This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020

research and innovation programme under grant agreement N° 864266

1st NESOI capacity building webinar: Results of the survey and eligibility criteria

Augusta Severino Clérisse – R2M Solution

Carola Bosio – R2M Solution

Andrea Martinez – SINLOC

Cristina Boaretto – SINLOC

Francesco Peccianti - RINA

Online

18/06/2020

A Brief Introduction to the NESOI Facility

Numbers and Stories (NESOI survey’s results)

NESOI Technical Assistance and Funding Mechanism

What are the Eligibility Criteria to benefit

from NESOI’s specific project structuring Technical

Assistance?

Next Steps and Q&A

2

CONTENTSA Brief Introduction to the NESOI Facility

Numbers and Stories (NESOI survey’s results)

NESOI Technical Assistance and Funding Mechanism

What are the Eligibility Criteria to benefit from NESOI’s specific project structuring Technical

Assistance?

Next Steps and Q&A

2

CONTENTS

3

A brief introduction to the NESOI facility

The European Islands Facility NESOI was kicked off in October 2019 and it will end in 2023.

NESOI performs and aims to have a big impact in both, EU level and Islands level.

NESOI supports EU islands energy transition process, facilitating the decentralization of

energy systems and contributing to EU policy in achieving 2030 targets.

60 selected islands will benefit from specific project structuring Technical Assistance

provided directly by NESOI’s professionals.

Capacity building information and toolkits will be provided EU-wide via a digital platform

and training workshops

NESOI will deploy technical assistance activities supporting feasible projects towards their

implementation and facilitating access to finance. NESOI will develop transparent technical,

social, economic and environmental criteria to select, via two competitive calls.

NESOI has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

4

NESOI IN TIMENESOI supports EU islands in their energy transition process, facilitating the

decentralization of energy systems and contributing to EU policy in achieving

2030 targets

Call for proposalsOctober 2020 + October 2021

Selection of beneficiaries

30+30

2/ 3/Technical assistanceFinancial resources and

technical support for feasible

projects – access to finance

SurveySurvey deployment

Mapping of islands projects

and needs

1/

Webinar

18th of June 2020

www.nesoi.eu

NESOI Surveya Human Centered Approach

5

One Survey, Two Sections

6

The first, “Island Level

Section” is devoted to

gather general

information on islands

The second, “Project

Level Section”,

This section is the most

relevant being strictly

related to projects

Numbers and stories: NESOI survey’s results

7

Numbers and stories: NESOI survey’s results

8

Island’s planning on energy transition and decarbonization.

9(SEAP) Sustainable Energy Action Plan, (SECAP) Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (CETA) Clean

Energy Transition Agenda

59,5% of the

involved islands do

not have a strategic

plan on energy yet.

Energy Agency support

10

Yes, a local agency that is

part of the Local Authority18,3%

Yes, at local level, but it is

independent from the Local Authority

7,0%

Yes, at regional level

17,6%

Yes, at national level

26,8%

No

30,3%

In general, islands can benefit

from Energy Agency support

at local or Regional or National

level able to provide a

balanced range of competences

amongst economic/financial,

procedural/legal, engineering,

RDI and program

management.

Awareness on public funds

11

Islands’

confidence

towards

private funds,

fiscal

incentives and

alternative

instruments

seems low

Islands’

awareness on

public funds is

considerably high

Projects’ development stage

12

The majority of projects

are at an early stage of

development: 49,4%

didn’t start the planning

activity and 22,9% is at

prefeasibility study

level.

This situation is also

linked to the fact

that 82,3% of projects

still needs to secure the

needed funds.

Types of barriers (technical, public perception,

organizational/institutional/legal/procedural and economic)

13

The highest percentages were given to:

“Lack of enough skilled workforce for O&M” for 36,9%;

“Possible esthetical or environmental impacts caused by the project” for 37,2%;

“Definition of roles in the project” for 40,8%;

“Legal complexity and / or procedural” for 36,8%;

“No additional own funds available” for 46,4%.

Some NESOI Insights

14

Almost all (91,6 %) of the projects listed in the survey are in need of Technical

Assistance. NESOI can certainly provide valuable support to islands answering tothe technical, legal & procedural and economic technical.

NESOI support in approaching and investigating new sources of funding

will be a key additional element.

