On 2nd March 2023 PROSPECT+ -- a capacity-building project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme -- will open a call for cities, regions and local energy agencies to improve their financing capacities when it comes to implementing their sustainable energy and climate action plans, putting them on track to reach the EU climate and energy targets.

Local and regional authorities together with local and regional energy agencies have the potential to be the driving force of the energy transition. However, not all public authorities are at the same level of engagement: independent of their dimension and geographical position, some are advanced in tackling climate change mitigation and adaptation, while others lag behind. One of the factors responsible for the disparities is the lack of resources, both in terms of financing and insufficient knowledge. Thus, financing of their sustainable energy and climate projects is hindered primarily by a lack of internal capacity to identify the most appropriate and cost-effective financing instruments and implementation models.

Building capabilities through innovative financing

By participating in the PROSPECT+ capacity building programme local & regional authorities and energy agencies will have the opportunity to work side by side with experienced peers who will share their knowledge on innovative financing schemes through mentoring sessions. In this way, they will be able to overcome challenges in financing the implementation of their energy and climate plans.

PROSPECT+ offers mentoring and training on innovative financing schemes in five different areas: public buildings, private buildings, public lighting, transport, and a cross-sectoral category, with attention given to improving the decision-making of cities & regions on how to choose projects for financing, as well as how to assess and ensure that the projects are finance ready.

Application for the PROSPECT+ capacity-building programme

Local authorities and energy agencies from 44 eligible countries[1] can apply to participate in one of the capacity-building cycles, either as a mentor or a mentee:

• The call for mentees will be open from 2nd March 2023 to 14th April 2023.
• The call for mentors will be open from 22nd May 2023 to 7th June 2023.
• An information webinar for applicants will take place on 2nd March 2023. Register here.

The learning cycle will start in August 2023.  It will last approximately 6 months, including four online and one two-day-long in-person meeting.

The application process together with eligibility, selection & matching criteria, the modalities of participation for mentors and mentees, as well as the expected commitment, are described in the Guidelines for applicants and will be explained in the information webinar for applicants.

Stay in touch

All information on the call for applications will be announced on the PROSPECT+ website and LinkedIn page Capacity building for cities and regions | PROSPECT+. To extend the PROSPECT+ network, we invite you to follow, like, and interact with us!

The participants also have an opportunity to join a Community of Practice that is set up to facilitate further exchange of best practices and to contribute to the debate on the barriers local authorities face when it comes to implementing timely and optimal investments in sustainable energy and low-emission transport.

Consortium

PROSPECT+ consortium is brought to you by a team of experienced partners composed of the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy - IEECP, University of Piraeus Research Center - UPRC, European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment - FEDARENE, Energy Cities, Eurocities, Upper Austria Regional Energy Agency - ESV, Association of Energy Managers of Towns and Regions of the Czech Republic - SEMMO, TIPPERARY Energy Agency, Energy and Climate Agency of Podravje - ENERGAP, City Council of Valladolid - INNOLID, and adelphi. 

The PROSPECT+ capacity building programmes offer local authorities the opportunity to learn directly from their peers, those who already tested and implemented successful solutions when facing the same barriers. By offering different learning methodologies, we want to engage as many local authorities as possible, trying to cater to all different needs, including limited time availability or the lack of foreign language skills. Moreover, PROSPECT+ is the perfect way to experience how European projects work for those who are not yet familiar with the EU funding programmes.

[1] Eligible countries are EU-27 and the United Kingdom + H2020 associated countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.