Crowding in private finance

Expected Impact

Proposals should present the concrete results which will be delivered by the activities and demonstrate how these results will contribute to the topic-specific impacts. This demonstration should rely on a solid analysis of the current situation, realistic assumptions and baselines, and establish clear causality links between activities, results and impacts.

In terms of qualitative impact, proposals under this topic should demonstrate how they will contribute to the following outcomes, as relevant:

• delivering financing schemes that are operational and ready to finance investments, with credible access to financing sources and a prospective pipeline of investments
• increasing the investibility of energy efficiency projects (potentially combined with renewable energy and energy storage) for private financing sources
• accelerating investments in energy efficiency.

In terms of quantitative impact, proposals should quantify their results and impacts using the indicators provided for the topic, when they are relevant for the proposed activities. Proposals are not expected to address all the listed impacts and indicators. The results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project. The quantitative indicators for this topic include:

• Number of investment projects and volume of investments processed during the project (i.e. pilot testing phase) and expected to be financed by the financing scheme in the next 5 years; the projection after the project needs to be justified in detail based on the proposed activities and a detailed market analysis
• Number of investors and project developers using the financing scheme
• Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro)
• Average % of primary energy savings targeted by investment projects

Proposals should also provide indicators which are specific to their proposed activities.

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).

Funding rate

Other Action Grants (OAGs) — 95%

Objective

The topic aims to increase the amount of private finance allocated to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources by establishing dedicated financing schemes.

Significant investments in energy efficiency and renewables need to be mobilised to achieve the ambition set by the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive, the Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan, and the objective to reduce EU dependence on fossil fuel imports set out in the REPowerEU Plan[1]. In order to meet the required level of investments, it is necessary to progressively maximise the mobilisation of private capital, using public funds as a catalyst, and to put in place an enabling regulatory framework. This is a central objective of the recently established European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition[2], as well as the recently published Commission Recommendation on unlocking private investment in energy efficiency[3].

In addition, the revised Energy Efficiency Directive and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive aim to increase the cost-effectiveness of public funding and the mobilisation of private investments in energy efficiency measures, including by promoting dedicated financing mechanisms. National Energy and Climate Plans provide a solid framework for Member States to evaluate and report on investment needs and gaps to achieve their 2030 national energy and climate targets, including regarding the mobilisation of private investments.

While significant public sector expenditure is allocated to leverage private finance for energy efficiency and renewables (e.g. through the InvestEU facility), most private investors still view this type of investments as risky, complex and/or insufficiently profitable. This is due to the limited availability of investment opportunities which comply with the requirements of financial institutions in terms of size, scale, standardisation and transaction costs.

There is a need to set up and roll-out private financing schemes which can be expanded and/or replicated at scale, and contribute to the national strategies to achieve the 2030 energy efficiency targets and the building renovation policy objectives. These schemes have to be adapted to the specificities of energy efficiency investment profiles, as well as those of renewables, in buildings, SMEs, district heating and other relevant sectors.

The financing schemes may be initiated by private sector stakeholders or local and regional authorities, as well as other types of actors; they need to work with and use available public funds as a catalyst and/or in blended approaches. The topic aims in particular to stimulate synergies and develop long-term partnerships between financial institutions and energy services market operators.

The EU is facing important increases in energy prices, driven by market volatility and exacerbated by its dependence on imported fossil fuels. A key priority for the EU is to strengthen the resilience of its energy system vis-a-vis geopolitical crises impacting the global energy market. Therefore, applicants under this topic are invited, where possible, to develop and implement long-term structural sustainable and energy efficiency measures to enhance EU energy system resilience against future crises, in coherence with short-term energy relief measures needed to respond to the current shock on the global energy markets.

Scope

Proposals should set up a financing scheme leveraging private finance for investments in energy efficiency, potentially combined with renewables and energy storage.

The financing scheme should be established in at least 1 eligible country under the LIFE programme, in order to ensure the development of a sound and robust investment pipeline.

The financing scheme should be operational by the end of the project, with credible access to financing sources and a prospective pipeline of investments. The related investments may be implemented after project completion, but proposals are expected to pilot test the financing scheme during the project time.

Proposals can build on and/or upscale financing schemes successfully tested previously, which should be documented as relevant. The financing schemes can involve, for example but are not limited to:

• Equity and debt, potentially combined with non-reimbursable grants (“blending”), in particular for low-income households or SMEs
• Guarantees, risk-sharing, insurance or other de-risking instruments
• Energy services such as energy performance contracting, efficiency as a service, and variants thereof, including the integration of demand-side flexibility, if the service includes the provision of finance for the investments
• White certificates schemes, energy efficiency auctions, and other competitive bidding mechanisms and market-based instruments favouring a cost-efficient and competitive allocations of funding to energy efficiency improvements
• On-bill, on-tax and building-based financing, where the debt is attached to the energy meter or the building rather than the household or company
• Schemes complementing, with a dedicated financing component, already existing local and regional technical assistance facilities, in particular integrated home renovation services
• Schemes targeting the secondary market, including refinancing mechanisms, specialised securitisation vehicles and green bond schemes
• Local investment structures, including citizen financing (e.g. crowdfunding) for energy efficiency
• Market-based instruments relevant for sustainable energy (e.g. carbon finance instruments, energy efficiency obligations, etc.)
• Brokering, aggregation or clearing houses, which facilitate matching of demand and supply of sustainable energy finance.

Proposals should take into account all the following elements:

• Establish an operational financing scheme supporting investments in energy efficiency, potentially combined with renewables and energy storage, in at least 1 eligible country. Proposals only addressing renewable energy, renewable fuel switch, and/or energy storage without addressing energy efficiency will be judged out of scope.
• Address the provision of finance as well as ensure the availability of demand in the form of a project pipeline complying with the requirements of the scheme, in particular at regional and national level. The pipeline does not need to be originated by the proposed activities.
• Define the targeted region(s) and sector(s) and clearly demonstrate the business case and financial viability of the proposed scheme (including e.g. market analysis, investment sizes targeted, transaction and management costs, expected energy/cost savings and other returns, etc.).
• Plan replication and/or rollout of the scheme envisaged beyond the region(s) targeted for the establishment, including the analysis of legal and market conditions for replication.
• Demonstrate support of the targeted stakeholder groups and present in a detailed manner how they will be involved throughout the project.
• Demonstrate the additionality and/or innovation of the proposed financing scheme compared to current market practices in the targeted sector(s) and region(s).
• Where relevant, demonstrate complementarity to available public funds, notably under the EU Cohesion funds in view of the preparation of the multiannual financial framework 2028-2034. Applicants should explain how they build on existing funding programmes and initiatives relevant for the targeted region/sector, in particular related to one-stop shops and project development assistance. If public funding is involved in the proposed financing scheme, proposals should demonstrate support from the relevant managing authorities.
• Coordinate with and potentially participate in the national hubs of the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition, when relevant.

Proposals may be submitted by a single applicant or by applicants from a single eligible country.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 1.5 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

[1] Cf. Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Energy Efficiency financing in Europe. An assessment of public spending for energy efficiency and the energy performance of buildings, COM/2026/118 final

[2] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/funding-and-financing/european-energy-efficiency-financing-coalition_en

[3] Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/537