7th EUKI’s call for climate action project ideas is open – hurry up and apply

Climate action project ideas from the European Union and the candidate states in the Western Balkans can get grants of up to EUR 1 million in this year’s call by EUKI.

The European Climate Initiative (EUKI) has launched on November 25, the seventh call for project ideas to accelerate climate action in Europe.

Nonprofit organizations from civil society, academia, the private sector, education and municipalities can apply until January 13, 2023.

There are seven categories for submissions

According to EUKI, each selected project will receive from EUR 120,000 to EUR 1 million. The duration of the financing period may be from 18 to 29 months, the organization said in the call.

The projects need to fit into one of seven categories: climate policy, energy policy, socially just transition / just transition, climate-neutral mobility, climate-friendly financing, sustainable economy, and CO2 removals and sinks.

Target countries

The target countries are located in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece) including Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and six Western Balkan states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia).

The majority of an EUKI-project funding (>50%) must be allocated to implementers and partners in the target countries.

EUKI said it aims to support the process of achieving climate neutrality in Europe and that it aligns its activities with EU-level priorities.

EUKI has already invested EUR 79 million in European climate action

Projects that will be selected to receive the support support should be in line with the objectives of the Fit-for 55 and REPower EU packages. They should strengthen the role of civil society in climate action at the local or regional level, said EUKI.

Over the past five years since its foundation, EUKI has invested EUR 79 million in European climate action via 179 projects. It networks more than 360 organizations, municipalities, schools, public authorities and universities involved in implementing climate action targets across the EU.

Selection procedure in two rounds

The first stage of the process envisage preparation of a project outline in English, indicating the issue to be addressed, project goals and planned measures. These must be submitted by the deadline using only the online application tool on the EUKI website. On the basis of the available budget and the selection criteria defined in the information on financing, applicants with promising project outlines will then be asked to develop and submit a full project proposal in the second stage.

In the second round, shortlisted organisations will be asked in writing to submit a full project proposal. This proposal must be submitted within approximately four to six weeks.

Information sessions on proposal development will be offered to the organisations selected. It is provisionally scheduled to take place in June 2023.

Projects which are not selected for financing will be notified via email.