Cyprus offers eateries grants to cut food waste in 2027 pilot
Restaurants, caterers and bakeries can recover most of the cost of waste-reduction measures under a scheme approved by the cabinet, capped at €20,000 per business.
Businesses in food service and baking can claim back 80 per cent of what they spend on eligible measures, with a ceiling of €20,000 each, as part of a pilot the cabinet has cleared for 2027. As Cyprus Mail reports, the programme was put forward by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and operates as de minimis aid.
Around five to ten firms are expected to take part, with the environment department footing a bill estimated at €100,000. Money paid out will vary according to which expenses a business opts for and how many of them it incurs.
The cabinet also tied the scheme to EU commitments: the amended Waste Framework Directive (2025/1892/EC) sets a 10 per cent cut in processing and manufacturing waste and a combined 30 per cent per capita fall across retail, food service and households by 2030. A first-cycle review will decide how the pilot is tweaked and whether it continues.
What it means for residents
For anyone running a taverna, catering outfit or bakery on the island, this is a chance to recover most of the outlay on equipment or practices that trim waste — but the window is narrow and the pot small.
- Act early. With only five to ten places likely to be funded, applications will matter more than intentions; line up quotes for eligible spending in advance.
- Check the fine print. De minimis rules cap total state support a business may receive, so review earlier aid before counting on the full amount.
- Watch the review. Whether the scheme widens after the first cycle depends on how participants perform, so early adopters shape what comes next.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
