Loading…
Strategic Analysis
This call targets the critical need for local heating and cooling decarbonisation by supporting the development and implementation of actionable, integrated, and comprehensive Local Heating and Cooling Plans (LHCPs). A winning proposal will demonstrate robust methodologies for capacity building, data collection, financial assessment, and multi-stakeholder engagement, ensuring plans are not only developed but also effectively implemented and scaled.
TRL 5 → 9
Based on programme defaults
Building technical skills and expertise to prepare, finance, implement and monitor LHCPs
Collecting granular and context-specific geospatial, technical, climatic [6] and socio-economic data for the preparation of LHCPs [7] , using national approaches/standards where available, or approaches which facilitate future compatibility of local data with national databases
Developing comprehensive outlooks for energy demand and supply and identifying spatially tailored decarbonisation measures, for instance the potential for heating and cooling networks in urban and industrial areas
Identifying and assessing financing options for LHCP measures, considering public and private funding, local and regional budgets, energy costs for end users, social acceptance and the needs of energy-poor and vulnerable households
Running participatory processes to streamline planning and administrative procedures including permitting, to address regulatory barriers, and to engage key stakeholders, including public authorities, infrastructure operators, citizens, energy communities, associations, industry, businesses and services, energy producers, energy service providers, utilities and distribution system operators (DSOs)
Coordinating LHCPs with electricity and heating and cooling distribution network and infrastructure development plans, and where relevant, with decommissioning plans for natural gas networks [8]
Establishing structured dialogue and collaboration with competent regional and national authorities, including to inform national-level planning such as NECPs and the National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments.
delivering actionable and integrated LHCPs, aligned with EU and Member State guidance and requirements
empowering local and regional authorities and support them in creating lasting and institutionalised planning and governance frameworks
engaging public and private stakeholders to accelerate the decarbonisation of heating and cooling at the local level.
Number of planning and governance frameworks established at local, inter-municipal or regional levels
Number of LHCPs delivered, ideally adopted as local, inter-municipal or regional policy documents
Number of policy makers/public officers with improved skills in heating and cooling planning, and average training hours per participant in capacity building programmes
Number of public and private stakeholders engaged in LHCP planning processes and in structured dialogues on local heating and cooling planning at the local, regional, and national level
Number of LHCP processes initiated in other municipalities during the action.
Primary energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year
Final energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year
Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (in GWh/year)
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (in t CO2-eq/year)
Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro).
Energy Efficiency Directive (EED)
highThe EED establishes a common framework of measures to promote energy efficiency within the EU, setting binding energy efficiency targets for Member States. It includes provisions on energy savings obligations, energy audits, and consumer information, aiming to reduce overall energy consumption.
Proposals should show how they contribute to achieving energy efficiency targets, particularly in the residential sector, and how they support the implementation of EED provisions, such as energy savings obligations or measures specifically designed for vulnerable customers and energy-poor households.
EU heating and cooling strategy
highThe EU heating and cooling strategy focuses on decarbonizing the heating and cooling sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the EU's energy consumption. It promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and the integration of heating and cooling into the energy system, including district heating and cooling networks.
Proposals should demonstrate a clear understanding of the strategy's objectives, particularly regarding the decarbonization of heating and cooling, the promotion of renewable energy, and the integration of local solutions into broader energy systems. Emphasis should be placed on how the proposed plans contribute to achieving the strategy's goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy uptake in the sector.
LIFE Regulation 2021/783
lowEU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
low1. Admissibility conditions — Proposal page limit and layout described in section 5 of the call document . Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries — described in section 6 of the call document .
3. Other Eligibility Conditions — described in section 6 of the call document .
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion — described in section 7 of the call document . 5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes described section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual . 5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds described in section 9 of the call document .
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement — described in section 4 of the call document .
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants — described in section 10 of the call document . Call document and annexes: Call document Application form templates Standard application form (LIFE SAP and OAG) — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Detailed budget table (LIFE) Participant information (LIFE) Model Grant Agreements (MGA) LIFE MGA LIFE Operating Grants Flat Rate MGA Lump Sum MGA Framework Partnership Agreement FPA
Info day recordings Frequently Asked Questions LIFE Multiannual Work Programme 2025-2027 LIFE Regulation 2021/783 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Evaluators will primarily look for the practical feasibility and replicability of the proposed approach to deliver truly 'actionable' and 'integrated' LHCPs. Strong emphasis will be placed on the consortium's capacity to build lasting institutional frameworks at local and regional levels, effectively engage a diverse range of public and private stakeholders, and clearly demonstrate how the project will trigger significant energy savings, renewable energy generation, GHG emission reductions, and investments. The alignment with EU and Member State guidance and the consideration of energy-poor households will also be crucial.
