ELENA provides technical assistance for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments targeting buildings and innovative urban transport.
ELENA is a joint initiative by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission under InvestEU.
A team of experts, consisting of engineers and economists with extensive experience in the energy and transport sectors, lead the ELENA facility.
Established in 2009, the ELENA facility has awarded more than €296 million of EU support, mobilising an estimated investment of around €9.5 billion (as of end 2023).
A joint initiative by:
Who is eligible
Public sector
- EU Member States
- Government organisations
- Regional, local and municipal authorities
- Public corporations
- Financial institutions
Private sector
- Private entities planning to develop and support eligible investments (associations, mixed public/private, banks etc.)
- Other private associations (social housing associations or homeowner associations).
ELENA technical assistance projects should not be profit making.
Who is eligible
Activities eligible for ELENA grants include:
- technical studies, energy audits
- business plans and financial advisory
- legal advice
- tendering procedure preparation
- project bundling
- project management
Three envelopes
ELENA provides support to three different sectors and for that purpose, three different envelopes were developed:
Energy efficiency
ELENA supports the preparation of projects that improve energy efficiency and renewable energy use in buildings. Eligible projects include:
- energy efficiency in residential and non-residential buildings
- building-integrated renewables (such as solar panels)
- public lighting
- district heating (including combined heat and power plants and biomass boilers)
- smart grids
Sustainable residential
We help private individuals and homeowner associations prepare and implement energy efficiency renovations and renewable energy projects for residential buildings. Projects include:
- Single family buildings;
- Multi-family buildings;
- Social housing.
Urban transport and mobility
We also support innovative transport and mobility projects in urban areas that save energy and reduce emissions. Eligible projects include:
- Investments to support the use and integration of innovative solutions that promote alternative fuels in urban mobility, such as vehicles and refuelling infrastructure.
- Investments to promote the wide-scale rollout of new, more energy-efficient transport, which in urban areas can take many forms, such as shared mobility, urban logistics, intelligent transport systems, urban infrastructure (including investments in soft mobility, or mobility that does not involve motorised transport.)
Investment programme size
Typically, ELENA supports investment programmes above €30 million with a three-year implementation period for energy efficiency (residential projects included) and four-year period for urban transport and mobility. ELENA encourages and supports the aggregation of different projects to increase the attractiveness for contractors and financers.
How to apply?
- To submit an initial proposal for funding, contact us directly by email at elena@eib.org and use the pre-application form.
- If your project meets the eligibility criteria and is selected for full appraisal, the ELENA team will support you during the next steps of the application process, during which you need to complete one of the following application forms:
- ELENA application form for energy and residential projects
- ELENA application form for mobility projects
And the declaration by the applicant.
By submitting the declaration you agree to ELENA’s Privacy Policy
The European Commission will provide the final approval based on our assessment.
More information about ELENA and its eligibility criteria are also available in our FAQ.
Projects that have received grants
The summary of each ELENA project is available under our ongoing and completed projects lists.
ELENA on the map
The interactive map shows you the most relevant ELENA projects in Europe.
Highlights
Discover how ELENA helps public authorities and private entities implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transport projects.
How to make an old castle on a hill cozy and warm
Ljubljana’s public buildings were cold, leaky and expensive to heat. The ELENA programme financed a Slovenia energy efficiency makeover.
Tipperary cleans up the dust and creates low-energy superhomes
Many Irish residences are heated with dirty coal fireplaces. The ELENA programme brings Tipperary energy efficiency and clean homes
Energy efficiency: Trams gain traction in Denmark
Aarhus becomes the first Danish city to boast a tram system that provides increased mobility and saves emissions.
Dig deeper
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ELENA technical assistance
Making the most of the ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) facility.
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European Investment Bank Solutions for energy efficiency - 10 years of European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA)
The European Local Energy Assistance facility provides assistance for energy efficiency, renewable energy and innovative transport investment projects.
Stay up to date
- Croatia: EIB and HBOR to enable easier access to energy efficiency loans to businesses and municipalities
- President Hoyer calls for immediate and swift action towards a “net-zero” emissions economy
- Energy efficiency gets boost as ELENA celebrates ten-year anniversary
- More European funds available to support energy efficiency in residential buildings
- Belgium: with the EIB and ELENA, the RenoWatt project, energy for jobs, opens to all Wallonia