How to finance your SECAP: Join the PROSPECT EU-wide peer-to-peer learning programme


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Publication date

October 4, 2017

Securing financing for sustainable energy projects remains a great challenge for most EU local authorities. Energy Cities is a partner of the new European H2020 PROSPECT project that aims at boosting cities and regions’ skills and expertise through the development and implementation of an ambitious European-wide peer-to-peer learning programme.

Financing sustainable energy and climate projects: a challenge for cities and regions

A growing number of European cities and regions have engaged in the energy transition. They are taking local action to mitigate climate change, adapt to its unavoidable consequences and provide their citizens with access to secure, sustainable and affordable energy. Many are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy initiative and have developed Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030.

However, securing financing for sustainable energy projects remains a great challenge.
According to surveys carried out by the Covenant of Mayors Office and European networks of cities, regions and energy agencies, it becomes clear that one of the most urgent barriers is the lack of internal capacities to transform SECAPs into sound investment plans and ensure their successful implementation despite strained public budgets.

The European H2020 PROSPECT project accepts this challenge and aims at boosting cities and regions’ skills and expertise through the development and implementation of an ambitious European-wide peer-to-peer learning programme. The learning will empower local authorities (including local and regional energy agencies) to make use of best practices from other cities and regions in the EU on how to finance their plans. This will facilitate knowledge transfer on how to:

  • Develop bankable projects
  • Set up innovative financing schemes, business models and partnerships with key stakeholders.
  • Trigger private funds by supporting citizens’ initiatives.

The learning programme will consist of 5 modules:

  • Public buildings
  • Public lighting
  • Private buildings
  • Mobility and Transportation (public & private)
  • Cross-sectorial.
PROSPECT will propose 3 nine-month learning cycles throughout the duration of the project, starting respectively in March 2018, September 2018 and March 2019.

A first testing cycle, focusing on Energy Performance Contracting in public buildings, will start earlier in January 2018 with the three local authorities that are partners in the project: OÖ Energiesparverband (the Upper Austria regional energy agency), the Municipality of Trnava in Slovakia and S.energia (the local energy agency of Barreiro, Portugal). 

Cities, Regions and their energy agencies who would like to join this first testing cylce are very welcome to apply!

More information on the application process will be given on the PROSPECT linkedIn group and via twitter with #PROSPECT_EE and of course on the project website http://h2020prospect.eu (under construction). 

Stay tuned!