The next application round of the European City Facility (EUCF) will open on 26 October 2026, offering financial support to municipalities and local public entities aggregatin municipalities seeking to advance their clean energy ambitions.
A total of 62 beneficiaries will each receive a lump-sum grant of €60,000, representing an overall budget of €3.72 million. Eligible applicants include municipalities, local authorities, groups of municipalities and local public entities aggregating municipalities.
The funding is intended to help local authorities prepare investment concepts for projects focusing on energy efficiency, heating and cooling, clean energy initiatives, or a combination of these areas.
Applications will be accepted from 26 October until 21 December 2026 at 17:00 CET. The call is financed through the EU LIFE CET Programme and is open to applicants from EU Member States, as well as Ukraine, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Strong track record of investment support
Since its launch, the European City Facility has financed more than 400 municipalities and local public entities in developing investment concepts linked to clean energy and energy efficiency projects.
To date, 377 investment concepts have been validated, representing planned investments of more than €30 billion and targeting annual emissions reductions exceeding 11 million tonnes of CO₂.
According to monitoring reports featured on the programme’s Impact Dashboard, former grant recipients have already secured nearly €1.8 billion in financing. This equates to a leverage effect of more than 70 times the programme’s initial funding allocation of around €25 million.
Expanded eligibility for heating and cooling plans
One of the key changes introduced in this funding round is the recognition of local heating and cooling plans as evidence of a municipality’s strategic commitment.
Previously, applicants were required to demonstrate this commitment through a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) or a plan with similar ambition. While these plans remain fully eligible, authorities can now also rely on dedicated heating and cooling plans when submitting their applications.
The update reflects the revised European Energy Efficiency Directive, which encourages, and in some cases requires, local authorities to develop local heating and cooling strategies.
This call also marks the first time that municipalities and public entities from Moldova, North Macedonia and Montenegro are eligible to participate alongside applicants from EU countries, Iceland and Ukraine.
Information and support for applicants
Further details about the call are available on the European City Facility website, where prospective applicants can also access a dedicated national support network covering all eligible countries.
Authorities wishing to receive a reminder when the call opens can register for the programme’s call alert service, which will issue notifications ahead of the launch on 26 October 2026.
