FAQ

With this call, we want to provide technical and financial support to actors in cross-border cooperation seeking to explore the process of setting up and/or growing an energy community across the border. To do so, we will select 7 pilot actions that will each receive:

• A sub-grant of 15,000 €
• Technical support from REScoop.eu

Through the pilot actions, beneficiaries can focus on developing either a cross-border energy community (CBEC) or a quasi-cross-border energy community (Q-CBEC). 

CBEC and Q-CBEC can be ‘renewable energy communities’ or  ‘citizen energy communities’. 

They both aim at fostering cross-border cooperation on energy-related projects but to different degrees. 

A Cross-Border Energy Community (CBEC) is a formal group that actively works across national borders to manage and share energy services, with members from both sides of the border controlling it and benefiting from shared infrastructure and operations.

A Quasi Cross-Border Energy Community (Q-CBEC) also involves cooperation between border regions but doesn’t have to move energy across borders. Instead, it focuses on shared organization, funding, or resources, and may operate mainly in one region with less direct energy interaction.

Renewable energy community and citizen energy community are the two european legal forms of energy communities defined by the Renewable Energy Directive II and the Internal Electricity Market Directive.

A renewable energy community is a legal entity that:

Aims to benefit the community—environmentally, economically, or socially—rather than to make financial profit.

• Is based on open and voluntary participation, is autonomous, and managed by local members who live near the renewable energy projects it owns and develops;

• Includes individuals, small businesses, and local authorities (like municipalities) as members;

A citizen energy community is a legal entity that:

Can take part in many energy-related activities, such as producing renewable energy, distributing and supplying electricity, using and storing energy, improving energy efficiency, or offering services like electric vehicle charging.

• Is based on open and voluntary participation and is run by its members—these can be individuals, small businesses, or local authorities like municipalities; 

• Focuses on creating environmental, economic, or social benefits for its members and the local area, rather than making financial profit

REScoop.eu is the European federation of energy communities composed of a growing network of 2,500 energy communities operating across Europe. They are experts in the field of energy communities and will support pilot actions through: 

• Needs analysis and stakeholder mapping
• Workshop support
• Dedicated technical support
• Peers-to-peers webinars

Selected pilots will be supported by REScoop.eu experts with a country-specific knowledge ensuring that each pilot receives guidance tailored to its national and cross-border context.

The LICHT model developed by REScoop.eu is a hands-on approach to help citizens build their energy community in order to become active participants in the energy transition. It provides a methodology that:

• Mobilizes citizens to form local energy groups.
• Uses engagement techniques to build community involvement.
• Trains these groups to select, evaluate, and carry out energy projects like renewable energy production, energy savings, sustainable heating, and mobility.

This methodology will be used by beneficiaries with the technical support of REScoop.eu to implement their pilot actions within this call in a cross-border approach. 

Beneficiaries are expected to develop pilot actions that will lead to the production of a roadmap showing their progress in developing their cross-border or quasi cross-border energy community, as well as the over-all aim of the pilot (beyond the current call). The pilot actions don’t need to fully set up a cross-border energy community within the 12-month timeframe. Depending on what each group needs, they can focus either on early steps like raising awareness and starting to form a community, or on later steps like making agreements and creating a legal structure to run a cross-border or quasi cross-border energy community. The idea is to move from one stage of the LICHT model to another within the call. You can find explanation on the LICHT method on the wabpage METHOD.

The selected beneficiaries receive sub-grants from AEBR and MOT to implement the pilot actions. The sub-grants amount to a maximum of 15,000 euros per pilot action.

There is no requirement for co-financing.

The sub-grants are intended to reimburse eligible actual costs incurred by the beneficiary(ies) for the implementation of the pilot actions, and include an overhead of indirect costs up to a maximum of 7% of the direct costs (see detail in the call for proposal).

Yes, applicants can present a budget for more than 15 000 euros. However, the maximum sub-grant will not be higher than 15 000 euros. Additional costs are to be covered with the applicant’s own resources – no other EU funding should be used to the pilot action.

The budget will need to indicate what costs are to be covered with the sub-grant and which will be covered with own resources (see columns C and F of the budget). The beneficiary will be requested to provide AEBR and MOT documentation to prove costs covered by the sub-grant only.

The pilot actions’ aim is to support in organising activities for the development of a cross-border or quasi cross-border energy community. Key aspects of a pilot actions are to engage relevant stakeholders, have get a clear understanding of the legal and governance possible for the planned energy community, taking into account the technical and spatial realities of the territory, and explore financing and investment opportunities. It might also include to develop infrastructures. 

Eligible activities can therefore involve as example: 

-Organising events or consultations that bring together citizens and local stakeholders in cross-border energy initiatives. 

– Drafting or implementing a cooperation agreement between relevant regional and national authorities to establish a clear framework for cooperation. 

– Mapping energy demand, supply, infrastructure, and renewable resource potential across the border region.

– Designing and planning cross-border infrastructure projects, such as district heating networks or integrated energy distribution routes between municipalities..

A more comprehensive list can be found on page 18 of the call for proposal.

The sub-grants will be split in three instalments:

• 50% will be received as pre-financing 15 days after the sub-grant agreement between AEBR, MOT and the beneficiary is signed;
• 50% will be received at the end of the implementation period, contingent upon the approval of the final report and the eligibility of the costs.  

The sub-grant will be transferred to the main applicant, who will distribute it to the partner(s), if applicable, according to the individual needs and management of the pilot action. Partners can then autonomously decide how to share costs and contributions, and Partners do not need to make a financial commitment.