Energy Communities and Citizen-Led Renovation
This cluster focuses on empowering local communities to initiate, support, and improve energy-related projects. It includes projects that help establish energy communities and drive citizen-led renovations through technical support, capacity building, and practical tools. The emphasis is on enabling grassroots action and enabling self-sufficient energy solutions.
Key projects:
European Energy Communities Facility (ENERCOM Facility)
- Focus: ENERCOM Facility is a EU LIFE programme-funded initiative that aims to empower and support the development of energy communities across Europe by providing lump sum grants and structured capacity building to help energy communities develop solid business plans.
- Target Groups: legal entities that comply with one of the two EU definitions of "energy community", who are based in one of the EU-27 Member States, Iceland, Ukraine, Moldova or North Macedonia . Interested applicants can do an eligibility self-check.
Support Service for Citizen-Led Renovation (CLR) Phases I, II, & III
- Focus: The Citizen-led Renovation initiative provides administrative, technical, legal and communication support to energy communities to lead energy-saving renovations, covering building insulation, system upgrades, and renewable installations.
- Target Groups: Energy communities and renovation collectives, property owners, households and citizens.
- Focus: BUILD UP is the European reference portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. Established by the European Commission, it brings together knowledge, technical resources, case studies, tools, events and best practices to support information exchange and raise awareness on the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Through tailored editorial content and contributions from across Europe, BUILD UP fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders involved in the energy transition of the building sector.
- Target Groups: BUILD UP targets professionals working in the building sector, including public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, practitioners, professional associations and other stakeholders involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings.
LEADER and Community Led Local Development (CLLD)
- Focus: LEADER and CLLD are EU approaches that empower local communities to design and implement integrated local development strategies, using a grassroots model to address economic, social, environmental and energy-related challenges in rural, coastal, semi-urban and increasingly urban areas.
- Target Groups: Local communities and citizens, local action groups, rural, coastal and semi-urban municipalities, community organisations and civil society groups, small local businesses and social enterprises, farmers, and rural stakeholders.
Technical/Policy Assistance for Local Authorities
The cluster addresses the complex needs of local and regional authorities by providing technical, policy, and advisory support. Projects in this cluster help governments plan for climate resilience, address energy poverty, and facilitate a just transition, ensuring that policy and technical expertise are available where they are needed most.
Key projects:
Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH)
- Focus: EPAH provides guidance and technical assistance to local governments to diagnose, plan, and implement measures aimed at reducing energy poverty. The core mission of EPAH is to eradicate energy poverty and accelerate a just energy transition.
- Target Groups: Local and regional authorities, civil society organisations and intermediaries, policymakers, and practitioners.
Mission Implementation Platform on Adaptation (MIP4Adapt)
- Focus: MIP4Adapt supports regional and local authorities in preparing adaptation pathways for climate resilience by facilitating technical assistance, best practice exchanges, and tailored planning. Functioning as the operational backbone of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, it transitions high-level climate adaptation targets to practical local action and support.
- Target Groups: EU Regional and local authorities involved in climate adaptation planning.
EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy Action
- Focus: The EU Covenant of Mayors engages and mobilises local and regional authorities in committing to EU climate and energy targets by developing and implementing Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs). It has evolved into the largest bottom-up movement of local government in Europe.
- Target Groups: Local and regional governments focused on climate mitigation, adaptation and energy poverty.
Just Transition Platform (JTP)
- Focus: The Just Transition Platform (JTP) is the key tool to help EU Member States and regions unlock support available through the Just Transition Mechanism. Established in 2020, the JTP is your single access point to information about the support for the EU territories most affected by the transition. It ensures that all stakeholders have the guidance, information and knowledge they need to support Europe's just transition to a sustainable, climate-neutral economy.
- We don't have a specific logo, but you can find the banners we normally use attached. I'll share both versions depending on the size you may need.
- On the municipalities page: if possible, you could add the following information about our different knowledge products/repositories, which can be useful for municipalities:
- The Just Transition Platform (JTP) Knowledge Hub offers a collection of case studies, toolkits, and catalogues on just transition good practices for practitioners and stakeholders supporting Europe’s just transition to a climate-neutral economy. The JTP also provides access to insights and lessons learned from previous technical assistance rounds under JTP Groundwork and peer exchanges facilitated through JTPeers.
Coal Regions in Transition Initiative
- Focus: This initiative assists coal-dependent regions in managing the socio-economic challenges associated with the clean energy transition. It facilitates dialogue among stakeholders, provides tailored technical assistance, and delivers capacity-building measures. Its aim is to promote economic diversification, support workforce retraining, and mitigate social impacts.
- Target Groups: Coal-dependent regions, local and regional authorities, industry stakeholders, workers, and affected communities.
