Supporting the delivery of actionable, integrated, and comprehensive local heating and cooling plans

LIFE-2026 funds projects to support local and regional authorities in developing actionable, integrated local heating and cooling plans (LHCPs) as part of the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme. The topic has an indicative budget of €6,500,000, a recommended EU contribution of up to €2,000,000 per proposal and a funding rate of up to 95% for Other Action Grants. Eligible consortia must include at least three independent beneficiaries from three different eligible countries and applications are submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with a single-stage deadline of 16 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time). Projects must deliver actual LHCPs in targeted territories and include capacity building, granular data collection, stakeholder engagement, coordination with infrastructure planning and measures for institutionalisation and knowledge transfer.

What it funds

Scope and expected results

Grants to support local and regional authorities to develop and deliver actionable, integrated local heating and cooling plans (LHCPs). Funding covers capacity building, data collection and tools, participatory processes, coordination with energy networks, financing assessment and knowledge transfer so that LHCPs are developed and institutionalised in targeted territories.

Key objectives:Deliver LHCPs aligned with EU and Member State guidance; strengthen local/regional planning and governance; engage public and private stakeholders to accelerate decarbonisation of heating and cooling.

Who can apply / Eligibility

Consortia of beneficiaries established in eligible countries under the LIFE programme. Proposals must be submitted by at least 3 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries. Municipalities and regional authorities should be actively involved and demonstrate political commitment (for example by participation in the consortium or tailored letters of support).

How much and funding rules

Typical award guidance:The Commission considers that proposals requesting an EU contribution of up to €2,000,000 would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. This topic is part of the LIFE-2026-CET call with an indicative topic budget of €6,500,000 for HEATCOOLPLAN. Other amounts may be accepted.

1. 1Funding form: LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG) — Budget-based Action Grant
2. 2Funding rate for Other Action Grants (OAGs): 95%
3. 3Eligible costs: those necessary, reasonable and documented for delivering LHCPs; follow LIFE financial rules

Deadlines and process

Single-stage submission. Portal opening:21 April 2026. Deadline: 16 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Apply and submit your proposal through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Evaluation and reporting expectations

Proposals must demonstrate clear result-to-impact links with baselines and quantify outcomes for end of project and 5 years after (examples: number of LHCPs delivered/adopted, governance frameworks established, trained public officers, stakeholders engaged, primary/final energy savings, GHG reduction, investments mobilised). Projects must include monitoring, replication and sustainability plans.

Application essentials (quick checklist)

1. 1Assemble consortium: minimum 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 eligible countries
2. 2Define targeted territories and secure political commitment (consortium participation or letters of support)
3. 3Include workplan with participatory LHCP delivery, data and financing workstreams, capacity building and knowledge transfer
4. 4Provide quantified indicators for end of project and 5-year follow-up
5. 5Submit using the LIFE application templates via the Portal before the deadline

Consult the Call Document, application templates (Part A/B) and LIFE Model Grant Agreement available on the Portal for full conditions, eligibility of costs, mandatory annexes and reporting rules. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page, documentation, application templates and submission entry point are on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Funding & Tenders Portal.

Call and Key Dates

Call Title:LIFE Clean Energy Transition — topic LIFE-2026. Opening date: 21 April 2026. Deadline date: 16 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time). Single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Grant model: LIFE Project Grants (LIFE-PJG), LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based (LIFE-AG).

What this topic funds

Objective:Support local and regional authorities to develop and deliver actionable and integrated local heating and cooling plans (LHCPs) covering energy carriers, infrastructures and sectors. Projects must deliver actual LHCPs in targeted territories and enable institutionalised planning/governance, stakeholder engagement, data collection and financing pathways. Proposals may not focus on creating new digital tools as a main activity and may not be limited to district heating and cooling investment plans.

