GRANTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN MUNICIPALITIES AFFECTED BY THE ENERGY TRANSITION

At IMPULSO, we are pleased to inform you that the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has published the regulatory order establishing the rules for the grants for environmental, social and digital infrastructure projects in municipalities affected by the energy transition.

This grant programme finances the implementation costs of projects in buildings and public spaces and public-domain assets in municipalities undergoing energy transition processes affected by the closure of coal mining operations, coal-fired power plants, and nuclear power plants.

Below is a summary of the key features of these grants:

BENEFICIARIES

• The City Councils of the municipalities affected by the energy transition listed in the General Action Protocols for the drafting of Just Transition Agreements.
• The Provincial Councils or single-province autonomous communities representing a group of municipalities affected by the energy transition, for projects to be carried out for the benefit of all of them.
• The associations of municipalities, counties, local consortia and groups of municipalities affected by the energy transition.

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Projects for the rehabilitation of publicly owned assets, spaces and land that strengthen the social, environmental and digital component of public spaces or help create new ones:

• Rehabilitation of buildings; recovery of villages, settlements, farmsteads or similar for new social uses, the provision of public services, or improved access to housing.
• Rehabilitation of buildings and spaces for use in digital innovation, entrepreneurship promotion and economic development, fostering the reduction of the digital divide and enabling women’s access to and knowledge of new technologies, encouraging them to remain in affected areas.
• Environmental infrastructure to enhance the natural environment, improve environmental services and regenerate areas.
• Sustainable mobility solutions (connections between municipalities or isolated population centres, adaptation of urban roads, etc.).

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

• Building rehabilitation projects must achieve a reduction of at least 30% in non-renewable primary energy consumption.
• Project implementation must begin from the date the call is awarded, and the subsidised activity must necessarily be completed before August 31, 2026.
• It may be arranged through tendering to third parties for the execution of the rehabilitation.
• Projects that do not comply with DNSH will not be eligible for funding.
• Applicants must demonstrate compliance with budgetary stability objectives.
• Justifying less than 75% of the project cost will result in the total loss of the right to payment or, where applicable, the repayment of the grant awarded.
• Incentive effect. Projects may not have started on the date the application is submitted.
• Compatible with other grants.

ELIGIBLE COSTS

• Costs of the works supervision (site management).
• Implementation costs of the civil works associated with the action and installation assembly costs.
• Purchase of equipment, materials, species and other necessary goods or equipment.
• Expenses necessary to provide technical capacity and contract the provision of services for the alignment or adaptation of local regulations to the project:
• Costs of managing the grant application.
• Costs of drafting technical projects.
• Costs of drafting technical specifications and administrative clauses for public contract tenders.

TYPE AND INTENSITY OF SUPPORT

Non-repayable grant, up to 100%, with the option to request advance payments.

The maximum amount of the grant to be awarded per application will be determined based on the total cost of the project.

• Block A: Projects – estimated budget between €30,000 and €100,000 –> Only applications submitted by city councils of municipalities whose latest municipal budget does not exceed €300,000.
• Block B: Projects – estimated budget between €100,001 and €500,000.
• Block C: Projects – estimated budget between €500,001 and €1,500,000.
• Block D: Projects – estimated budget between €1,500,001 and €4,000,000.

Budget allocation:

• Block A: €1,000,000.
• Block B: €20,000,000.
• Blocks C and D: €35,000,000 each.

• For city councils of municipalities whose latest municipal budget exceeds €5,000,000, the total of the grants received for all selected projects may not exceed €5,000,000.
• For city councils of municipalities whose latest budget is below €5,000,000, the maximum eligible amount for all selected projects will be equivalent to their latest municipal budget.
• For jointly submitted applications, the maximum eligible limit will be the sum of the amounts corresponding to 50% of the municipal budgets of each municipality in the group, association of municipalities, county, consortium, provincial council or single-province autonomous community, and in no case may it exceed €6,000,000.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Pending publication of the call.

Deadline for submitting applications: two months from the day the Call is published on the Just Transition Institute’s e-office (https://www.transicionjusta.gob.es/).

25/01/2022