ICLEI Action Fund Greece is an initiative conducted by ICLEI with support from Google.org to foster data-driven environmental and climate action at the local level, driving tangible change in Greek cities.

About The ICLEI Action Fund Greece

The recently launched ICLEI Action Fund Greece will grant up to 275,000 EUR to projects in select Greek cities to support initiatives aimed at reducing city greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change. Through this granting scheme, we bring together projects committed to combating the impacts of climate change.

Eligible Cities

The funding scheme is targeted at cities that are part of the EU Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities, or are signatories to the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change. Eligible cities in Greece include: Areas of Athens (including Central Athens and Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni), Chalkis Heraklion (Crete), Ioannina, Kalamata, Kozani, Larissa, Thessaloniki, and Trikala.

Eligible Organisations

The call is open to civil society organisations, and research and academic institutions (non-profit) in Greece with a demonstrated commitment to climate action at the local level. Successful applicants should foster collaboration between local governments, contributing to a united front against the challenges posed by climate change.

Application Process

Interested organisations are encouraged to explore the eligibility requirements and submit applications before 29 February 2024 using this application form. The projects submitted for consideration should align with our focus areas of environmental and climate action. Emphasising key aspects such as sustainable mobility, energy-efficient buildings, solar energy, air quality management, and climate resilience, proposals should contribute to a just transition and align with cities' climate and smart city goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICLEI Action Fund Greece?

The Action Fund Greece is a granting scheme led by ICLEI Europe, with support from Google.org. The goal is to boost the development of data-driven environmental and climate action projects in Greece. Civil society organisations, academic institutions and non-profit research institutes are invited to participate and develop innovative projects in this field. This call will provide financial support of up to 275,000 EUR to projects that use open data from different sources, including data from Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE), to foster inclusive environmental and climate action at the local level. Private data can also complement projects and should be focused on non-profit, charitable or educational purposes.  

The call welcomes projects under the topic of environment and climate action, with an emphasis on the following fields: sustainable mobility, sustainable and energy-efficient buildings, solar energy development, climate adaptation and resilience, and air quality management. Projects should contribute to enhancing social and climate justice in the city of implementation, and be aligned with local and national policies for climate action.

What is the amount of funding?

Grants up to 275,000 EUR per institution/organisation, to be allocated in instalments.

Which cities are covered by the Action Fund Greece?

Civil society organisations, academic institutions, and non-profit research institutes in the following Greek cities are invited to apply for the Action Fund Greece:

• Athens
• Chalkis
• Heraklion (Crete)
• Ioannina
• Kalamata
• Kozani
• Larissa
• Thessaloniki
• Trikala
• Vari - Voula - Vouliagmeni (Athens Metropolitan Area)

What type of projects can apply?

The call is open for projects focused on environmental and climate action, with an emphasis on sustainable mobility, sustainable and energy-efficient buildings, solar energy, climate adaptation and resilience, and air quality management.

The Action Fund Greece welcomes projects that use data from different sources like Google EIE or others. Such projects should foster the use of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, etc for enhanced local climate action.

Is there a recommended grant size per project?

The Action Fund Greece will grant up to 275,000 EUR per project. Even though there is no minimum funding defined, the goal is to support the implementation of real action at the local level.

What type of data can be used in the project?

The Action Fund Greece welcomes projects that use publicly available data, which may be complemented with private data. The Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) tool is one example of data that can be used, although that is not mandatory. You can use as many datasets as you wish, as long as at least one of them is publicly available.

What is the Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE)?

The Google EIE aims to make the process of assessing an emissions baseline and identifying reduction opportunities easier for cities. Unique Google data sources and modelling capabilities allow users to more easily produce estimates of related activity, greenhouse gas emissions, and reduction opportunities in over 40,000 cities worldwide.

When will data from the Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) be available in my city?

The Google EIE is being updated continuously and, even though data for your city might not be publicly available in the tool, ICLEI Europe can provide you access to it. If you are interested in exploring the data further and would like more information, please contact us at actionfund@gmail.com.