Technical terms, acronyms and complex explanations prevent people from filing in

the Survey. NESOI is investing in simplifying the communication and supporting with advices any person having difficulties to answer to the survey.

Some NESOI Insights

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Practice and mastering of our capacity to adapt as a group is a strong insight from

this survey experience.

Empathy with all different actors is the heartbeat of NESOI to deal with the COVID 19 crisis.

Flexibility: The NESOI Survey still opened

Constant Reality check: Impacts of COVID 19 in surveys submited 2 monts ago, one to one on demand suport.

Using Desig Thinking to facilitate common understanding with partners, Project coordinator (Project Officer), Survey respondents and other.

Connecting, empathizing, facilitating understanding.

Healthy competition.

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One to one on demand support JUNE-SEPTEMBER 2020

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Follow-up on

questions from

webinars, support

projects and

finetuning,

clustering similar

requests,

connecting people,

supporting healthy

competition.

Target audiences representing EU islands

Online and offline versions, each available in 6 languages

Multipliers:Islands

associations and Clean Energy

Islands Secretariat

Social media and web promotion

Use of corporate and personal

channels

Individual contacts gathered through

island projects and various events

Channel 1

Local Authorities Municipalities Public companies

Format

Distribution channels

Target audiences

NESOI survey

Channel 2 Channel 3

We have learned that English language is not representative to the rest of UE

islands. We have a dedicated phone and email for those countries.

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NESOI’s partners: present, languages, cultural aspects and adaptability

Call for proposals

October 2020 + October 2021

2/

19

3/Technical assistance

Provision of financial

resources and

technical support

Survey

Survey deployment

Mapping of islands projects

and needs

1/

NESOI PROCESS

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS

CALL 2

OCTOBER 20213,1 mln €

30 beneficiaries

CALL 1

OCTOBER 20203,1 mln €

30 beneficiaries

TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE

ACTIVITIES

April 2021-

April 2022

PROJECT ACTIVATIONAND IMPACTS

PROJECT ACTIVATION

AND IMPACTS

TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE

ACTIVITIES

April 2022-

April 2023

1/

2/(*)

(*) To be validated based on the results of the First call

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BENEFICIARIES STEPS

PREPARATION OF THE

PROJECT-HELPDESK

APPLICATION EVALUATION RESULTS

CONTRACT SIGNING

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

GRANT + ADVISORY

1 2 4 53

10-12/202006-09/2020 02/2021 03-04/2021 04/2021-04/2022

1/

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

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MAXIMUM OF 120 K€

PER FINAL BENEFICIARY

60k€ grant fundingfor local experts – local competences

60€ k advisory servicesprovided by the Nesoi Consortium

TA activities funded by grant and advisory services provided by the

Consortium will always be combined and deployed together (input-output)

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THE SURVEYA strong support is needed in order to prepare the projects to be deployed and

to support growth and recovery in the Islands

115

93

37

23 19 22

No planning Prefeasibility study Early stage design Executive design Permitting Procurement

Number of projects per implementation status

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NESOI SUPPORTNESOI will define some Technical Assistance menus: each candidate will apply for

one of them,each menu will combine grant funded activities and advisory services

TO BE CONFIRMED

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MENUS

Drafting energy transitionroadmap/iSEAP

1

Support to LAs for tendering procedures (in PPP)

3

Feasibility study and due diligence

2

Business planningand fund matching

4

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Drafting energy transition

roadmap/iSEAP

Feasibility study and

due diligence

Support to LAs for tendering

procedures

Business planning

and fund matching

Define a roadmap for energy

transition, projects and

indicators

Analyse the sustainability of

projects

Launch tenders and contracts

for project deployment

Support the access to financing

opportunities

Engagement and commitment

Relevant but

incomplete documentation

Design and feasibility study

completed

Detailed documentation (tech,

legal, ecofin)

OBJECTIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MENUBACKGROUND

NEEDS/INFORMATION

PR

OJEC

TS

PLA

NEach Menu will have specific objectives and the needed background information will

be different based on the status of the project

EXAMPLE

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Menu #1

▪ There’s a strong commitment to define a

plan for energy transition in the islands

▪ Some ideas have already been considered,

but a comprehensive plan is still missing

▪ Concrete projects must be defined, the

coherence with other plans must be

verified, monitoring indicators must be

defined

DRAFTING ENERGY TRANSITION ROADMAP/ISEAP

EXAMPLE

▪ Understanding island dynamics

▪ Identification of the baseline

▪ Energy balance definition

▪ Identification of transition paths

▪ Engagement of local stakeholder

▪ Development of draft roadmap/iSEAP

▪ Impact assessment

▪ Review and feedback from stakeholders

▪ Final version of iSEAP

▪ Transition roadmap

▪ Review progress planning

THE ISLAND NEEDS WHAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COULD DO

