Subsidies for meat processors: Rules to change significantly in 2026

What’s new this year

• The subsidy is limited to a narrower group of eligible applicants – exclusively producers of meat and meat products
• Projects must be clearly linked to supported products based on customs codes (e.g. 02, 1601–1603, 1501–1502, 1516.10)
• New limits apply to connected and partner enterprises – a maximum of CZK 120 million in eligible costs per group
• The incentive effect will now be assessed through an economic test (evaluating additional costs and the adequacy of returns)

What to watch out for

This year’s call puts much greater emphasis on the economic evaluation of projects. The most common risks include:

• Excessively strong project economics – high returns may argue against granting support
• Unrealistically designed “without subsidy” scenarios
• Incorrect cost structure or insufficient linkage to eligible products

Key parameters of the call

Timeline:

• Call announcement: 1 September 2026
• Application deadline: 31 October 2026

Eligible expenditures:

• Production-related technological equipment
• Construction and modernisation of storage facilities
• Hardware, software and project documentation
• Construction costs (max. 25% of eligible expenditure)

Eligible applicants:

• Large enterprises (outside the SME category)
• Projects focused on meat sector products defined by customs codes

Support limits:

• Up to 50% of eligible expenditure
• Maximum CZK 60 million per project
• Maximum CZK 120 million in eligible costs per group of enterprises

Deloitte’s tip

An important factor may be the level of automation (e.g. robotics, AI-based quality control, IoT sensors, or SCADA/MES systems). As construction costs are limited, it may be appropriate to combine this funding with CAP programme 34.73 (Investment in the Processing of Agricultural Products).