Expected results and indicators

Qualitative outcomes emphasised:delivering actionable integrated LHCPs aligned with EU and Member State guidance; empowering local/regional authorities; engaging public and private stakeholders to accelerate decarbonisation. Quantitative indicators applicants should supply and quantify at project end and for 5 years after project end where relevant:

1. 1Number of planning and governance frameworks established at local, inter-municipal or regional levels
2. 2Number of LHCPs delivered, ideally adopted as local, inter-municipal or regional policy documents
3. 3Number of policy makers/public officers with improved skills in heating and cooling planning, and average training hours per participant
4. 4Number of public and private stakeholders engaged in LHCP planning processes and structured dialogues
5. 5Number of LHCP processes initiated in other municipalities during the action
6. 6Primary energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year
7. 7Final energy savings triggered by the project in GWh/year
8. 8Renewable energy generation triggered by the project in GWh/year
9. 9Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in t CO2-equivalent/year
10. 10Investments in sustainable energy triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro)

Proposals do not need to address all indicators but must use the provided indicators that are relevant to their activities and must provide specific, project-tailored indicators as appropriate. Results must be demonstrated with baselines and causal links from activities to impacts.

Financial and administrative details

Indicative topic budget allocation for LIFE-2026:€6,500,000 for the sub-call in the LIFE-2026-CET work programme. Commission guidance suggests proposals requesting an EU contribution of up to €2,000,000 would be appropriate to address the specific objectives, although proposals requesting other amounts are not precluded. Funding rate for Other Action Grants (OAGs): up to 95% of eligible costs. Standard LIFE MGA applies; applicants must use the Funding & Tenders Portal submission forms and templates and comply with the LIFE financial and reporting rules.

Funding type:EU action grant — LIFE Project Grants, LIFE Action Grant Budget-Based (budget-based grant) providing an operating-style or project grant, primarily reimbursing eligible project costs; Other Action Grants at funding rate up to 95%.

Eligible applicant types:Local and regional authorities are primary beneficiaries. Eligible applicant types include local/regional public authorities, municipal groupings, NGOs, research organisations, universities, public bodies, energy agencies, utilities, and private sector entities including SMEs where appropriate, acting as beneficiaries in multi‑beneficiary consortia. Applicants must consult section 6 of the Call document for full eligible country lists and participant eligibility rules.

Consortium requirement:Consortium required: proposals must be submitted by at least 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 different eligible countries (non-affiliated). Proposals should include the targeted municipalities and regional authorities as active partners or provide tailored letters of support showing firm political commitment and defined roles.

Geographic eligibility and target sectors

Beneficiary scope:Eligible countries are those listed in the Call document (EU Member States, associated countries to LIFE and other eligible participants). The topic targets the EU and associated LIFE countries and specifically supports municipal, inter-municipal and regional authorities implementing LHCPs. Primary sectors targeted: energy policy and planning, buildings, heating and cooling systems, local spatial and infrastructure planning, public administration capacity building, stakeholder engagement and finance for sustainable energy investments.

Mentioned countries:The call text refers generally to the EU and to eligible countries as defined in the Call document. No specific Member States are singled out; the topic is pan-EU and covers eligible LIFE countries.

Scope, eligible activities and exclusions

Scope summary:targeted, tailored support to multiple municipalities per region and country to produce and deliver actionable LHCPs. Support must be usable by municipalities and include data collection, capacity building, participatory processes, financing assessments, coordination with networks and infrastructure planning, institutionalisation of governance frameworks, and transfer/replication activities to other territories.

