Scaling up smart and clean energy solutions for affordability in EU cities

Expected Impact:

Proposals should present the concrete results which will be delivered by the activities and demonstrate how these results will contribute to the topic-specific impacts. This demonstration should rely on a solid analysis of the current situation, realistic assumptions and baselines, and establish clear causality links between activities, results and impacts.

In terms of qualitative impact, proposals under this topic should demonstrate how they will contribute to empower local ecosystems to bring to scale smart, clean and energy efficient energy solutions that contribute to improving energy affordability for European citizens, amongst others by facilitating local consumption and production of renewable energy.

In terms of quantitative impact, proposals should quantify their results and impacts using the indicators provided for the topic, when they are relevant for the proposed activities. The results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project. The quantitative indicators for this topic include:

• Number of scale-up roadmaps developed and finalised, in line with the requirements
• Number of smart local energy solutions (projected to be) implemented
• Number of local authorities and stakeholders supported by EmpowerEUcities
• Number of peer-to-peer/capacity building activities
• Number of local authority staff and stakeholders with increased capacity on the planning, design and implementation of smart local energy solutions
• Number of citizens involved in the activities and Scale-Up Roadmaps

Proposals should also provide indicators which are specific to their proposed activities.

Proposals should also quantify their impacts related to the following common indicators for the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme:

• Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and small-scale renewables) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro)
• Primary energy savings triggered by the project (GWh/year)
• Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (GWh/year)
• Reduction of greenhouse gases emissions (in tCO2-eq/year).

Funding rate

Other Action Grants (OAGs) — 95% 

Objective:

This topic aims to set up the EmpowerEUcities support initiative to accelerate the roll-out of smart distributed energy solutions that help to provide tangible economic benefits for citizens in European cities.

The recently published Citizens Energy Package communication^[1] includes an action point aimed at boosting the use of clean and energy efficient technologies that will contribute to improving energy affordability for European citizens, amongst others by facilitating local consumption and production of renewable energy. Many successful solutions have been developed and demonstrated under EU-funded programmes such as Horizon Europe, LIFE Clean Energy Transition, and the Innovation Fund.

EmpowerEUcities focuses on scaling up demonstrated solutions, which can refer to a) expanding or replicating within the same local authority a solution already successfully piloted in that city; or b) replicating in a local authority a solution successfully piloted in another city. The gap between demonstration and market deployment is often due to a lack of capacity in the local context, lack of cooperation amongst the necessary partners (such as local authorities, local/regional energy agencies, system operators, communities and citizens, financial actors, amongst others) and lack of fit-for-purpose governance models that would facilitate the financial, regulatory, organisational and social environment needed for the implementation of smart energy solutions.

EmpowerEUcities will deliver scale-up roadmaps agreed between local authorities and relevant stakeholders such as system operators, technology and/or service providers, financiers, and community actors to translate the solutions demonstrated under EU programmes (Horizon Europe, Innovation Fund) into full-scale, market-ready infrastructure, delivering direct benefits to EU citizens.

EmpowerEUcities builds on the strengths and expertise of other EU city initiatives, in particular the Smart Cities & Communities Lighthouse Programme and Scalable Cities, and strengthens the implementation arm of the Covenant of Mayors to help cities deliver on their 2030 and 2050 political commitments through the implementation of actions identified in their climate and energy action plans.

The EU is facing important increases in energy prices, driven by market volatility and exacerbated by its dependence on imported fossil fuels. A key priority for the EU is to strengthen the resilience of its energy system vis-a-vis geopolitical crises impacting the global energy market. Therefore, applicants under this topic are invited, where possible, to develop and implement long-term structural sustainable and energy efficiency measures to enhance EU energy system resilience against future crises, in coherence with short-term energy relief measures needed to respond to the current shock on the global energy markets.

Scope:

Under this topic, one proposal will be selected to set up and manage an integrated initiative which offers capacity building and financial support for local administrations and relevant stakeholders to plan, finance, implement, manage and monitor specific smart, clean and energy efficient energy solutions that contribute to improving energy affordability for European citizens, amongst others by facilitating local consumption and production of renewable energy. The activities should include capacity building and peer-to-peer learning, the delivery of lump sum grants to local authorities and monitoring, capitalisation and communication.

Requirements regarding capacity building activities

The capacity building support should target local authorities and relevant stakeholders, focusing on:

• The identification of the smart solutions relevant for their needs, by mobilising existing resources available at EU level (e.g. through Horizon Europe projects or Scalable Cities)
• How to develop a scale-up roadmap once they receive the lump sum grant (see below), in order to use the financial support in the most effective manner and guide them in the implementation phase of the roadmap.

