PSLF-LOAN SCHEMES

The funding opportunity is the Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) under the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), intended to support public sector projects in the EU transitioning toward climate neutrality by 2050. This grant facility operates through a blend of grants and loans, targeting public sector entities and private bodies tasked with public service roles in EU regions with approved Territorial Just Transition Plans.

Eligible applicants include public sector organizations such as regional governments and municipalities. The funding mechanism combines grants from the EU and loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB), with the grant covering 15 to 25 percent of the loan amount based on regional economic status. There may be flexibility for single applicants or consortia depending on project structure, with geographic eligibility focusing on EU territories identified in Territorial Just Transition Plans.

The grant aims to finance diverse sustainable investments, including renewable energy projects, green mobility, environmental infrastructure, and initiatives for socioeconomic resilience. Specific sectors like nuclear power, tobacco, and fossil fuels are excluded. Projects must demonstrate links to EIB loans and should be at the development, validation, or implementation stage.

The total budget for this call is EUR 1.46 billion with multiple open submission deadlines. The application process is structured around submission of a grant proposal to the European Commission while concurrently securing a loan from the EIB. Co-funding is mandatory as the EIB loan covers a significant part of project costs. The initiative emphasizes alignment with EU climate goals and seeks tangible impacts through defined indicators.

Overall, the PSLF supports projects aimed at addressing environmental and socio-economic challenges, ensuring regions affected by the green transition receive necessary financial assistance for sustainable development.

The funding opportunity is the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) Public Sector Loan Facility Call (PSLF) (JTM-2022-2025-PSLF). It is a call for proposals for JTM Lump Sum Grants (JTM-LS) under the JTM Lump Sum Grant [JTM-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a multiple cut-off deadline model. The opening date was 19 July 2022, and there are multiple deadline dates: 19 October 2022, 19 January 2023, 19 April 2023, 20 September 2023, 17 January 2024, 17 April 2024, 19 September 2024, 16 January 2025, 15 April 2025, and 11 September 2025, all at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The total budget for this topic is 1,459,500,000 EUR.

The call aims to address serious social, economic, and environmental challenges deriving from the transition towards the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets and the objective of climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. It targets projects linked to a framework loan for the benefit of EU territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans. Projects must be linked to an EIB framework loan. Framework loans by other banks or EIB financial intermediaries are not eligible.

Eligible projects cover a wide range of sustainable investments, including: investments in renewable energy and green and sustainable mobility, including the promotion of green hydrogen; efficient district heating networks; public research; digitalisation; environmental infrastructure for smart waste and water management; sustainable energy, energy efficiency and integration measures, including renovations and conversions of buildings; urban renewal and regeneration; the transition to a circular economy; land and ecosystem restoration and decontamination, taking into account the ‘polluter pays’ principle; biodiversity; up-skilling and re-skilling, training; and social infrastructure, including care facilities and social housing. Infrastructure development may also include cross-border projects and solutions leading to enhanced resilience to withstand ecological disasters, in particular those accentuated by climate change. A comprehensive investment approach should be favoured, in particular for territories with important transition needs. Investments in other sectors may also be supported, if they are consistent with the approved Territorial Just Transition Plans.

The following sectors are specifically excluded from JTM PSLF support: decommissioning or the construction of nuclear power stations; manufacturing, processing and marketing of tobacco and tobacco products; help to undertakings in difficulty, as defined in point (18) of Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014, unless authorised under temporary State aid rules established to address exceptional circumstances or under de minimis aid to support investments reducing energy costs in the context of the energy transition process; investments related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuel.

Project activities must benefit a territory covered by an approved Territorial Just Transition Plan and must be consistent with this Plan and the sectors and thematic areas it sets out.

Key updates to the call include: The Call's budget has been updated on 12 September following the revision of the MFF. The Call document has been updated on 25 September 2023 (updated amount linked to loans requested through EIB financial intermediaries on p. 14 and modification of hyperlink "list of envelopes" under “available budget” on p.9). The Call document has been updated on 2 June 2023 (section on "starting date and project duration", page 20).

Admissibility conditions are described in section 5 of the call document. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document. Other eligibility conditions are described in section 6 of the call document. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in section 7 of the call document. Submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual. Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in section 9 of the call document. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4 of the call document. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document.