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Building technical skills and expertise to prepare, finance, implement and monitor LHCPs | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Collecting granular and context-specific geospatial, technical, climatic [6] and socio-economic data for the preparation of LHCPs [7] , using national approaches/standards where available, or approaches which facilitate future compatibility of local data with national databases | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Developing comprehensive outlooks for energy demand and supply and identifying spatially tailored decarbonisation measures, for instance the potential for heating and cooling networks in urban and industrial areas | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Identifying and assessing financing options for LHCP measures, considering public and private funding, local and regional budgets, energy costs for end users, social acceptance and the needs of energy-poor and vulnerable households | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Running participatory processes to streamline planning and administrative procedures including permitting, to address regulatory barriers, and to engage key stakeholders, including public authorities, infrastructure operators, citizens, energy communities, associations, industry, businesses and services, energy producers, energy service providers, utilities and distribution system operators (DSOs) | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6Coordinating LHCPs with electricity and heating and cooling distribution network and infrastructure development plans, and where relevant, with decommissioning plans for natural gas networks [8] | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC7Establishing structured dialogue and collaboration with competent regional and national authorities, including to inform national-level planning such as NECPs and the National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1delivering actionable and integrated LHCPs, aligned with EU and Member State guidance and requirements | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2empowering local and regional authorities and support them in creating lasting and institutionalised planning and governance frameworks | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3engaging public and private stakeholders to accelerate the decarbonisation of heating and cooling at the local level. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Involvement and political commitment of local and regional authoritiesProposals must clearly identify targeted territories and municipalities/regional authorities, demonstrating their active involvement and firm political commitment either via consortium membership or tailored letters of support. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Coverage of multiple municipalities and inclusion of smaller localitiesProposals should serve multiple municipalities in each targeted region and country, ensuring support activities are accessible to municipalities with fewer than 45,000 inhabitants. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Alignment with national and local energy and climate plansActions must consider complementarity and alignment with relevant plans, strategies, and frameworks including SECAPs, climate adaptation plans, NECPs, NBRPs, and National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Participatory multi-stakeholder engagement in planningLHCPs must be developed through highly participatory processes engaging public authorities, infrastructure operators, citizens, energy communities, industry, utilities, and distribution system operators (DSOs). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ5Structured dialogue with competent regional and national authoritiesProposals must establish structured dialogue and collaboration with competent regional and national authorities to inform national-level planning such as NECPs and National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ6Transfer of knowledge and replication beyond targeted territoriesProposals should include specific activities to transfer knowledge and experience to help initiate LHCP processes in other municipalities beyond the targeted territories. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ7Leveraging existing national or EU-funded digital toolsProposals may use existing digital tools developed by national authorities or EU-funded projects; proposals focused primarily on developing new digital tools are out of scope. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Number of planning and governance frameworks established at local, inter-municipal or regional levels | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Number of LHCPs delivered, ideally adopted as local, inter-municipal or regional policy documents | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3Number of policy makers/public officers with improved skills in heating and cooling planning, and average training hours per participant in capacity building programmes | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4Number of public and private stakeholders engaged in LHCP planning processes and in structured dialogues on local heating and cooling planning at the local, regional, and national level | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5Number of LHCP processes initiated in other municipalities during the action. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6Primary energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI7Final energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI8Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (in GWh/year) | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI9Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (in t CO2-eq/year) | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI10Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1energy efficiency directive (eed)The EED establishes a common framework of measures to promote energy efficiency within the EU, setting binding energy efficiency targets for Member States. It includes provisions on energy savings obligations, energy audits, and consumer information, aiming to reduce overall energy consumption. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2eu heating and cooling strategyThe EU heating and cooling strategy focuses on decarbonizing the heating and cooling sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the EU's energy consumption. It promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and the integration of heating and cooling into the energy system, including district heating and cooling networks. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
Nothing to show for this call yet.