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
- Focus: C40 is a global network of nearly 100 cities that supports mayors and municipal administrations to design and implement ambitious climate action through technical assistance, peer-to-peer learning, research, evidence-based policy development, and access to finance pathways, with the aim of reducing emissions, improving resilience, and promoting equitable urban transitions.
- Target Groups: Municipalities and city governments, mayors and senior city officials, urban policy makers and planners, public transport and infrastructure authorities, and city-owned utilities and housing bodies.
Cohesion for Transitions (C4T)
- Focus: C4T is a European Commission initiative that supports EU Member States and regions in using Cohesion Policy funds more effectively to deliver sustainability transitions by providing technical assistance, peer learning, and a community of practice focused on climate, energy, and environmental investment.
- Target Groups: National administrations in EU Member States, regional and local authorities, managing authorities of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund programmes, public bodies working on energy, climate, and environmental policy, and cohesion policy and sustainability transition practitioners
- Focus: The Public Buyers Community supports collaboration among public authorities by providing a ‘community of practice’ where public procurers can share knowledge, coordinate joint purchasing, and strengthen strategic, sustainable, and innovative public procurement, including in areas such as energy efficiency, clean technologies, and climate-aligned investment.
- Target Groups: Public procurers and contracting authorities, local, regional, and national public authorities, central purchasing bodies, policy makers and senior public sector managers, and suppliers and industry stakeholders.
Specialised Regional Support
This category provides tailored support for regions with unique energy challenges. It offers solutions designed specifically for localised contexts, ensuring that geographical and regulatory particularities are addressed through targeted technical and advisory services.
Key projects:
- Focus: Clean energy for EU islands provides a long-term framework to help EU islands generate sustainable, low-cost energy and accelerate their energy transition. It achieves this by offering technical support, capacity building, and advisory services, whilst hosting a platform for best-practice exchange and peer learning.
- Target Groups: Inhabited EU islands, local authorities, and island communities.
Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER)
- Focus: CEER brings together Europe's national energy regulatory authorities, promoting cooperation by developing guidelines, sharing best practices, and facilitating dialogue to ensure a competitive, sustainable, and integrated energy market. It does this to facilitate the creation of a single, competitive, efficient and sustainable internal market for electricity and gas in Europe.
- Target Groups: National energy regulatory authorities, European institutions, and energy market participants.
- Focus: The Rural Pact is a framework that brings together public authorities, civil society, businesses, researchers and citizens to amplify rural voices, support networking and mutual learning, and encourage voluntary commitments to deliver the EU’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas through coordinated action at local, regional, national and EU levels.
- Target Groups: Rural communities and citizens, local, regional and national public authorities, civil society organisations and community groups, businesses and social economy actors in rural areas, and research, academic and innovation organisations.
Smart Urban Development & Sustainable Design
Focusing on the intersection of technology, urban planning, and design, this cluster highlights projects that promote smart city solutions and sustainable urban environments. The goal is to blend technological innovation with aesthetic, sustainable design to create vibrant, energy-efficient urban spaces that enhance quality of life.
Key projects:
- Focus: BUILD UP is the European reference portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. Established by the European Commission, it brings together knowledge, technical resources, case studies, tools, events and best practices to support information exchange and raise awareness on the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Through tailored editorial content and contributions from across Europe, BUILD UP fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders involved in the energy transition of the building sector.
- Target Groups: BUILD UP targets professionals working in the building sector, including public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, practitioners, professional associations and other stakeholders involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings.
- Focus: Smart Cities Marketplace support cities of all sizes in developing sustainable projects. It facilitates sustainable developments and replication of smart city solutions by connecting cities, technology providers, and investors to share successful project models and financing solutions.
- Target Groups: Municipalities, technology providers, investors, and researchers.
- Focus: The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a policy and funding initiative that combines the three values of sustainability, inclusion and beauty to make the green transition in the built environment and beyond enjoyable, attractive and convenient for all, in line with the Green Deal objectives.
- Target Groups: Architects, construction sector, designers, artists, engineers, policymakers, researchers, and citizens.
- Focus: oPEN Lab pioneers the transition to Positive Energy Neighbourhoods (PENs) by integrating renewable energy, smart mobility, and ICT solutions, engaging local communities in the co-creation process. It leads this through three pilot projects in Estonia, Spain, and Belgium, showcasing energy solutions in real-world settings.
- Target Groups: Urban planners, local authorities, citizens, and technology providers.
Corporate & Business Support
This cluster targets businesses and SMEs, offering tailored support to integrate energy and climate strategies into their growth and innovation processes. It helps companies navigate international markets, access EU funding, and adopt practices that contribute to the overall energy transition.
