Grant Funding Scope

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Grants awarded under the EEP S&EA Call for Proposals serve to provide part-financing for project development studies that would make projects bankable and subsequently lead to concrete investments. It aims at assisting in increasing access to sustainable energy services derived from renewable energy sources like solar, hydro, wind, biofuels, biomass, geothermal energy and energy efficiency. The targeted beneficiaries are private companies, research institutions, not-for profit organizations, NGOs and other institutions from the public and private sector.

The EEP contribution to a proposed project is up to a maximum of EUR 200,000 depending on the type of project. The budget allocation for the First Call for Proposals was about 2.2 million Euros and the total budget for the EEP Programme for the first phase from 2010 to 2012 is 9.5 million Euros including programme administration. The contribution of the Government of Finland to this budget is 8.5 million Euros and that from the Government of Austria is 1 million Euros. It should be noted that the EEP funds should be considered as "seed money" to support concrete and sustainable projects. All disbursements will be based on actual costs incurred..

The proposed projects should be necessitated by concrete development needs, for example, an increasing energy demand that that cannot be met by declining fossil fuel resources or the lack of capacity to convert those resources to useful form or the lack of capacity to extend the services to remote communities. The Programme will consider proposals that present innovative yet viable solutions to expedite energy efficiency methodologies and the provision of energy services from renewable sources. The core projects to be financed will include;

  • Pre-feasibility- and Feasibility studies 
  • Pilot- and Demonstration projects

The EEP contribution is a non-reimbursable grant principally aimed at supplementing applicants' own funding. Project developer co-funding contribution is therefore a key requirement for eligibility for EEP funding for all applicants since that demonstrates commitment, ownership and sustainability of the project. Although there is no prescribed form and quantum of project developer’s own contribution, the acceptable form and quantum will depend on the type of organisation of the applicant. For example, the requirement for a private sector company with resources will be obviously higher than an NGO with limited resources.

 The Partnership’s contribution may cover the following types of expenses: 

  • Technical services and consultancies
  • Travel expenses (air tickets, accommodation, etc.) 
  • Equipment and materials for the project
  • Project execution expenses (note: not day-to-day running costs)
  • Project promotion and dissemination costs