1. 1Core eligible activities: building technical skills, collecting granular geospatial/technical/climatic/socio-economic data, developing spatially tailored decarbonisation measures and energy demand/supply outlooks, identifying financing options, running participatory processes and stakeholder engagement, coordinating LHCPs with distribution network and infrastructure plans, establishing structured dialogue with regional and national authorities, and creating lasting governance structures (task forces, hubs).
2. 2Data and monitoring: collect heating and cooling demand, local renewable heat and waste heat sources, energy supply infrastructures, heating and cooling appliances and building energy performance; use national approaches/standards where available and make local data compatible with national databases.
3. 3Replication and scaling: include knowledge transfer activities to initiate LHCP processes beyond targeted territories and facilitate inter-municipal and regional cooperation.
4. 4Use of digital tools: permitted to use existing digital tools developed by national authorities or EU-funded projects; proposals mainly focused on developing new digital tools are out of scope.
5. 5Exclusions: proposals only focusing on district heating and cooling investment plans are out of scope; proposals whose main activity is new digital tool development are out of scope.

Integration requirements:proposals must consider complementarity and alignment with SECAPs or similar, climate adaptation plans, NECPs, National Building Renovation Plans, National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments and the EU heating and cooling strategy.

Application, evaluation and selection

Submission method:Single-stage open call. Applicants must submit full proposals through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal submission system. The evaluation, scoring and thresholds follow the Call document and LIFE award criteria. Applicants should follow the online manual and the Application Form templates available in the Portal Submission System.

Application templates and key annexes:Standard LIFE application form (Part A administrative form generated in Portal, Part B narrative technical description PDF uploaded to the Portal). Mandatory annexes and templates include Participant Information, Detailed Budget Table (LIFE format), Complementary Funding Plan and Complementary Funding Declaration (if SIP/SNAP), Maps, and other annexes listed in the call. For LIFE OAG proposals the standard SAP/OAG application template applies. See Annex list in the Topic Conditions and Documents in the Portal for exact filenames and templates ¹.

1. 1Key application documents to prepare: Part A data entered in Portal, Part B technical description (PDF) following the LIFE template, Detailed Budget Table (LIFE Excel), Participant Information forms for each beneficiary, Cofinancing and Complementary Funding declarations as applicable, Letters of political commitment/letters of support from municipalities and regional authorities, Maps and site descriptions where relevant
2. 2Page limits and layout: follow the page limits and layout rules in the Call document and the application templates; minimum font size and margins specified in the template (e.g. Arial 10, A4, margins at least 15 mm). Exceeding page limits will lead to excess pages being disregarded.
3. 3Submission portal: all submissions, structured data and annexes must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission service; do not submit paper copies.

Admissibility, eligibility and other conditions are described in the Call document and in the LIFE Call document Annexes. Applicants should consult the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement and the LIFE Call document for full rules.

Eligibility, capacity and required commitments

Consortium composition and political commitment:Proposals must be submitted by at least three distinct beneficiaries from three different eligible countries. The targeted municipalities and regional authorities must be clearly identified and demonstrate active involvement and firm political commitment. This can be shown by including them as project beneficiaries or by providing tailored letters of support specifying their role and commitment.

Financial and operational capacity, exclusions and compliance:Applicants must demonstrate sufficient operational and financial capacity in line with LIFE eligibility rules. Standard exclusion grounds apply (bankruptcy, fraud, serious professional misconduct, etc.). Financial capacity checks may be performed; for certain beneficiaries (public entities, pillar-assessed participants) simplified rules may apply. Detailed conditions are in sections 6 and 7 of the Call document ¹.

Project maturity, expected stage and timeframe

Project stage and duration:This topic supports planning, preparation and enabling actions to deliver LHCPs rather than capital investment only. Expected project maturity: planning, validation and implementation-readiness activities. Projects should produce final LHCPs by the end of the action and quantify impacts at project end and 5 years after. Typical duration aligns with LIFE Project Grants; refer to the Call document for allowable durations and milestones.

Funding amount, co-funding and financial rules

Funding scale:Commission indicates that proposals requesting up to €2,000,000 of EU contribution would allow the objectives to be addressed appropriately; topic allocation in the Call work programme is €6,500,000. Funding rate: Other Action Grants (OAGs) typically funded at 95% of eligible costs; co-funding requirement: 5% or the non-EU contribution required under the funding rate unless specific exceptions apply. Eligible costs and detailed cost rules follow the LIFE financial rules and the Model Grant Agreement; use the Detailed Budget Table template to build the budget and demonstrate co-financing sources and complementary funding where required.

