrated efficiency project. Measuring before you fix the scope is what makes that call possible.
How long does an energy monitoring system take to install?
It depends on plant size and the number of measurement points; in a mid-sized production facility, commissioning meters and opening the data flow typically runs from a few weeks to a few months. Duration matters less than point selection — data measured in the wrong place is useless in any file later.
Should I collect this data only for the grant?
No — the reverse holds. Energy data is a shared input to carbon footprint calculations, export-side emission declarations and sustainability reporting. A grant application is a good reason to build the infrastructure, but not the only one. Definitions of the terms used here are in our glossary.
Sources
- Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources — Energy and Carbon Reduction (EKA) Support Programme announcement, 27 June 2026
- Anadolu Agency — “New grant support coming for energy efficiency and carbon reduction”, 27 June 2026
- Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources — Efficiency Enhancing Project (VAP) Support Programme implementation procedures and principles
- yatirimadestek.gov.tr — VAP Support Programme application conditions information page
- Energy Efficiency Law No. 5627 and the Regulation of 27/10/2011 on Increasing Efficiency in the Use of Energy Resources and Energy