The call documents include: Call document, Standard application form (JTM), Calculator (Financial information file) (JTM LS PSLF), Simplified business plan (JTM), JTM Lum Sum MGA, JTM Work Programme, JTM Regulation 2021/1229, Commission Decision on the list of regions eligible for funding, EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are 59 partner search announcements related to this topic.

Funded projects under this topic include: Sustainable and affordable Housing for the nEw gReen Industry and Society (2023-3-SE-LS-SHERIS, 101137857), Socioeconomic Transition of Western Macedonia (2023-3-EL-LS-SETPDM, 101137296), and Modernisation of selected parts of railway infrastructure in the Ústí nad Labem Region (2024-6-CZ-LS-3UnLReg, 101192437).

This funding opportunity, under the Just Transition Mechanism, aims to support projects that contribute to a climate-neutral EU by 2050. It provides lump sum grants to projects that are also receiving loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The focus is on sustainable investments within EU regions identified as needing support to transition away from carbon-intensive industries. The funding covers a wide array of sectors, from renewable energy to social infrastructure, but excludes certain activities like nuclear power and fossil fuels. To be eligible, projects must align with the Territorial Just Transition Plans of the regions they benefit. The application process involves multiple cut-off dates, and applicants should carefully review the call documents for specific requirements and eligibility criteria. This initiative blends EU grants with EIB loans to bridge the funding gap for projects that might not otherwise be financially viable, thereby accelerating the EU's transition to a greener economy and ensuring that no region is left behind.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are public sector entities and private bodies entrusted with a public service mission established in an EU Member State.

Funding Type: The funding type is a lump sum grant, which is combined with a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) or one of its financial intermediaries. This is a blending facility.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be open to both single applicants and consortia, as it mentions framework loans which may involve multiple projects.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on EU territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans. The project activities must benefit a territory covered by an approved Territorial Just Transition Plan.

Target Sector: The program targets a wide range of sustainable investments, including renewable energy, green and sustainable mobility (including green hydrogen), efficient district heating networks, public research, digitalization, environmental infrastructure for smart waste and water management, sustainable energy, energy efficiency and integration measures (including building renovations), urban renewal, circular economy, land and ecosystem restoration, decontamination, biodiversity, up-skilling and re-skilling, training, social infrastructure (including care facilities and social housing), and infrastructure development for resilience to ecological disasters. Sectors explicitly excluded are decommissioning/construction of nuclear power stations, manufacturing/marketing of tobacco products, help to undertakings in difficulty (unless authorized under temporary State aid rules), and investments related to fossil fuels.

Mentioned Countries: Sweden, Greece, Czech Republic

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be aimed at implementation and deployment of sustainable investments, including infrastructure development, up-skilling and re-skilling, and other transition-related activities.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the call is EUR 1,459,500,000. The grant amount is a lump sum, with the percentage of the loan covered by the grant being either 15% or 25%. The loan will cover 50% or more of the project costs in less developed regions.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive both a lump sum grant and a loan from the EIB or its financial intermediaries.

Application Stages: The application process involves multiple stages, including admissibility checks, eligibility checks, evaluation based on relevance, impact, and quality, and a grant agreement preparation phase. The specific number of stages is detailed in the call document.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. The EIB loan covers a portion of the project costs, and the grant bridges a funding gap, implying that the applicant or other parties must provide additional funding.

Summary:

This opportunity is a Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) call under the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), designed to support projects that address social, economic, and environmental challenges related to the EU's transition to climate neutrality by 2050. The call provides a combination of a lump sum grant and a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to public sector entities and private bodies entrusted with a public service mission. The projects must be located in EU territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans and align with the plans' objectives. The call targets a wide range of sustainable investments, excluding certain sectors like nuclear power, tobacco, and fossil fuels. The application process involves multiple cut-off dates and a thorough evaluation process. The total budget for the call is EUR 1,459,500,000. The grant amount is a lump sum, covering either 15% or 25% of the loan, with the loan covering 50% or more of the project costs in less developed regions. This initiative aims to facilitate the transition to a green economy by providing financial support to projects that contribute to the EU's climate and energy targets.