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Menu #2

▪ Local promoters wants to develop a project

▪ Some preliminary studies have already been

performed

▪ A comprehensive analysis has not been done

yet

OR

▪ A project has already been analysed and

defined but a detailed analysis must be

performed, for example in order to present

this project to a potential investor

FEASIBILITY STUDY AND DUE DILIGENCE

EXAMPLE

▪ Analysis of the project (Tech/NoTech)

▪ Interaction with local stakeholders

▪ Collection of existing documentation

▪ Collection of additional doc/ data needed (e.g. grid monitoring)

▪ Double check of documentation with local stakeholders and visit

▪ Assessment of compliancy to regulation

▪ Assessment of the workplan

▪ Impact assessment (econ/env/grid)

▪ Final reporting and mitigation measures proposal

THE ISLAND NEEDS WHAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COULD DO

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Menu #3

▪ The project has already been defined, i.e. a

large scale project for energy efficiency on

public lighting

▪ The Local Authority needs some help in

order to perform some technical analysis

and to prepare the documents needed, such

as tender and contracts

SUPPORT TO LAs FOR TENDERING PROCEDURES

▪ Energy audit analysis and baseline definition

▪ Definition of the tendering procedure

▪ Drafting Tender documentation (tender / technical specifications, draft contract)

▪ Assistance before the tender (administrative documents, agreement among entities involved in the tender)

▪ Support during the tendering (i.e. answering questions)

▪ Support in the awarding process and contract signing

THE ISLAND NEEDS WHAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COULD DO

EXAMPLE

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Menu #4

▪ The project is defined, several studies have

been performed: technical analysis, business

plan, procedures are defined

▪ Local authority or project promoters don’t

know if some funds are available, and need

support in scouting financial opportunities

OR

▪ they know that some funds are available,

but further support is needed in order to

access to finance, i.e. in preparing relevant

documentation

BUSINESS PLANNING AND FUND MATCHING

▪ Data collection and understanding of the needs in terms of financing

▪ Business planning

▪ Info Memo preparation

▪ Scouting of potential investors

▪ Short list definition

▪ Setting the dialogue with potential investors

▪ Final report on investors’ availability

THE ISLAND NEEDS WHAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COULD DO

EXAMPLE

How to be prepared?

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Review the status of planning for energy transition in your

islands

Analyse the status of deployment of your energy transition

projects

Collect preliminary and useful information

• Available documentation, status of project design

• Status of procedures

• Expected investments and funding sources

Focus on the needs of technical assistance

• Activities

• Timing

• Expected costs

• …

What are the eligibility criteria to benefit from NESOI’s specific project

structuring Technical Assistance?

31

NESOI is about to publish D3.1 – “Definition of the Eligibility Pre-Requisites” is to describepre-requisites that projects and their promoters must meet to be eligible for NESOIsupport.The intention of NESOI was to define objective and transparent eligibility criteria, keepingtheir number at the minimum that ensures quality of the proposals and compliance withobjectives of EU targets for islands’ decarbonization.The eligibility requisites presented in the document have been identified through adiscussion among NESOI Consortium members and thanks to a constant dialogue with theEuropean Commission.

Evaluation criteria are under definition and they will be presented in correspondence with

the call publication: high level information are already included in the above mentioned

document. The evaluation system and criteria to award most meaningful project will be

clearly presented.

Eligibility criterium #1 – Support thresholds

32

As a general rule, each project can receive NESOI support up to a maximum threshold of60,000 € in form of grant and 60,000 € in form of technical and financial assistance fromNESOI partners (hereafter referred as NESOI Support).Each beneficiary can receive NESOI support up to a maximum threshold of 60,000 € in formof grant and 60,000 € in form of technical and financial assistance from NESOI partners

Why: based both on EC rules and to support a wide number of projects and islands,balancing among the number of projects and the support to be given

Tip: NESOI expects that projects requiring a minimum support of 50,000 € (as a combinationof cascade funding and technical assistance) and being characterized by an indicativeleverage of 20x (calculated as per EIB definition in ELENA Facility ) would allow addressingappropriately project objectives . Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission andselection of proposals foreseeing a different requested contribution or characterized by adifferent leverage.