The capacity building activities should also include opportunities for exchange of best practices, including potentially at national level, with a view to remove existing barriers and enable the uptake and efficient operationalisation of the roadmaps. These activities are addressed to local authorities and their stakeholders (system operators, service providers, consultants, citizens and communities, etc.) and could include for instance site visits, workshops, transfer of actionable approaches and templates, masterclasses, etc. A call for expert cities may be considered for the purposes of peer-to-peer/mentorship matchmaking.

Requirements regarding the awarding and management of the lump sum grants

• Lump sum grants should represent around 70% of the total budget of the proposal. The maximum value for a lump sum grant is EUR 60,000; a minimum of two calls for proposals should be organised by the awarded consortium. In accordance with the LIFE-2026-CET call conditions on financial support to third parties, applicants should clearly specify the type of activities and, in particular, the final deliverable (the scale-up roadmap), for which a third party may receive financial support. The process and criteria for allocation of financial support to third parties need to conform to EU standards concerning transparency, equal treatment, conflict of interest and confidentiality. The final award criteria for the granting of lump sums and the number of calls should be agreed with and validated by CINEA.
• Proposals should explain in detail how they intend to manage the publication and promotion of calls for proposals, the submission and evaluation of proposals, the technical monitoring of the lump-sum grants and the distribution of funds in accordance with EU funding requirements. They should demonstrate that they are able to select the most cost-efficient and appropriate applications considering, among other things, the relevance and maturity of the concept, the nature and impact of the solution/intervention considered, the need for intervention, involvement from relevant stakeholders, etc.
• Proposals should detail how they will reach out to potential applicants and support them to prepare applications.

Requirements for local authorities applying for lump sum grants

• In order to apply for a lump sum grant, local authorities should describe the smart solution(s) they intend to address, their technological readiness level, the type of financial solutions envisaged and the governance to implement the concept as per the roadmap.
• Additionally, they should clarify existing planning processes and resources and demonstrate a substantial potential for implementation of the solution in the context targeted.
• A politically approved Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), or equivalent, is a pre-requisite to apply for funding.
• Furthermore, they need to propose a convincing strategy to engage key stakeholders in technical, financial and operational areas, as well as citizens, and commit to a monitoring of implementation for at least 1 year.
• Local authorities must be located in a LIFE eligible country.

Requirements for a scale-up roadmap

• A roadmap should focus on a specific smart solution, or a set of solutions, which should be identified in the application to the lump-sum grant.
• Smart solutions to be implemented under the scale-up roadmaps should be based on successful demonstration projects in smart, clean and energy efficient energy solutions that contribute to improving energy affordability for European citizens, amongst others by facilitating local consumption and production of renewable energy. The solutions could cover, amongst others, energy sharing, community-scale storage and other storage solutions, bi-directional EV charging infrastructure, energy management systems, heating and cooling systems, and micro-grids. Other relevant focus areas may be considered by EmpowerEUCities. The specific focus will be decided in agreement with CINEA.
• The consortium should prepare a standardised approach for the development of the scale-up roadmaps, including, inter alia, the following elements:
  • Pre-feasibility analysis for the implementation of the specific smart solution, including technical, legal and financial aspects
  • Identification of the different steps required to implement the selected solution, such as inventories, engineering, procurement, financing.
  • Detailed planning and analysis of internal resources needed for implementation
  • Detailed analysis of the role of local stakeholders.
• The roadmaps should be undersigned at executive level by the local stakeholders relevant for its implementation.
• The roadmaps should demonstrate how the supported solution(s) delivers tangible economic benefits for local residents and communities, for instance in terms of savings on the energy bills of consumers or revenues generated for citizens.

Monitoring, capitalisation and dissemination

EmpowerEUcities should establish an appropriate framework for comprehensive monitoring, analysis, capitalisation, communication and dissemination of results and success stories, notably on the monitoring of commitments signed/achieved, solutions to be implemented and expected impacts of the roadmaps (see section ‘expected impacts’ below).

Expectations regarding the consortium

The consortium applying to implement EmpowerEUcities should be deeply rooted in municipal sustainable energy/climate planning and investments. Applicants should demonstrate that they are able to mobilise a critical mass of cities/municipalities or their groupings and have a sound and inclusive outreach strategy to cities and municipalities across Europe, for instance through cooperation with city networks such as the EU Covenant of Mayors.

The consortium should demonstrate expertise on the implementation of smart energy solutions at local level, including on the legal, social and financial aspects, and on the implementation of funding mechanisms in line with EU requirements (call for proposals, awarding, management and monitoring).

Proposals must be submitted by at least 3 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 6 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

[1] COM/2026/115 final