Document analysed: Call “LIFE Clean Energy Transition 2026“
Strengthening national frameworks for renewable and efficient heating and cooling in existing buildings
LIFE-2026-CET-RENEWHC
Deadline: 16 September 2026
Budget: 6.5 M in total. Up to 2M for each proposal
ST mentioned directly: Specifically on HP and Solar Thermal in existing Buildings
Proposals under this topic should demonstrate how they will contribute to strengthen the national frameworks for business and financing models reducing or shifting high investment costs for the installation of heat pumps and solar thermal systems in existing buildings.
Scope:
–Establish national platforms in 3–5 countries to bring together key stakeholders (public authorities, industry, finance, etc.) and strengthen frameworks for renewable heating and cooling in existing buildings.
–Identify and analyse barriers (regulatory, financial, market) limiting uptake of heat pumps and solar thermal systems, including alternative business models and financing schemes.
–Develop and assess solutions (policy, regulatory, and market-based) to overcome these barriers, improve incentives, attract investment, and enhance transparency and competition.
–Support implementation and scaling by testing initial measures, improving stakeholder capacity, and enabling wider adoption of cost-reducing business models for heating (and related services like cooling and hot water).
Supporting the delivery of actionable, integrated, and comprehensive local heating and cooling plans
LIFE-2026-CET-HEATCOOLPLAN
Deadline: 16 September 2026
Budget: 6.5 M in total. Up to 2M for each proposal
ST Not mentioned directly
Objectives
- Support local and regional authorities in developing actionable, integrated Local Heating and Cooling Plans (LHCPs) as key instruments to decarbonise heating and cooling, improve energy efficiency, and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, in line with Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791.
- Enable a clean, secure, and affordable energy transition by promoting renewable and waste heat use, modernising infrastructure, and addressing rising cooling demand, while improving comfort, health, and resilience to climate change.
- Strengthen the role of LHCPs as strategic governance and investment tools, guiding long-term decisions on energy systems, buildings, and spatial planning, and contributing to EU energy independence, competitiveness, and climate objectives.
Scope
- Provide tailored technical and operational support to local and regional authorities to develop and deliver LHCPs, including data collection, modelling, capacity building, and alignment with frameworks such as National Energy and Climate Plans and Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans.
- Ensure participatory, multi-level planning processes engaging municipalities, stakeholders, and citizens, while fostering inter-municipal cooperation, addressing regulatory and financial barriers, and supporting inclusive and socially acceptable decarbonisation pathways.
- Deliver concrete, implementable LHCPs and lasting governance structures, including financing strategies, coordination with energy infrastructure planning, and mechanisms for knowledge transfer and replication beyond targeted territories.
Energy renovation solutions – Boosting building renovation through effective markets and instruments
LIFE-2026-CET-BETTERRENO
Deadline:16 September 2026
Budget: 6 M in total. Up to 2M for each proposal
Objectives
- Support the large-scale deployment of high-performance, affordable building renovation solutions that improve energy efficiency, reduce costs for users, and contribute to decarbonising the building stock in line with EU Renovation Wave strategy and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
- Enhance the uptake and integration of advanced building policy and information instruments (e.g. EPCs, Renovation Passports) to increase transparency, public acceptance, and their use in verification, financing, and large-scale implementation of energy renovations.
Scope A: Scaling up high-quality and competitive energy renovations
Proposals should take into account all relevant actors in the renovation value chain, notably building owners, energy solution providers and investors, occupants, public authorities, financial institutions, construction sector representatives, electricity market operators, etc.
Scope B: Strengthening information instruments under the EPBD
Scope B focuses on improving the effectiveness, reliability, and market uptake of key EPBD instruments—such as Energy Performance Certificates, Renovation Passports, and related tools—by enhancing their accuracy, integration, and usability. It aims to boost the use of building energy data for renovations and energy management, support informed investment decisions, and enable clear renovation pathways.
One-Stop-Shops – Integrated services for clean energy transition in private buildings
LIFE-2026-CET-OSS
Deadline:16 September 2026
Budget: 9 M in total. Up to 1.5M for each proposal
Objectives: Creation or replication of One-Stop Shops (OSS) for the clean energy transition in private buildings, in line with the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Scope: This scope supports the creation of One-Stop Shops that provide integrated, end-to-end services for clean energy transition in a specific building segment—either privately owned residential, professionally managed residential, or SME-occupied commercial buildings. These services must guide users through the entire process, from technical assessment and contractor selection to financing, coordination, and quality assurance, ensuring a comprehensive and seamless renovation journey.
Facilitating cooperation among energy communities
LIFE-2026-CET-ENERCOM
Deadline:16 September 2026
Budget: 7 M in total. Up to 1.75M for each proposal
Scope B supports energy communities in implementing concrete projects in emerging areas such as renewable heating and cooling, energy efficiency in buildings, flexibility services. It focuses on delivering measurable results through peer-to-peer learning and targeted support, enabling communities at different levels of experience to develop and carry out projects. The scope also promotes capacity building among communities and local stakeholders, encourages inclusive approaches addressing energy poverty, and requires alignment with relevant local and national energy strategies.
Towards an effective implementation of key legislation in the field of sustainable energy
LIFE-2026-CET-POLICY
Deadline: 16 September 2026
Budget: 4.5 M in total. Up to 2M for each proposal
Scope A: supports the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive by helping Member States apply key provisions such as the Energy Efficiency First principle, public sector targets, energy savings obligation schemes, and heating and cooling planning. It focuses on developing practical tools, methodologies, and data systems, as well as improving governance, audits, and coordination across national, regional, and local levels.
Scope B: supports the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive by promoting effective policy uptake, stronger public awareness, and coordinated action across all governance levels. It focuses on enhancing renovation efforts, deploying EPBD policy tools, and improving the roll-out and use of building data and information systems to achieve a climate-neutral building stock.
Project Development Assistance for sustainable energy investments
LIFE-2026-CET-PDA
Deadline: 16 September 2026
Budget: 8 M in total. Up to 1.5M for each proposal
Objectives: Project Development Assistance (PDA) provides technical support to turn sustainable energy project ideas into concrete, investment-ready projects. It helps mobilise large-scale funding—especially private capital—by improving project bankability and cost-effectiveness, while contributing to EU energy and climate goals, accelerating the clean energy transition, and supporting energy independence and competitiveness.
Scope: Support Project Development Assistance (PDA) to help public and private promoters prepare and implement pipelines of sustainable energy investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It focuses on building technical, financial, and legal capacity through activities such as studies, audits, financing strategies, and project preparation, with the requirement to deliver concrete investments and strong leverage of private funding. Target sectors include existing residential and non-residential buildings, as well as the modernisation and decarbonisation of local energy and public infrastructure (e.g. Decarbonisation and modernisation of existing district heating/cooling networks).