Eligibility criterium #2 – Location

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In order to be eligible for NESOI support, projects must be located:• on an island belonging to one of the Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU)

and UK, including their outermost regions but excluding Overseas Countries andTerritories (OCT) which belong to a Member State but do not form part of the EU territory;

• on an island with maximum area of 30,000 km2, in order to have as eligible all islandsexcept for large nation-scale ones (i.e.: Ireland and Great Britain); it is highlighted thatislands belonging to these nation-scale islands are, on the other hand, eligible.

Why: This criterion applies to the actual location where the project will be realized; thismeans that the project promoter, i.e. the beneficiary of the support, may also be basedelsewhere (on the mainland or on another island) but the project should be deployed on anisland, which have to be clearly identified in the proposal by the promoter.

Tip: There is no limit to the number of projects per island that can apply for NESOI support.Each project will be evaluated independently: therefore, it is not advisable to apply to NESOIwith many small projects being part of a bigger one.

Eligibility criterium #3 – Beneficiaries

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All the public and private legal entities established in the Member States of the EuropeanUnion, including their Outermost Regions, are eligible.All kinds of legal entity established in Overseas Countries and Territories linked to theMember States, as well as out of the EU are excluded.

It is especially highlighted that to be eligible, private companies must provide a positiveimpact on islands' energy transition and have a support letter from a relevant publicauthority and must be:• operating own assets on an eligible EU island;• operating assets of public interest on an eligible EU island with concession from the

relevant public authority for the realization of the intervention.

Tip: both single entities and consortia can apply to NESOI, being the support limited, eachrole should be clear, private companies should seek the endorsement/support of localauthorities whenever relevant

Eligibility criterium #4 – Type of projects

35

All kinds of energy transition-related projects are eligible for NESOI support.

This criterion includes, but it is not limited to: Production of energy from renewablesources; Energy efficiency interventions on assets (buildings, lighting systems, etc.); Realization/Improvement of energy storage systems; Improvement of the existing electricity grid; Realization/improvement of District Heating and Cooling networks; Energy-related waste and water management actions; Implementation of sustainable mobility solutions; Improvement of energy monitoring and management; Energy auditing and analysis, energy planning.

Tip: NESOI will give priority to the support of projects characterized by:• large impact in terms of energy savings, GHG emissions, etc.;• high potential for replicability in other islands;• high leverage in terms of investment mobilized with the received support.

→ To be highlighted in the evaluation criteria

Eligibility criterium #5 – Timing of Projects

36

As concerns timing, investments for projects receiving NESOI support must be mobilized by the end of NESOI project, i.e. September 2023.

Why: The aim of these criteria is to support projects that can be effectively implemented in a reasonable time-span, can achieve the expected impacts and showcase replication potential and best practices to encourage energy transition on additional EU islands.

Eligibility criterium #5 – Timing of Projects

37

As concerns timing, investments for projects receiving NESOI support must be mobilizedby the end of NESOI project, i.e. September 2023.

NESOI eligibility criteria are different according to the complexity of the project and to itsdevelopment status at the application stage:• for projects requiring a permitting/authorization, this should already be obtained at the

moment of application;• for any kind of project, the launch of the tender (where needed) or the signature of the EPC

contract or equivalent shall take place after the award of NESOI grant;• for actionable projects promoted by public authorities, the launch of the tender shall take place

after 6 months after the end of the support provided by NESOI, and in any case by the end ofNESOI project;

• for actionable projects promoted by private entities, the signature of the EPC contract orequivalent shall take place after 6 months after the end of the support provided by NESOI, and inany case by the end of NESOI project;

• for high-level planning activities, the public promoter shall officially commit to the identifiedactions through an official deliberation and/or the identification/obtainment of financialresources for their implementation in the period 2021-2030 .

Eligibility criterium #6 – Impact

38

As a general rule, in order to be eligible for NESOI support, projects must have aminimum “size” to have an impact on the energy systems of the island or island clusterson which they are located.In order to be eligible for NESOI support, projects need to achieve a positive impact in atleast two of fields relevant to the areas of Energy Transition (primary energy savings,reduction of GHG emissions, improvement of local environmental conditions, mitigationof energy poverty)*.

