Open Call for European Regions & Municipalities: the Plan4CET Mentoring Programme is officially here!

The Plan4CET project is opening its mentoring programme to European regions and municipalities eager to improve their Clean Energy Transition (CET) planning strategies. Selected participants will receive expert guidance, practical tools, and networking opportunities to help them implement innovative solutions in their local context.

This exclusive mentoring opportunity offers structured sessions on three key topics, led by experienced regions in Italy, Spain, and Sweden. Applicants can select one or more training tracks from the following options:

Track 1. Accelerating Clean Energy Transition & One-Stop Shops: Building Renewable Energy Communities (Location: Parma, Italy – September 2025)

Overview: This mentoring programme will focus on advancing Clean Energy Transition (CET) planning at the local level by innovative governance and planning tools, and on the role of One-Stop Shops (OSS) in supporting the development of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) and. Participants will explore innovative approaches to governance structures stakeholder engagement, and monitoring tools to accelerate the CET.  They will dive into the services that OSS can offer to facilitate the establishment and management of RECs.

Training Modules:

• CET Governance & Stakeholder Engagement;
• CET Planning and Monitoring tools;
• One-Stop-Shops for Energy Communities.

This training is relevant for you if: you are familiar with the SECAPs framework and you work in a city/municipality that is approaching SECAPs or SECAPs monitoring, and/or if your area has an established operational framework for renewable energy communities and you are interested in supporting RECs in your local territory.

Track 2. Building Facilitation Structures for a Successful Energy Transition – (Location: Skåne, Sweden – September 2025)

Overview: This mentoring programme focuses on establishing and strengthening facilitation structures, such as regional energy agencies, to drive clean energy transition efforts. Participants will explore regional collaboration models, inter-municipal cooperation, and best practices for supporting municipalities in developing and implementing local Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs).

Training Modules:

• Establishing and sustaining a regional energy agency – financing, governance, and cooperation models.
• Effective strategies for regional collaboration – working with key actors to support municipalities in CET planning.
• Best practices from successful energy transition initiatives – real-world applications and mentorship from experienced practitioners.

This training is relevant for you if: you want to improve regional collaborations but your region lacks an effective organization to support CET planning.

Track 3. Work Areas And Specific Actions To Support Local Entities In The Implementation Of Their CET Planning – (Location: Navarre, Spain – September 2025)

Overview: This mentoring will provide participants with the keys to support the municipalities to transform their plans into tangible results, addressing challenges from a strategic approach. The main 8 key axes to ensure success in local climate action will be introduced, followed by a further exploration of 5 of those key axes: integral technical support, multi-level governance, fostering public/private collaboration, monitoring and continuous improvement, and financing. Guided by experts through practical sessions, exchange of experiences, and field visits, participants will be able to tailor effective solutions to make climate commitments a reality in their territory.

Training Modules:

• Integral technical support;
• Multi-level governance;
• Fostering public/private collaboration;
• Monitoring and continuous improvement;
• Financing.

This training is relevant for you if: you wish to effectively implement CET planning in your municipality, strengthening leadership and improving governance and coordination.

Who can apply?

Applications are open to staff and decision-makers from municipalities, regional governments, and energy and climate agencies across the EU. CET planning and implementation professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Travel & Accommodation support

To facilitate participation in the mentoring programme, the Plan4CET project will reimburse travel and accommodation costs for each participating region, municipality, or agency. The reimbursement will cover up to two representatives per applicant region, ensuring meaningful engagement and knowledge exchange.

Agenda of Activities

This agenda is a draft version that can be slightly changed in the upcoming weeks.

June/July 2025 – Online Kick-Off Session

• Introduction to the Plan4CET project, its objectives, and key achievements.
• Overview of the mentoring programme, training activities, and expected outcomes.
• Presentation of the three pilot regions and their mentoring focus areas.

September 2025 – In-Person Mentoring Sessions (Held in the pilot regions)

• Thematic mentoring sessions, interactive workshops, and peer exchanges on CET planning.
• Hands-on learning through real-world applications and best practices.
• Site visits to successful case studies demonstrating effective CET strategies.

October 2025 – Online Follow-Up Session

• Next steps and opportunities for continued collaboration.
• Discussion on progress, challenges, and initial implementation steps.
• Exchange of experiences and feedback to strengthen future CET initiatives.

Application Procedure & Next Steps

The application deadline is scheduled for 31^st March, at 6pm CET.

Successful applications will be contacted by email starting from mid-April.

Don’t miss this unique chance to learn from Plan4CET regions to enhance the sustainability of your region!