Secretariat Technical Assistance to Regions in Transition (START)

Typical applicants are public administrations or civil society organisations. We particularly welcome applications from smaller regional actors, such as municipalities, groupings of municipalities, and civil society organisations that actively contribute to transition processes at regional, local, or community levels. This does not, however, preclude cooperation with national-level authorities or inclusion of other relevant regional and local actors as potential recipients of START support.

The application form and guidelines will be accessible on this webpage from 17 October 2022. Completed applications will be accepted through to 16 December 2022.

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of representatives of the European Commission and the Secretariat, under the leadership of the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER). The final selection of applications to receive support and indicative allocation of resources to each applicant will be made by European Commission Services.

Applications will be assessed in two-steps: the first step will assess if the application fulfils basic requirements to be admissible for consideration, and the second will prioritise applications and make a final selection.

Those who apply by the 16 December 2022 deadline should be notified of the outcome of the assessment process by no later than March 2023.

The Secretariat will contact successful applicants to co-design a programme of technical assistance and capacity-building activities. This includes:

1. Reviewing needs. The Secretariat will undertake a ‘light-touch’ review of regional/local needs with to validate or, where appropriate, adapt the request for technical assistance detailed in the application. This will be framed within the context of existing strategies and governance arrangements, technical assistance and support, and any existing project pipeline. As part of the review, it is envisaged that advisors from the Secretariat will undertake a short visit to the region, including initial discussions with the intended recipients of support to clarify needs and capacities to make use START services.
2. Design of tailored workplan for delivery and receipt of support. A tailored workplan will be developed with the applicant, detailing the package of support activities and outputs to be provided. The workplan will include proposed resource allocation and timeline for delivery.
3. Workplan adoption. The (draft) workplan will be shared with DG ENER, for comment and subsequent endorsement. The workplan will then be agreed upon by the Secretariat and the applicant in the form of a service level agreement (SLA) for delivery of Secretariat support.
4. Delivery of Secretariat support. Technical assistance will be delivered in accordance with the agreed workplan. Assistance will include a mix of face-to-face and online services, which may include visits, ongoing dialogue, webinars, desk analysis and research, combined with specialised expert advice. Delivery of services is expected to start in spring 2023.

START may, for example, be used to help build local capacity to develop a comprehensive transition strategy or pipeline of projects, or it may provide advice on specific topics such as transition governance, involvement of stakeholders in transition-related decision-making processes, or cooperation with neighbouring regions. By way of illustration, START can provide support in areas such as (non-exhaustive list):

• analysis of regional challenges, opportunities, and priorities
• identification and dissemination of good-practice and lessons from comparator regions that are undergoing or have undergone similar transitions
• stakeholder consultations leading to a strong degree of involvement and ownership
• capacity building for regional and/or local administrations and/or civil society groups
• design of transparent, inclusive, and efficient governance and partnership processes
• formulation / enhancement of strategies for a just energy transition and economic diversification
• identification and prioritisation of transition-related projects and creation of project pipeline
• development of initial project fiches and related action plans (roadmaps)
• identification of financing opportunities for the pipeline of transition projects
• communications support to engage and inform stakeholders on the local energy transition process.

START provided support to the Government of the Principality of Asturias (Directorate-General of Energy, Mining and after-coal Development) and the Regional Energy Agency (FAEN) for the development of a regional energy transition strategy and for the identification and prioritisation of transition-related projects.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• Energy Strategy to 2030 with a Decarbonisation Path to 2050 in Asturias: Logic, Structure and Prioritisation Briefing Paper
• START Project fiche template
• Estrategia de transición energética justa de Asturias (Just energy transition strategy for Asturias)

START provided support to the Jiu Valley Partnership for Just Transition (representing the six territorial units of the Jiu Valley) for the identification, design, and development of priority transition projects, alongside assessing the accompanying governance and capacity development requirements for promotion and implementation of transition projects.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• From Strategy to Action: Delivering a Just Transition in the Jiu Valley, today and tomorrow (EN / RO)

START provided support to the Government of Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) and the Association for the development of the Microregion Sokolov – East. The support focussed on the following main thematic areas: employment opportunities and future skills needs; renewable energy supply and energy efficiency prospects; and viable approaches to sub-regional economic development and employment creation.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• Good practice examples of regional and sub-regional strategies in coal regions in transition: a working paper to stimulate innovative thinking and comparison of potential approaches amongst policy makers and practitioners informed by strategic good practices across a diverse set of regions undergoing change
• Employment creation opportunities and future skills requirements in the Karlovy Vary region - Part I: short-term opportunities
• Employment creation opportunities and future skills requirements in the Karlovy Vary region - Part II: longer-term opportunities
• Renewable heating solutions and energy efficiency in the building sector in karlovy vary (Presentation)
• Approaches to local development and job creation at the sub-regional level (Presentation / Background document)

START provided support to the Marshal Office of Małopolska Region and to various promoters of local transition projects to help develop demonstration transition projects in mining municipalities.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• Workshop on transition lessons and capacity development for local government - Presentation (EN / PL)
• Local Government, Clean Energy Production and Energy Clusters: a report on the options for developing energy clusters to promote decarbonisation of the energy system in western Malopolska (EN / PL)
• International experience of implementing revitalisation projects on former mining and industrial sites: Lessons for the project “Revitalization of the closed Coal Mine Brzeszcze Wschód [East] with its surroundings” (EN / PL)
• Co-ordination and partnership to promote revitalisation of multiple former coal mining sites - Insights from Limburg, Belgium (EN / PL)
• Transformation is female - START workshop on the role women should play in just transition (EN / PL)

START provided support to the Just Transition Plan Technical Secretariat to assess opportunities to build on local assets to create a new economy in Megalopolis. Support focussed on: employment and skills; micro-entrepreneurship and start-ups; investment attraction and technology transfer; and governance and capacity-building.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• Building on local assets to create a new economy: A report on the municipality of Megalopolis and eligible area

START provided support to the Midlands Regional Transition Team for the identification of transition projects and the planning and coordination of transition-related activities. The support focussed on: community consultation; transition project identification and assessment; employment opportunities and skills needs; and transition planning and monitoring.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• Midlands engagement process document: produced to support the submission/registration of transition projects, this document provides guidance on the process of registration and eligibility criteria for projects and programmes. Also, in the context of energy transition and development in the Midlands Region, it contains information on opportunities and emerging economic activities in rural communities, together with examples of innovative and community-led rural development projects.
• Briefing paper: Future employment and skills in the Irish Midlands
• Midlands pathway to transition: a framework for planning and co-ordinating change in the short and longer-term.

START provided support to the Marshal Office of Silesia Voivodeship for the development of a method (framework) for the identification, assessment, and prioritisation of options for the rehabilitation and repurposing of mining and other brownfield sites.

• Regional profile: analysis of the relevant socio-economic and industrial context.
• Transformation Options Framework: Guidance for identification and assessment of options for the transformation of former mining and industrial sites (EN / PL)