A new call is now open to receive START technical assistance from the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition. Submit your application by 23 February 2024!
Application form and guidance documents are available here.
What is START?
START provides tailored support to assist efforts to decarbonise energy production and usage, diversify economic activities, and progress social development in regions and communities that are affected by the transition away from fossil fuels. It is intended to fill gaps and complement other technical assistance and capacity-building instruments.
Why START?
The Secretariat for Coal Regions in Transition has been providing EU coal+ regions with targeted technical assistance for five years. START builds on that extensive experience, as well as the expertise garnered from the Secretariat’s dedicated international arm, which links up with just transition efforts across the world. Opportunities for exchange with peer regions and the wider coal+ community are embedded as part of START delivery.
Who can apply?
Typical applicants are public administrations or civil society organisations. Applications are particularly welcome from smaller regional actors, such as municipalities, groupings of municipalities, and civil society organisations that actively contribute to the transition process at regional, local, or community levels. This round of START will particularly welcome assignments related to local and regional aspects of energy transition, such as community-based renewable energy projects and energy communities, energy efficiency, development of capacity and governance mechanisms to support energy transition at sub-national levels, repurposing of local and regional assets to facilitate energy transition, etc.
A number of technical assistance programmes are now available to coal+ regions! This represents clear recognition of the crucial and unique position that coal+ regions hold in Europe’s path towards being the world’s first climate-neutral continent. Stakeholders are welcome to apply for more than one technical assistance programme.
Where to begin?
Visit the START webpage to access: the application form, application guidelines, a one-page START Summary Document available in nine languages, and information about previous START recipients and what they accomplished.
If you have questions about START and the application process, please email secretariat@coalregions.eu (use the subject line “START: query”). Potential applicants can also request a short (30 mins) consultation discussion about their application – please contact us with the subject line “START: consultation request”.
The START application form and guidelines are now available here. Completed applications will be accepted through until the 23 February 2024 deadline.
