EU funds energy efficiency initiatives

Proposals open for municipalities and
private companies

The European Commission launched a call for proposals for its regional program "SUDEP- Sustainable Urban Demonstration Energy Projects”. The project has a total value of $11 million.
The objective of the call is to enable local authorities to address sustainable development challenges related to energy, such as security of energy supply, economic growth, and energy efficiency.

“This program mainly targets municipalities. If a company wishes to apply, it needs to partner with a municipality and present a joint proposal to the European Commission,” said Pierre Khoury, Director of the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) at the Ministry of Energy and Water.

The proposed actions must not exceed 36 months, according to SUDEP regulations. “The actions can be anything related to promoting renewable energy or energy efficiency within the municipality,” said Khoury. “For example, they can be training sessions, pilot projects, advocacy or legal campaigns as well, among others,” he said.

Priority will be given to proposed actions that are innovative in the local context, have a high degree of replication, stimulate the local economy, and make the best use of locally available resources. Grants requested under the call must fall between a minimum of $260,000 and a maximum of $1.3 million.

The deadline for submission of Concept Notes is May 23, 2014.