The assessment of applications submitted within the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Programme under calls for proposals:

• Improved energy efficiency in school buildings
• Development of high-efficiency industrial and professional cogeneration

financed by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and the state budget was successfully completed.

Improved energy efficiency in school buildings call aroused great interest. 214 applications were submitted for the total amount of the requested grant over PLN 870 million (approx. EUR 202 million) – thus the available allocation (PLN 86.31 million, i.e. EUR 20 million) was exceeded more than ten times. The Programme Operator (Ministry of Climate and Environment together with the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management) has made every effort to select the best projects among many submitted, the implementation of which will bring the highest social and environmental effect.

A positive substantive assessment and recommendation for co-financing were obtained by 164 projects. The available funds allowed for inclusion on the main list of 23 projects in which the total amount of co-financing granted is over PLN 85.5 million (i.e. over EUR 19.8 million), while the remaining 141 projects were placed on the reserve list.

Among 23 projects placed on the main list 9 were submitted in partnership with an entity from Norway.

Due to the lack of sufficient funds to support all projects, which obtained 93 points and were placed at the same place on the list, the Selection Committee (during the meeting which took place on September 23, 2021) recommended and the Programme Operator approved their ranking. Firstly, on the basis of the points obtained in the criterion Raising the energy standard of the building towards almost zero energy (N-ZEB) and then in the criterion Participation of partners from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. As a result, three out of five of the above-mentioned projects were put on the main list and the remaining two on the highest position on the reserve list.

NFEP&WM starts signing project agreements with Beneficiaries from the main list. Applicants of projects from the reserve list, in case of additional funds or savings in the Programme, will be invited to sign agreements. In such a case, the date of eligibility of expenses will also be the date of the decision published below.

49 applications were submitted within the call Development of high-efficiency industrial and professional cogeneration in which total grant was over PLN 598 million (i.e. over EUR 138.6 million). Also in this call total requested grant exceeded available allocation (initially amounted to approx. PLN 172.6 million i.e. EUR 40 million). Many ecologically valuable applications were submitted.

Thanks to additional funds from so called Programme reserve and savings from other completed energy calls it was possible to increase allocation for cogeneration – at the end it amounted to over PLN 181.7 million (i.e. over EUR 42.1 million).

Eventually, a positive substantive assessment obtained 37 projects. Among them 11 were put on the main list,  the rest on the reserve one. Available funds have not been sufficient to ensure full co-financing of four projects from main list that gained 88 points. Points received in criteria corresponding the most with the call goals did not allow to rank above mentioned projects. In this situation, the Selection Committee recommended and Programme Operator approved to decrease requested grant proportionally in all four mentioned applications. As a result, projects from the main list are granted total allocation available in the call (approved co-financing amounts to approx. PLN 181.7 million i.e. EUR 42.1 million).

NFEP&WM starts signing project agreements with Beneficiaries from the main list. Applicants of projects from the reserve list, in case of additional funds or savings in the Programme and provided the compliance with applicable legal provisions might be invited to sign agreements. In such a case, the date of eligibility of expenses will also be the date of the decision.  

Please find below lists of projects approved to co-financing by decision of Mr. Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński (decision date: 13.10.2021), Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and the Environment – for calls concerning energy efficiency in schools and high-efficiency cogeneration.