BUILD UP Skills – National Platforms on energy efficiency skills for the clean energy transition
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value. After 22 years, €3.4 billion and 4.170 projects, the LIFE Programme continues to finance actions for the environment and climate action.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
BUILD UP Skills aims to address the shortage of qualified professionals needed for the clean energy transition in Europe’s construction and renovation sectors. Its objective is to increase the number of skilled blue- and white-collar workers able to deliver energy renovations, nearly-zero energy buildings, energy efficiency measures and the integration of renewable energy systems in buildings.
The initiative supports national platforms that bring together public authorities, training providers, construction sector organisations, building professionals and other stakeholders. These platforms help improve coordination, identify skills gaps, update national skills roadmaps and design targeted upskilling and reskilling actions.
The topic aims to build on these national platforms to strengthen awareness, cooperation and training at national level. It also seeks to promote energy efficiency professions, attract more people to these careers, support certification and training schemes, and help Member States meet EU requirements under the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive.
Detailed Call Description
The topic focusses on eligible countries not having yet updated their national skills platform and roadmap.
Proposals should carry out the following activities.
- (re)establish the national skills platform and secure involvement of key stakeholders. A good starting point could be the work supported under the Intelligent Energy Europe programme during which a first group of national stakeholders was mobilised, but this should be expanded, also considering other energy efficiency professions listed under Article 28(1) EED.
Proposals should clearly explain the starting point for the proposed activities, e.g. the needs and constraints of relevant stakeholders, as well as elaborate on any previously established national platform or network (e.g. structure, composition, lessons-learnt).
The platform should operate as a permanent structure gathering national experts from all relevant stakeholder organisations, including, but not limited to government authorities responsible for education and energy, professional chambers, education and training providers, trade unions and academia.
The platform should focus on bringing to light the skills dimension of the clean energy transition to the relevant policy makers and decision-makers from the private sector, and run regular thematic working groups with relevant stakeholders, focused on specific issues.
There should be a clear objective to institutionalise the national skills platform based on formalised coordination mechanisms to align efforts and pool resources between major national stakeholders.
Digital platforms can be supported only if relevant to the project activities and appropriately supporting a coordinated approach of all relevant actors at the national level.
- carry out skills intelligence activities (including evaluation of the effectiveness of any previous national roadmap, market research, data collection, analysis of existing labour statistics and databases, targeted interviews with national stakeholders, participatory workshops, surveys…) to provide a comprehensive analysis of the national building, energy efficiency and education sectors, as well as a detailed mapping of the gaps in terms of workforce (occupations), skills and qualifications. The resulting ‘status quo analysis’ should cover initial education, vocational education as well as higher education.
- design a national roadmap to address the identified gaps and barriers. The national roadmap should notably include: a set of priority measures related to the various professions to meet the defined targets; an action plan including implementation timing for the identified measures; an identification of actors, resources and financing needed to drive the implementation; synergies with support mechanisms increasing the demand for skills in the energy efficiency sector, such as one-stop shops for homeowners or public procurement rules; measures and indicators to monitor the implementation of the proposed activities.
- promote widely the results of the status quo analysis and the measures in the roadmap and make the necessary arrangements to pave the way for the roadmap’s implementation. Proposals should notably include activities ensuring the official endorsement of the roadmap by relevant national stakeholders, including public authorities.
- design and conduct a large-scale national communication and awareness raising campaign aimed at 1) promoting the contribution of skilled professionals to the clean energy transition; 2) making the case for the upskilling of energy efficiency professionals; and 3) attracting more people to energy efficiency professions, specifically for those occupations and skills where a gap has been identified by Member States in the national reports submitted under the Article 28(6) EED and in the national roadmap and action plan developed, when appropriate.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
95%
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Employment
- Energy
- Environment and Climate Change
- Industry
- Public Administration
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Associations
- Businesses
- Central Government
- Chambers
- Educational Institutions
- Employees
- Employers
- Legal Entities
- Legal Entities under Public Law
- Local Authorities
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Services Providers
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
- Trade Unions
- Training Centres
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme
- the coordinator must be established in an eligible country
Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register — before submitting the proposal — and will have to be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation). For the validation, they will be requested to upload documents showing legal status and origin.
Other entities may participate in other consortium roles, such as associated partners, subcontractors, third parties giving in-kind contributions, etc (see section 13 of the Call Document).
Indicative list of eligible entities:
- Public authorities, training providers, construction sector organisations, building professionals and other stakeholders
- building sector, especially targeting SMEs, including microenterprises
- government authorities responsible for education and energy, professional chambers, education and training providers, trade unions and academia
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Department of Environment
Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
www.lifecyclamen.com.cy
Persons to Contact
Marilena Papastavrou
Environment Officer, National Contact Point for Environment
Telephone: +357 22 408 926
Email: mpapastavrou@environment.moa.gov.cy
Chrystalla Papastavrou
Environment Officer, National Contact Point for Climate
Telephone: +357 22 408 962
Email: cpapastavrou@environment.moa.gov.cy