EU funds, particularly the Horizon 2020 and Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programmes,
have been key in producing strategic climate and sustainable energy actions such as
networking, capacity building and development of innovative management models and
financing schemes.
Non-profit organisations such as renewable energy associations, think-tanks, citizen-owned
energy initiatives and local and regional authorities have been extremely active and
successful in conceiving of projects which trial new technological and social innovations;
promote market uptake of renewables and energy efficiency; spread best-practice
examples; and contribute to the real-world deployment of the energy transition.
These projects have been feasible, in part, through the possibility to get full project
financing through Horizon 2020. If those non-profit organisations were required to cofinance their participation in these EU projects, their participation would not be financially
possible due to the fact that these organisations rely on basic core-funding, for example
from fees from members who themselves are small market actors.

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