EUR 2,000,000 Funding available for Local Green Deals

Deadline: 24-Nov-21

The European Commission (EC) is pleased to launch the Local Green Deals to provide support to SMEs, regional and local economic operators to lead the twin green and digital transition and implement actions aiming to direct the local economy towards a sustainable and inclusive pathway, create new jobs, mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis and accelerate a new, green and fairer recovery.

In order to contribute to the European Green Deal objectives of climate-neutrality, sustainability, prosperity and inclusiveness and in parallel develop more sustainable regional or local strategies and resilient business models, SMEs and companies will have to undergo a rapid and radical transformation and come up with creative, sustainable and collaborative solutions.

To achieve this, this call will support projects that boost transnational and cross border cooperation among local administrations and local businesses to co-create, co-design and deliver Local Green Deals (LGDs). The local green deals should be in line with the overarching objectives and specific targets established by relevant EU strategies, namely: the European Green Deal, the EU Industrial Strategy (that also supports the transition towards more sustainable industrial systems, cleaner technologies, less polluting business models and consumption habits), the Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, the Renovation Wave for Europe Strategy, the New European Bauhaus, the European Climate Pact, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the 2030 Climate Target plan.

Objectives

The specific objectives to be achieved through this call for proposals for topic “Local Green Deals” are the following:

Supporting transnational and cross-city cooperation, exchange of good practices, collaborative business models between industry, SMEs and other economic operators, mapping of existing examples and opportunities in the local green deals development and implementation;
Supporting learning between the project partners and co-creation of sustainable, smart and inclusive practices and solutions for the most pressing urban and local challenges related to the green transition of the local economy.
Supporting local administrations, industry, business and other local stakeholders in the development and implementation of Local Green Deals, as part of transnational and cross-city cooperation. These local agreements (“deals”) between stakeholders to cooperate, should clearly identify the key actions that each stakeholder commits to lead, the support offered by all actors, and timeframes for delivery.
Raising awareness and applying the Local Green Deals Blueprint in the development and implementation of the Local Green Deals.

Themes

The selected themes can include, for example

Innovative and collaborative models for green transformation of businesses and SMEs: Supporting SMEs and economic operators to pilot new technologies and create markets for sustainable solutions, e.g. use of clean technologies, energy efficiency and scaling up renewable energy solutions, green manufacturing, circular industrial activities, decarbonising power and substituting it for greener alternatives.
Green infrastructure: Prioritising green infrastructure using ecological construction techniques and circular systems, nature based solutions, bio-based and natural materials, urban farming, biofuels, inclusive climate action for resilience e.g., against flooding, drought or heat waves. Shaping urban areas and public spaces in line with New European Bauhaus.
Local sustainable value chains: Strengthening local sustainable value chains and enhancing local production and consumption. Improving supply chain resilience, ability to self-supply and resource independence e.g. for medication, food systems through better links to rural areas.
Green and social procurement: Implement measures to facilitate green and social procurement and encouraging stakeholders to engage in it.
Other relevant theme: The proposal may address another relevant theme referring to the development of Local Green Deals and their key role in building community resilience as identified by the applicants and explained in the proposal.

Funding Information

The available call budget is EUR 2 000 000.

Expected Outcomes

Expected general impact of the project under this call are the following:

Increasing better, high-quality employment (tackling regional or local unemployment);
Mobilising the regional or local stakeholders towards a new, green, sustainable, inclusive and socially fairer post-COVID-19 recovery;
Supporting the green, social and digital transition at local level;
Supporting resilient and sustainable business models based on social economy;
Boosting the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy;
Ensuring more community resilience and better living conditions for the population;
New ecosystem thinking based on active engagement of all actors.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

be legal entities (public or private bodies)
be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries:
  - listed EEA countries and countries associated to the COSME part of the Single Market Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature.

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