Tip: Project promoters are requested to declare the presence of benefits in the above-listed fields and to provide a quantitative estimation of those impacts. However, it ishighlighted that quantitative aspects are not evaluated in the eligibility check phase butonly in the subsequent evaluation phase.

Exceptions to this general rule apply for infrastructural projects (and more in general to“enabling technologies” according to the EC definition*) and for analyses and studies, i.e.support in energy planning, for which impact exists but is not directly correlated to thetechnical assistance.

*All definitions and references to EU laws, standards and publications will be available in the document

Eligibility criterium #7 – Compliance with EU Norms

39

In order to be eligible for NESOI support, project promoters are requested to attach aDeclaration of Honour about the compliance with EU Norms and Regulations*.

These Norms and Regulations include: EU Environmental principles; EU Procurement norms; EUState Aid legislation; Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on theassessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (the 'EIADirective'); Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora(Habitats Directive); assessment of effects on Natura 2000 sites; Directive 2000/60/EC of theEuropean Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the fieldof water policy (Water Framework Directive); principles and standards of the EIB Environmental andSocial Standards; all applicable national and EU-level legislation on environmental, social and health& safety aspects.

Tip: By participating to the NESOI call, the applicant accepts – if awarded of NESOI support – to be potentially subject of audits and control activities by the European Commission.

*All definitions and references to EU laws, standards and publications will be available in the document

Eligibility criterium #8 –Legitimacy/Honourability

40

In order to be eligible for NESOI support, project promoters are requested to attach aDeclaration of Honour about the absence of situations of exclusion as listed in Article136(1) of the EU Financial Regulation*.

A non-exhaustive list of such situations includes:• Bankruptcy;• Criminal offences;• Subject to insolvency or winding up procedures;• Breach of obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions;• Violating intellectual property rights;• Subject of a final judgement as guilty of fraud, corruption, etc.

Tip: By participating to the NESOI call, the applicant accepts – if awarded of NESOI support – to be potentially subject of audits and control activities by the European Commission.

*All definitions and references to EU laws, standards and publications will be available in the document

Eligibility criteria #9 #10 – Language and submission system

41

English is the official language for NESOI open calls.Submissions written in any other language will not be evaluated.

Why: NESOI is a multinational consortium with diverse competencies, the evaluators will come from different countries.

Only proposals submitted through the NESOI Facilitating Platform within the Callduration limits will be accepted. Proposals submitted by any other means will not beevaluated.Only the documentation included in the application will be considered by evaluators.The information provided should be actual, true and complete and should allow theassessment of the proposal.

Eligibility criterium #11 – Absence of Conflict of Interest

42

Applicants shall not have any actual or/and potential conflict of interest with the NESOI selection process and during the whole duration of the project.

If the absence cannot be met and a conflict of interest is present, this must be declared so that NESOI consortium can try to adjust the composition of the proposals’ evaluation committee accordingly.

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NEXT STEPS and Q&A

• JUNE/ JULY: Replication of the

1st webinar at national regional level

(in 6 languages)

• JULY: 2nd International capacity

building webinar (Presentation of the

platform, announcement of the first

call, evaluation criteria, self check).

Followed by replication (6 languages)

• AUGUST NESOI summer plan: Repeat

the 2nd International capacity

building webinar late August for

those who have missed the July

webinar.

WEBINARS

Drafting tenders and definition of

selection pre-requisites starting

from established evidence

Focus on projects: ready-to-start,

coherent with the sector, with

leverage effect 10-20x

1° call – October 2020

2° call – October 2021

CALL FOR PROPOSAL

JUNE/ JULY/ AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2020 OCTOBER 2020

WEBINARS/ WORKSHOPS

• SEPTEMBER : 3rd capacity building

International webinar (Instructions to

fill the call, Presentation of the

platform)

• SEPTEMBER: Replication of the

3rt webinar at national regional

levels.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020

research and innovation programme under grant agreement N° 864266

Email: nesoi@sinloc.com

Website: www.nesoi.eu

Twitter: @nesoi_energy

Instagram: @nesoi_energy

LinkedIn: NESOI – New Energy Solutions

Optimised for Islands