Local authorities and administrative bodies

European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) provides grants for technical assistance focused on the implementation of energy efficiency, distributed renewable energy and urban transport projects and programmes.

The grant can be used to finance costs related to feasibility and market studies, programme structuring, business plans, energy audits and financial structuring, as well as to the preparation of tendering procedures, contractual arrangements and project implementation units.

The Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) is a key tool to ensure that the transition towards a climate-neutral economy happens in a fair way, leaving no one behind. The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is one of its three pillars (together with the InvestEU Just Transition Scheme and the Public Sector Loan Facility). As the new instrument of the Cohesion policy supports the territories most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality to avoid regional inequalities.

The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), with a budget of almost € 99.3 billion for the period 2021-2027, provides an important contribution to the EU’s employment, social, education and skills policies, including structural reforms in these areas.

The Fund is one of the cornerstones of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and will help address challenges related to labour participation, education and health systems and increased inequalities.

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) aims to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions. In 2021-2027 it will enable investments in a smarter, greener, more connected and more social Europe that is closer to its citizens.

The ERDF will enable investments to make Europe and its regions:

The Cohesion Fund provides support to Member States with a gross national income (GNI) per capita below 90% EU-27 average to strengthen the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the EU. The Cohesion Fund supports investments in the field of environment and trans-European networks in the area if transport infrastructure (TEN-T).

It is also possible to use the CF in the form of financial instruments.