The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro hereby publishes a Public Call for the selection of one local self-government unit (LSGU) that will participate in the preparation of the project proposal in the part relating to the pilot activities for the project. SE-COMM – Together for Smart Energy Communities – Building capacities for a sustainable futurewhich is being submitted for funding under the Second Call for Proposals of the Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021–2027.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The SE-COMM project brings together partners from four countries:
- LP: Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- PP1: Union of Municipalities of Montenegro
- PP2: Association of Municipalities and Cities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- PP3: City of Makarska (Croatia)
The objective of the project is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen energy efficiency through the development and testing of energy community models. The planned pilot activities will include: the installation of solar panels, heat pumps, LED lighting, or other types of equipment aimed at achieving greater energy efficiency (hereinafter referred to as EE equipment) on public facilities owned by local self-government units., te izgradnju kapaciteta for the planning, establishment, and management of energy communities.
WHO MAY APPLY?
All local self-government units in Montenegro that belong to the programme area (the Capital City of Podgorica, Danilovgrad, Nikšić, Tuzi, Zeta, Cetinje, Kotor, Herceg Novi, Tivat, Budva, Bar, and Ulcinj) are eligible to participate, provided that they have:
- appropriate public facilities suitable for the installation of EE equipment in their ownership (minimum of 2 facilities);
- strategic documentation in the field of renewable energy sources (RES) and/or energy efficiency;
- interest and capacities to participate in the development of energy communities;
- person(s) responsible for the implementation of energy efficiency activities at the local level.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Interested local self-government units (LSGUs) should fill out the application which forms an integral part of this call and should be submitted to the email address simona.boskovic@uom.co.me no later than by May 7, 2025, at 3:00 PM.
If you have any questions, please contact us at the following email address simona.boskovic@uom.co.me no later than May 5, 2025, by 12:00 PM, and you will receive a response by the end of the business day.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Strategic readiness – existence of relevant plans and documents (maximum 30 points);
- Infrastructure readiness – availability of publicly owned facilities suitable for investment (maximum 40 points);
- Human resources and institutional capacities – an “Energy Manager” or another person/department/unit appointed to monitor energy efficiency (maximum 10 points);
- Experience in similar projects (cross-border/Interreg/transnational cooperation projects implemented through EU-funded programmes) (maximum 10 points);
- Readiness to finance the preparation of documentation for the implementation of pilot activities (maximum 10 points).
Applications will be evaluated by an expert Commission, and the local self-government unit (LSG) with the highest number of points according to the established criteria will be selected and included in the project proposal as a pilot municipality for the installation of energy efficiency (EE) equipment. with a value of up to €100,000 on at least two public facilities and for testing the energy community model. In the event that two or more applications receive the same number of points, priority will be given to the local self-government unit (LSG) with a lower development index.
The selected local self-government unit (LSG) will subsequently be required, for the purpose of project documentation preparation, to provide proof of ownership of the facilities where the activities will be implemented.
In the event that the project is approved for funding, the selected Pilot Municipality will be required to appoint a contact person responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pilot project (whose engagement costs cannot be covered by the project), and after the project implementation, to ensure the maintenance of the equipment and the long-term sustainability of the investment.
The pilot investment will be implemented exclusively if the project proposal is approved for funding. Otherwise, the Union of Municipalities shall have no obligations towards the selected Pilot Municipality under this Public Call.