Key projects:
- Focus: BUILD UP is the European reference portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. Established by the European Commission, it brings together knowledge, technical resources, case studies, tools, events and best practices to support information exchange and raise awareness on the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Through tailored editorial content and contributions from across Europe, BUILD UP fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders involved in the energy transition of the building sector.
- Target Groups: BUILD UP targets professionals working in the building sector, including public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, practitioners, professional associations and other stakeholders involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings.
- Focus: The Enterprise Europe Network helps businesses innovate and grow on an international scale. It assists SMEs in forming international business partnerships, accessing funding, and navigating the complexities of EU legislation, thereby fostering innovation and growth.
- Target Groups: SMEs with international growth ambitions and business support organisations.
European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP)
- Focus: The ECCP supports industrial cluster organisations and their networks by providing matchmaking, knowledge sharing, funding intelligence, and collaboration tools to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation capacity, internationalisation, and green and digital transition of European businesses, particularly SMEs.
- Target Groups: Cluster organisations and cluster managers, small and medium-sized enterprises, industry networks and value chain actors, regional development agencies, and policy makers working on industrial, innovation, and SME policy.
- Focus: The EU Social Economy Gateway is a European Commission one-stop shop that provides access to information on EU policies, funding opportunities, training, data and networks, with the aim of strengthening social economy ecosystems and supporting socially and environmentally oriented enterprises across Europe.
- Target Groups: Social economy organisations such as cooperatives, social enterprises, associations and foundations, small and medium-sized enterprises operating with social or environmental objectives, public authorities and policy makers, social economy networks and ecosystem intermediaries, and entrepreneurs and organisations.
Citizen Engagement & Awareness
This cluster is dedicated to mobilising citizens and communities by enhancing public awareness and participation in climate action. It emphasises grassroots initiatives, education, and networking to ensure that the energy transition is inclusive and widely supported.
Key projects:
- Focus: BUILD UP is the European reference portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. Established by the European Commission, it brings together knowledge, technical resources, case studies, tools, events and best practices to support information exchange and raise awareness on the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Through tailored editorial content and contributions from across Europe, BUILD UP fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders involved in the energy transition of the building sector.
- Target Groups: BUILD UP targets professionals working in the building sector, including public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, practitioners, professional associations and other stakeholders involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings.
- Focus: The European Climate Pact is a movement that engages individuals, communities, and organisations in climate action through awareness campaigns, pledge programmes, and resource hubs designed to drive behavioural change.
- Target Groups: Citizens, businesses, educational institutions, and local authorities.
Green Deal Projects Support Office
- Focus: The Green Deal Support Office acts as a networking hub for projects funded under the European Green Deal, facilitating collaboration, joint initiatives, and knowledge sharing to maximise collective impact. Its goal is to maximise the impact of EU-funded research and innovation projects contributing to the European Green Deal.
- Target Groups: Project consortia, EU departments, and stakeholders involved in climate and environmental initiatives.
- Focus: The Energy Behaviour Forum provides a knowledge-sharing and capacity-building platform that helps municipalities and regions design and implement initiatives promoting energy-efficient behaviour among citizens by applying behavioural insights, training, good practice exchange, and targeted communication tools.
- Target Groups: Municipalities and regional authorities, local and regional energy agencies, policy makers and public administrators working on energy efficiency, citizens and households as end beneficiaries, and private sector stakeholders involved in local energy efficiency initiatives.
- Focus: Every1 is a Horizon Europe-funded project that aims to enable all European citizens and local energy stakeholders to actively participate in the digital energy transition. It does this by developing tailored learning pathways, capacity-building materials, and stakeholder networks that improve understanding of digital energy services.
- Target Groups: Citizens and households, energy communities and community energy coordinators, local and regional authorities, regulators and energy market enablers, and cluster organisations and energy ecosystem intermediaries.
- Focus: The Young Energy Ambassadors programme is a European Commission initiative under the European Sustainable Energy Week that empowers young people aged 18 to 35 to actively engage in the clean energy transition by participating in policy dialogues, outreach activities, and capacity building, while amplifying youth perspectives in EU energy policy discussions.
- Target Groups: Young people aged 18 to 35, students, researchers, and early career professionals in the energy and climate fields, youth activists and volunteers engaged in clean energy, young members of civil society organisations and local communities.
Other initiative calls
Find below technical assistance calls by other initiatives related to CEAH:
European Energy Communities Facility new call for proposals
Apply for a grant of €45,000 to develop a business plan for your energy community
The European Energy Communities Facility has just launched its second call for proposals. From now until 5 July, emerging energy communities can apply for a lump sum grant of €45,000 to develop a robust business plan for their project. Moreover, successful applicants will have access to national peer-to-peer exchanges and a capacity-building programme to support them in developing and implementing the business plan. Submit your proposal before 5 July. Apply now!