The ELENA facility provides technical assistance grants for the design and implementation of energy efficiency, building integrated renewable energy investments and innovative urban transport.
In 2025, we signed a record €47 million in grant financing with project beneficiaries. In total, ELENA has provided €374 million in grants across 206 projects throughout the European Union, supporting investments of over €12.7 billion, as of end 2025.
ELENA is a joint initiative by:
What we offer
We provide technical assistance grants for public and private entities, covering up to 90% of the project’s preparation costs. Our support focuses in the following three areas:
Energy efficiency
We support the preparation of projects that improve energy efficiency and renewable energy use in buildings. Such projects include:
- energy efficiency in residential and non-residential buildings
- energy efficiency in production facilities from small and medium-sized businesses and midcaps
- building-integrated renewables, such as solar panels
- public lighting
- district heating, including combined heat and power plants, and biomass boilers
- smart grids
We support investment programmes above €30 million with a three-year period.
Residential sector
We help private individuals and homeowner associations prepare and implement energy efficiency renovations and renewable energy projects for residential buildings, targeting privately and publicly owned:
- single-family buildings
- multi-family buildings
We support investment programmes above €30 million with a three-year period.
Sustainable transport
We provide technical assistance grants to innovative transport and mobility projects that save energy and reduce emissions. We particularly support:
- projects that promote the use of alternative fuels in urban mobility, such as converting vehicle fleets from diesel to electric and hydrogen-fuelled
- investments in new, large-scale, energy-efficient transport and mobility measures in urban areas, for example tram lines
We support investment programmes above €30 million with a four-year period.
Eligibility
We can provide technical assistance to the following types of entities:
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, such as associations, banks and mixed public/private entities;
- other private associations, for example social housing associations and homeowner associations.
Projects receiving grants should not aim to generate profit.
Eligible activities for ELENA grants include:
- technical studies, energy audits
- business plans and financial advisory
- legal advice
- tendering procedure preparation
- project bundling
- project management
How to apply
Do you have a plan for a sustainable investment that could benefit from ELENA technical assistance? Contact us at elena@eib.org and use the pre-application form.
If your project meets the eligibility criteria and is selected for full appraisal, our experts will help you develop, refine and finalise a request for approval by the European Commission. At this step you will need to complete one of the following forms:
- ELENA application form for energy and residential projects
- ELENA application form for mobility projects
You will also need to fill 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.
Our projects
Completed projects
Find out more about the completed projects that received support by ELENA.
ELENA on the map
Our interactive map features the most relevant ELENA projects across Europe.
Highlights
Discover how ELENA helps public authorities and private entities implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transport projects.
Dig deeper
-
ELENA technical assistance
Making the most of the ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) facility.
-
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.
EIB advisory