Assessment process, stages and success expectations

Submission and evaluation:Single-stage evaluation following LIFE award criteria for relevance, impact and quality/efficiency of implementation. Award decisions published via the Portal. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant signature is described in the Call document. No guaranteed number of grants; competition is expected. There is no official published success rate for this topic; applicants should assume competitive selection and prepare strong, evidence-based proposals with clear baselines, indicators and stakeholder buy-in.

How to prepare a competitive proposal

1. 1Demonstrate strong local ownership: include municipalities/regions in consortium and secure political commitment letters that specify roles and resources
2. 2Provide a robust baseline and gap analysis for the targeted territories, including existing heating/cooling infrastructure, heat sources, building stock data and social considerations (energy poverty, vulnerable households)
3. 3Set clear, measurable project outputs and impacts with quantified indicators for project end and 5 years after — follow the topic indicators and provide additional project-specific KPIs
4. 4Present a clear work plan and deliverables showing how LHCPs will be produced, adopted and institutionalised; include tasks for data collection, stakeholder engagement, financing strategies, permitting and coordination with network operators
5. 5Explain replicability and scaling strategy: how will the project transfer know-how and trigger LHCP processes in other municipalities
6. 6Build a convincing complementary funding plan where relevant and evidence of co-financing commitments or letters of intent from financial actors, regional/national authorities or investors
7. 7Use the exact application templates, respect page limits and formatting rules, and consult the Online Manual and LIFE call documentation

Costs and budgeting guidance:Use the LIFE Detailed Budget Table template and the operating LIFE budget rules where relevant. Where personnel costs, subcontracting, equipment, travel and other direct costs are budgeted, ensure they meet LIFE eligibility rules and are justified in Part B. If the project expects to mobilise investment outcomes (investment pipelines, triggered investments) quantify these in the Complementary Funding Plan and Table of Investments if required.

Templates and application structure

Application forms structure:Part A (administrative forms) entered in the Portal screens; Part B (technical description) uploaded as PDF following the official LIFE SAP/OAG template. Mandatory content in Part B: project summary, relevance (background, objectives, compliance with LIFE and topic), impact (quantified targets and baselines), implementation (work packages, milestones, deliverables, stakeholder engagement), resources and budget, risk management, and annexes such as Participant Information, Detailed Budget Table, Maps and Complementary Funding Plan where applicable. The Portal provides multiple standard annex templates (Detailed Budget Table, Participant Information, Complementary Funding Plan and Complementary Funding Declaration, Participant Register forms, maps and other annexes) that must be used exactly as published.

Admissibility rules, page limits, layout and submission steps are detailed in the Call document and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; applicants must follow the specific Part B template and ensure correct annex naming and file formats.

Evaluation criteria highlights

1. 1Relevance: alignment with LIFE CET objectives and topic scope, degree of local ownership and fit with national/regional policy frameworks (NECPs, NBRPs, National Heating & Cooling Assessments, SECAPs)
2. 2Impact and ambition: clarity and credibility of the quantified impacts, ability to deliver LHCPs and institutionalised governance, replication and upscaling potential
3. 3Quality and efficiency of implementation: clear work plan, stakeholder engagement approach, risk management, budget coherence and capacity of the consortium to deliver
4. 4Sustainability and permanence: measures to institutionalise planning frameworks, ensure data compatibility with national databases and sustain LHCP implementation after project end

Other practical and operational notes

The Portal submission system is mandatory. Draft proposals may be prepared offline using the published templates, but final submission and Part A data entry must be done in the Portal. Consult the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, LIFE Call document, the LIFE Model Grant Agreement and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement for legal and procedural guidance. For technical submission problems contact the Portal IT helpdesk and for specific call content queries consult the National Contact Points and the LIFE helpdesk. The topic Q&A tab in the Portal will be used to publish clarifications.

