When looking for commercial vehicle incentives, attention goes to the national measures — Ecobonus, PNRR bonus, DPCM Automotive. But there’s a parallel channel many SMEs underestimate and that, for those based in the right region, can be more generous than the national one: regional grants for renewing company vehicles, almost always non-repayable and tied to scrapping the most polluting vehicles.
They’re funded with regional resources, often to improve air quality, and follow a different logic from the national one: smaller budgets, precise time windows, a requirement to be based in the region. This article explains how they work, where to find them and what to check before counting on them — with three real 2026 examples.
How regional grants work (in general)
Though they vary from region to region, calls for commercial vehicles share a recurring structure:
- Beneficiaries: micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with their registered and/or operational headquarters in the region. It’s the requirement that distinguishes them from national measures: they rely on the company’s local roots.
- Non-repayable grant: unlike the Nuova Sabatini (which acts on financing), the regional call typically cuts the purchase price directly, often as a percentage or with a per-vehicle cap.
- Concurrent scrapping: the contribution is almost always tied to scrapping a polluting vehicle, since the stated goal is air quality.
- Precise time window: unlike some always-open “rolling desk” measures, regional calls have defined opening and closing dates, plus the funds available.
- De minimis regime: many are granted under de minimis, so they use up the relevant ceiling and follow the stacking rules (we cover this in the guide to stacking incentives and the de minimis regime).
Three real 2026 examples
To make it concrete, three regional calls active or planned in 2026 (amounts and windows should always be verified on the region’s official site, because they change):
- Veneto — “Bando Veicoli Aziendali 2026”: run with Unioncamere Veneto, aimed at MSMEs based in Veneto to replace the most polluting vehicles with low-impact ones. Budget of about €5 million, non-repayable grant up to €20,000 per vehicle, with a submission window indicated from late May to early September 2026.
- Lombardy: a call to replace polluting vehicles with low- or zero-emission ones, aimed at MSMEs, social enterprises and Third Sector bodies based in Lombardy. Budget of about €4 million split between 2026 and 2027, with non-repayable grants varying by vehicle type and emission class.
- Piedmont — “Bando Rinnovo Flotte Aziendali”: funded with over €13.5 million, aimed at MSMEs, with a non-repayable grant equal to 30% of the purchase price for electric N1 and N2 commercial vehicles.
Three regions, three different logics for budget, percentage and scope: proof that a regional call must be assessed case by case, not by hearsay.
Where to find them (and when)
Regional calls have no single national portal, and that’s why they slip past many companies. The channels to watch:
- your region’s website (sections like “calls”, “environment”, “productive activities”);
- the chambers of commerce and regional Unioncamere, often co-implementers of calls to businesses;
- the local subsidised-finance desks and advisors, who track the openings.
The critical point is timing: regional calls have short windows and limited funds, and often follow chronological submission order. Knowing in advance which vehicles you want to replace — and having the documents ready — is what lets you apply in the first days rather than once funds are exhausted.
What to check before counting on it
Five checks before building a renewal plan on a regional call:
- Eligible headquarters: does your registered/operational location meet the call’s territorial requirements?
- Eligible vehicles: does the call cover the category (N1/N2) and powertrain you want? Some fund only electric, others also gas or Euro VI.
- Scrapping: do you have a scrappable vehicle meeting the requirements (category, Euro class, length of ownership)?
- Window and funds: when it opens, when it closes, how much budget — and whether it’s first-come-first-served or ranked.
- Stacking: is the call combinable with national measures or with the Nuova Sabatini? Under which regime is it granted? Here everything in the guide to stacking and de minimis applies.
⚠️ Regional calls change often: budgets, percentages, windows and requirements must be verified on the region’s official site at the time of application. The amounts cited here are indicative of the 2026 situation and serve to gauge the phenomenon, not to replace the text of the call.
How to fit the regional one into the overall picture
The regional call is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. The useful sequence:
- Understand which national measure you can access (Ecobonus, PNRR micro-enterprises, future DPCM): you’ll find it in the 2026 commercial vehicle incentives guide or with the check tool.
- Verify your region’s call and its stacking rules with the national one.
- Assess the financing lever with the Nuova Sabatini.
- Decide which vehicles to renew on total cost of ownership, not on the sum of the contributions.
The bottom line
Regional grants are the most overlooked subsidised-finance channel for renewing commercial vehicles, yet for MSMEs based in the right region they can be worth as much as or more than the national one, often non-repayable. The limit isn’t generosity but access: short windows, limited funds, no single portal. The winner is whoever catches them in time and arrives with the documents and the renewal decision already prepared.
To arrive ready for any call — national or regional — the part that matters is always the same: knowing which vehicles to replace and with what. It’s a decision of fleet data and total cost of ownership, which a fleet tracking and management platform makes objective. The downloadable practical guide gathers the steps and documents to prepare.
Frequently asked questions
Are regional grants combinable with the national Ecobonus?
It depends on the individual call. Some prohibit stacking with other incentives for purchasing the same vehicle; others provide specific clauses. Since many are granted under de minimis, the rules on the ceiling and aid intensity also apply. Always verify the text of the regional call.
Do I have to be based in the region that publishes the call?
Typically yes: regional calls require registered and/or operational headquarters in the region. It’s the requirement that distinguishes them from national measures. Check the details in the call, because some accept only the operational location, others require the registered one too.
Is it better to wait for a regional call or use the national one?
It depends on budget, percentage and timing. A non-repayable regional grant at 30% can be more advantageous than a national measure, but it has short windows and limited funds. The choice should be made by comparing the measures actually accessible in your case and within your renewal timeline.
Where do I find my region’s calls?
On regional websites (calls/environment/productive-activities sections), through Unioncamere and the regional chambers of commerce, and via local subsidised-finance advisors who track the openings.
Sources: Regione del Veneto — Bando Veicoli Aziendali 2026. Budgets, percentages, windows and requirements of regional calls vary over time and by region: always verify the official text in force on your region’s site before planning a purchase.