Deadline: 31-May-21
Applications are now open for the European City Facility Grant Program.
Municipalities, local authorities and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities play a key role in Europe’s transition towards sustainable energy. They have tremendous potential to build comprehensive sustainable energy investment programmes (i.e. investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy). Moreover, they can encourage the pooling of smaller projects into larger investment portfolios and mobilise the significant financial resources required for the energy transition.
The EUCF addresses two fundamental barriers for sustainable energy investments:
- Lack of financial and legal capacity of municipalities/local authorities to transform their long-term energy and climate strategies (e.g. SEAPs, SECAPs etc.) into appropriate investment concepts.
- Lack of aggregation of fragmented smaller projects (for example in the building sector) and thus lack of attractiveness for the financial sector
Objectives
- The ultimate objective of the EUCF is to build a substantial pipeline of sustainable energy investment projects across municipalities, local authorities and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities in Europe. This will be achieved by providing targeted financial, technical, legal and capacity building support to overcome critical barriers, develop credible investment packages and mobilise finance. Delivering this will require organisational, technical and financial innovation, in particular to bridge the capacity and capability gap for small and medium-sized municipalities.
- The specific objectives of the EUCF are to:
- Provide hands-on locally rooted technical and financial expertise, inspired by ‘best in class’ European practice, to municipalities, local authorities and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities to deliver more than 200 credible and scalable investment projects, which should trigger more than EUR 320 million of public and private investment;
- Build the capacity of more than 400 municipal staff to develop substantial project pipelines and provide them with tools, networking and knowledge transfer opportunities, which will facilitate and accelerate the IC implementation, including via innovative financing mechanisms and project aggregation;
- Facilitate access especially for small and medium-sized municipalities to private finance, EU funding streams and similar facilities, such as the ESIF, the H2020 PDA and the EIB’s ELENA, and advisory services, such as the EIB Advisory Hub, to realise and amplify the expected investments;
- Use the successful IC and the knowledge of EUCF beneficiaries to reach out to more than 10,000 cities and communities, encourage replication and catalyse further action across European cities.
Funding Information
Successful applicants receive financial support of a EUR 60,000 lump sum in in the form of a grant for the development of the investment concept.
What type of investment projects does EUCF support?
The EUCF provides support for investment projects within the field of sustainable energy, including all investments on the energy demand side, which contribute to the improvement of energy performance and the achievement of energy savings. Among the investment sectors targeted by the EUCF are public, residential buildings and tertiary (nonmunicipal) buildings, efficiency improvements in equipment/ facilities, development and use of building integrated renewables, district heating modernisation or fuel switch to renewables, smart grids, sustainable urban mobility (e.g. public transport, charging stations, etc.), and innovative energy infrastructure (e.g. citizen energy communities, innovative approaches to public lighting, wastewater treatment plants, etc.). Nevertheless, it is also possible to implement projects in further sectors, as long as they are in the field of sustainable energy.
Eligibility Criteria
Municipalities and local authorities, groupings of municipalities/local authorities as well as local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities located in the European Union Member States (EU-27), EEA-EFTA States of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and the UK are able to apply to receive EUCF support.
For more information, visit https://www.eucityfacility.eu/apply-for-eucf-support/guidelines-for-applicants.html