For forms, templates and the online submission system use the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and the official application templates available in the Submission System Funding & Tenders Portal Topic ¹.

Summary: What is this opportunity about?

This LIFE Clean Energy Transition topic finances coordinated multi-beneficiary projects to create, deliver and institutionalise local heating and cooling plans (LHCPs) that are actionable and integrated across energy carriers, buildings and infrastructure. Projects are expected to serve multiple municipalities per region, be highly participatory, collect and use granular data, build technical capacity, engage public and private stakeholders, and identify financing pathways to accelerate local heating and cooling decarbonisation. The call requires strong local political commitment, at least three independent beneficiaries from three eligible countries, and expects applicants to quantify impacts at project end and five years afterwards. Funding is provided as an EU grant (Other Action Grant / LIFE Project Grant) with a suggested project envelope up to €2 million and a typical high funding rate for LIFE OAGs. Applications must be submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the LIFE application templates and follow all eligibility, reporting and financial rules set out in the Call document and the LIFE Model Grant Agreement.

Footnotes

1. 1All application templates, the Call document, detailed budget tables and guidance are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for this topic. Consult the Portal Topic page for LIFE-2026 and the Reference Documents section for annex templates and the Online Manual: EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This call supports local and regional authorities to develop and deliver actionable and integrated local heating and cooling plans (LHCPs) as effective instruments for clean and sustainable energy planning and investment at the local and regional level. The opportunity is part of the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme and aims to address the critical challenge that heating and cooling account for half of final energy use in the EU, with approximately 70 percent still sourced from imported fossil fuels, primarily natural gas.

Key Funding Details

Total Budget Available:€6,500,000 for the LIFE-2026 topic in 2026.

Funding Rate:95 percent EU co-financing for Other Action Grants (OAGs).

Recommended Project Size:The European Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to €2 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. However, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Application Deadline:16 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission).

Call Opening Date:21 April 2026.

Who Can Apply

Proposals must be submitted by at least 3 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries. Eligible countries include all EU Member States and countries associated with the LIFE Programme (Iceland, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Ukraine). Any legal entity based in these countries can apply, including public authorities, non-profit organisations, energy agencies, research institutions, and private sector organisations. Individuals cannot apply.

Project Objectives and Scope

The primary objective is to support local and regional authorities in developing actionable and integrated LHCPs that serve as effective policy and governance instruments for driving the decarbonisation of heating and cooling. These plans should guide long-term decisions on policies, infrastructure, and investments for a just and efficient shift to decarbonised buildings and more integrated, flexible, and resilient energy systems.

Mandatory Support Activities

Proposals must include specific support activities for local and regional authorities, covering the following areas:

• Building technical skills and expertise to prepare, finance, implement and monitor LHCPs
• Collecting granular and context-specific geospatial, technical, climatic and socio-economic data for LHCP preparation, using national approaches or standards where available
• Developing comprehensive outlooks for energy demand and supply and identifying spatially tailored decarbonisation measures, including 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 needs of energy-poor and vulnerable households
• Running participatory processes to streamline planning and administrative procedures including permitting, to address regulatory barriers and engage key stakeholders
• Coordinating LHCPs with electricity and heating and cooling distribution network and infrastructure development plans, and where relevant, with decommissioning plans for natural gas networks
• Establishing structured dialogue and collaboration with competent regional and national authorities to inform national-level planning

Proposals should also include specific activities to transfer knowledge and experience to help initiate LHCP processes beyond the targeted territories and explain how they will establish lasting and institutionalised LHCP planning and governance frameworks.

Eligibility Requirements

Proposals must clearly identify targeted territories and the municipalities and regional authorities involved. Applicants must demonstrate active involvement and firm political commitment from these authorities, either through direct participation in the consortium or through tailored letters of support clearly specifying their commitment and role in the project.

