Slovakia: SIEA robotisation and automation vouchers for measurement and process optimisation
A small, fast instrument that is open now. It will not pay for a plant-wide rollout, but it can pay for the measurement and analysis phase that makes the rollout's business case.
What the programme is
Inovačné poukážky na robotizáciu a automatizáciu v priemysle (innovation vouchers for robotisation and automation in industry) are run by SIEA, the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency. They are financed from Program Slovensko 2021–2027 through the national project Zvýšenie inovačnej výkonnosti slovenskej ekonomiky 2 (Increasing the innovation performance of the Slovak economy 2). SIEA also offers online innovation consulting alongside the vouchers.
Who qualifies
SIEA addresses the call to businesses (podnikatelia) developing robotisation, automation and Industry 4.0 in industry. The announcement does not state an SME-only restriction. Check the call conditions for size, sector, de minimis limits and how many vouchers one company can hold.
What share and what size
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Voucher value | €3,000–30,000 |
| Maximum intensity | Up to 85% of eligible costs |
| Cost level where the cap binds | €35,294 (€30,000 ÷ 0.85) |
| Applications | INOWA portal, open since 12 January 2026, 12:00 |
Source: SIEA call announcement. The cap-binding level is calculated.
Which monitoring, MES and IIoT costs are eligible
SIEA lists these supported activities:
- measurement, diagnostics, testing and analysis;
- software and hardware development;
- optimisation of manufacturing processes;
- simulation and modelling of processes.
Evidence level: the list is from SIEA's own announcement. It describes services delivered to the company. Machine-data capture and downtime analysis fit "measurement, diagnostics and analysis" and "process optimisation" closely. What the announcement does not settle is whether a voucher can pay for purchased software licences or installed hardware that stays in the plant, or only for the service. Ask SIEA or read the call conditions before you scope.
2026 status and what to watch
| Instrument | Size and rate | Status 22 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| SIEA automation vouchers | €3k–30k, up to 85% | Open since 12 Jan 2026 (INOWA) |
| Plán obnovy (Recovery Plan), component 17 digital | 50–75%, up to €200k (consultant) | Not verified as open |
| "Aplikácia AI a robotiky vo výrobe" | Up to €200k (consultant) | Not verified at an official source |
Sources: SIEA; modulario.com and grantexpert.sk (consultants).
Consultant lists of Slovak digital grants in 2026 include larger amounts than the vouchers. We could not confirm them at an official source. Do not plan a project around them until the call text is published.
Worked example: a voucher for the measurement phase
An illustration. Assumptions: a rubber and plastics supplier to the automotive industry with 35 injection-moulding machines. The plant uses a voucher to measure one production hall of 8 machines for three months: data capture, downtime diagnostics, analysis of losses and a process optimisation plan for the full plant. "Project budget" is generic; no vendor price is implied.
| Case | Eligible cost | Voucher | Own contribution | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: measurement and analysis, 8 machines | €24,000 | €20,400 (85%) | €3,600 | 85% |
| B: at the cap | €35,294 | €30,000 | €5,294 | 85% |
| C: wider scope, 20 machines | €50,000 | €30,000 (cap) | €20,000 | 60% |
Rate and cap from SIEA. Scenario costs are assumptions.
Case C shows the limit of the instrument. Above about €35,000 the plant pays every extra euro. The sensible use is case A or B: a measured baseline and a loss analysis that become the evidence for a larger investment, funded by the company or a later call.
Indicators the voucher output should deliver
| Indicator | What the measurement phase produces | Why it matters in Slovakia |
|---|---|---|
| Availability and unplanned downtime hours | Stop events with reasons for 8 machines over 3 months | Manufacturing vacancy rate was 0.7% in 2025 (Eurostat jvs_a_rate_r2); the constraint is skilled time and cost, not headcount |
| Good output per planned hour | Measured, not estimated, per machine | Labour cost in manufacturing rose 13.5%, from €17.0 to €19.3/hour, in 2023–25 (Eurostat lc_lci_lev) |
| Scrap rate | Per machine and per product | Customer-facing quality metric for automotive suppliers |
| Energy per good unit | If sub-metering is in scope | €0.219/kWh for mid-size plants in 2025-S2, vs EU €0.192 (Eurostat nrg_pc_205) |
| Projected gain for full rollout | Loss ranking extrapolated to 35 machines | The business case for the next step |
Context for the business case: Slovakia produced about 1.07 million cars in 2025, and the carmakers' association ZAP forecasts 1.02 million for 2026 and warns that decline in the sector has begun (ZAP, January 2026). Suppliers facing flat or falling volumes need more good output per hour from existing assets.
Where voucher applications get weak
- The request describes buying a product rather than a measurable service: measurement, diagnostics, analysis, optimisation.
- The deliverable is vague. Name the machines, the period and the report the plant will receive.
- The scope exceeds the cap without a plan for funding the remainder.
- No follow-on plan. The voucher's value is the decision it supports.
Scoping the request: a checklist
- Machines: list them by number, type and controller. Mixed old and new machines are normal; say how each will be connected (controller signal, current sensor, or operator input).
- Period: at least 8 weeks of capture, so the data includes changeovers, maintenance and normal variation. Three months is safer for a plant with weekly product mix changes.
- Definitions: what counts as planned time, a stop, a micro-stop and a reject. Write them down before data capture starts.
- Deliverables: a loss ranking by hours, the top stop reasons per machine, a measured baseline for each indicator and a costed plan for the full plant.
- Ownership: who in the plant reviews the data weekly during the voucher period. Without that, the analysis arrives as a report nobody acts on.
- After the voucher: decide in advance what result would justify a full rollout and how it would be financed.
Programme picker, co-financing calculator with cost caps, and the baseline/target indicator table evaluators look for. Excel, no macros.
Disclosure: this site is published by TEEPTRAK SAS, which sells production-monitoring software. Slovak MES and production-data vendors and integrators can deliver the same measurement phase.
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Questions
- How much is a SIEA automation voucher?
- €3,000 to €30,000, covering up to 85% of eligible costs. The cap binds at about €35,300 of costs.
- Is the call open?
- Applications have been accepted on the INOWA portal since 12 January 2026. Check SIEA for any end date or budget exhaustion.
- Can the voucher pay for monitoring software?
- It covers measurement, diagnostics, testing, analysis, process optimisation and SW/HW development as services. Whether purchased licences or installed hardware qualify must be checked in the call conditions.
- Are larger Slovak digitalisation grants available in 2026?
- Consultants cite Recovery Plan and AI/robotics calls up to €200k, but these were not verified as open at an official source on 22 September 2026.
Sources
- SIEA — robotisation and automation innovation vouchers call
- Modulario — Dotácie na digitalizáciu 2026 (consultant)
- GrantExpert — Granty a dotácie v roku 2026 (consultant)
- Eurostat lc_lci_lev, hourly labour cost, manufacturing (2023–2025)
- Eurostat jvs_a_rate_r2, job vacancy rate, manufacturing (2025)
- Eurostat nrg_pc_205, electricity prices for non-household consumers (2025-S2)
- ZAP via AutoFoxNews — Slovak car production 2025
- The Slovak Spectator — ZAP warns decline has begun (13 Jan 2026)
Published by TEEPTRAK SAS, which makes production-monitoring and OEE software, with an office in Bucharest (TEEPTRAK SRL). Figures are sourced on each page. Funding rules change: check the official call documents before you budget.