Proposals should serve multiple municipalities in each targeted region and country and ensure that support activities are made available to municipalities in targeted territories, including those with fewer than 45,000 inhabitants. They should also facilitate joint action among municipalities at regional or other appropriate governance and territorial levels to pool skills and resources and support inter-municipal and/or regional energy system planning.

By the end of the action, proposals must result in the actual delivery of LHCPs in the targeted municipalities or regions. The plans should align with EU and Member State guidance and requirements and be developed through highly participatory processes.

Expected Impacts and Indicators

Qualitative Impacts

Proposals should demonstrate how they will contribute to the following outcomes:

• Delivering actionable and integrated LHCPs, aligned with EU and Member State guidance and requirements
• Empowering local and regional authorities and supporting 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

Quantitative Indicators

Proposals should quantify their results and impacts using the following topic-specific indicators, when relevant for the proposed activities. Results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project:

• 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 and 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 local, regional and national levels
• Number of LHCP processes initiated in other municipalities during the action

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

• 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 tCO2-eq/year)
• Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro)

Scope Limitations

Proposals whose main focus is to develop new digital tools are outside the scope of this topic. Proposals that only focus on district heating and cooling investment plans are also outside the scope. Proposals may use existing digital tools, such as those developed by national authorities or EU-funded projects, to support the development of LHCPs.

Strategic Context and Policy Alignment

This opportunity directly supports the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which sets a specific objective for local and regional authorities to prepare LHCPs at least in municipalities with a total population higher than 45,000. The call also aligns with the EU's broader climate and energy objectives, including the European Green Deal, the REpowerEU Plan, and the forthcoming EU heating and cooling strategy.

Proposed actions should consider complementarity and alignment with relevant local, regional and national plans, strategies, initiatives and planning frameworks, including Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), climate change adaptation plans, National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs), and National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments.

Application Process and Support

Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The call uses a single-stage submission process. Applicants are strongly advised to start preparing proposals at least 4 to 6 months prior to the submission deadline to allow sufficient time for gathering required information, especially if implementing the project with multiple partners requiring coordination and agreements about work packages, tasks and budgetary distributions.

The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will present virtual information sessions on the LIFE 2026 Calls for proposals during EU LIFE info days from 28 to 30 April 2026. Registrations for these sessions opened on 2 March 2026.

Key Success Factors for Applicants

• Demonstrate clear political commitment from targeted municipalities and regional authorities through consortium participation or detailed letters of support
• Provide solid analysis of current heating and cooling planning situation and related challenges in targeted regions and countries
• Establish realistic and credible baselines and assumptions for calculating impacts
• Design activities that are clearly tailored to targeted local and regional contexts
• Include comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategies involving public authorities, infrastructure operators, citizens, energy communities, industry and service providers
• Develop clear strategies for establishing lasting and institutionalised LHCP planning and governance frameworks
• Plan for knowledge transfer activities to help initiate LHCP processes beyond targeted territories
• Ensure consortium composition brings necessary expertise across technical, policy and stakeholder engagement dimensions

Additional Resources and Information

Applicants should consult the following documents available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal: the Call document (LIFE-2026-CET call fiche), the Model Grant Agreement, the EU Grants Annotated Grant Agreement (AGA), and the Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual. The LIFE database provides access to previously funded projects that may serve as reference examples. For the Clean Energy Transition sub-programme, projects funded under Horizon 2020 can be found on the CORDIS website.

Applicants are encouraged to contact their National Contact Point (NCP) for support and guidance specific to their country. The IT Helpdesk is available for technical questions regarding the submission system.

Footnotes

1. 1The Energy Efficiency Directive (EU/2023/1791) Article 25.6 establishes the requirement for municipalities with over 45,000 inhabitants to prepare local heating and cooling plans. The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU/2024/1275) and related EU legislation provide the policy framework for this funding opportunity.