Which costs are covered by the Action Fund Greece?

Please note that in general there are two main cost categories, that can be covered by the Action Fund:

1. Costs directly linked to the action:

• costs for employees (or equivalent)
• costs for natural persons working under a direct contract
• travel costs
• equipment costs
• costs of other goods and services
• subcontracting

2. Indirect costs (fixed overheads: rent, insurance, office expenses, etc.) are also partially   refundable. In addition, only reasonable and justified costs can be considered in the estimated budget of the action. To be reasonable and justified for the action planning costs must be:

• connected to the action
• entered in the estimated budget of the action
• in compliance with applicable national laws on taxes, labour and social security
• incurred during the action duration
• compliant with the principles of sound financial management, in particular regarding economy and efficiency

Furthermore, costs that can be covered depend mainly and directly on the described action and the estimated budget.

What indirect costs are covered by the Action Fund Greece? Are there any limitations in place?

Indirect costs are costs that are not directly linked to the action of the project, but are partially eligible for reimbursement. Indirect costs include costs frequently referred to as overhead expenses (e.g. rent and utilities) and administrative expenses (e.g. administration officers salaries, accounting department costs, etc.). In general indirect costs include administration, personnel and security costs.

In this call, a lump sum of up to 25% of the personnel costs, based on the actual and eligible* expenses can be covered by the Action Fund.

*in line with the Action Fund eligibility criteria

Does the organisation or institution applying for funding need to be based in and implement the project in one of the selected cities?

The organisation does not need to be based in one of the selected cities of the Action Fund Greece, but the projects need to take place in one of the selected cities and work with data from that specific city. Collaboration may be sought with a local NGO or other local non-profit organisation, to develop the project in that city. Furthermore, it is key that the project contributes to the sustainability goals of the city.

It is important that applicants demonstrate a good connection with and local knowledge of the city, either by demonstrating cooperation with local organisations or with the local government.

Can the NGOs, academic institutions and non-profit research institutes, which are applying for funding, partner with other actors on the project(s) they submit? If yes, under what circumstances?

Yes, consortiums with for-profit organisations are allowed. However, only civil society organisations, academic institutions, and non-profit research institutes are eligible to receive funding through the Action Fund Greece. By partnering with other types of organisations or external experts, these shall, to a limited extent, be subcontracted.

Is it possible to submit a proposal with more than one lead organisation?

No. The project can have as many partners as necessary but only one "lead organisation" that will act as project coordinator and be responsible for submitting the reports and receiving the funding and distributing it to the rest of the consortium as appropriate.

Can the Action Fund Greece be used to analyse data, or to make data publicly available?

The goal of the Action Fund Greece is to implement projects and actions on the ground. If data has to be treated so that it can be used for the implementation of a specific project, costs related to making the data available may be eligible. However, a project that only focuses on making data available or analysing data, without implementing any action, is not eligible for funding.

Which roles are envisioned for the local governments in the Action Fund Greece projects?

Municipalities can get involved in local Action Fund projects as supporters, service providers, sponsors or partners, having the opportunity to receive part of the funding in case of the latter. The Fund welcomes proposals that contribute to the cities’ just transition and climate goals.

Can a City be a partner in a project if it is not a direct beneficiary of the Action Fund Greece?

A City can be a partner in a project, but they cannot receive money directly from the Action Fund Greece. Only civil society organisations, academic institutions, and non-profit research institutes are eligible to receive funding through the Action Fund Greece. However, local governments are entitled to receive up to 15% of the total grant through the leading applicant organisation.

Are organisations partly or fully owned by the City eligible for funding?

Organisations that are partly or fully owned by the City are eligible to receive funding through the Action Fund Greece, as long as they are 100% non-profit organisations or research institutes. If you have questions about eligibility, contact us at: actionfund@iclei.org.

Is it possible to combine different sources of funding?

The Action Fund Greece is open to supporting projects at any stage of development that might require additional or complementary funding to be completed, as long as it is well justified and there is evidence that the funding will be used for specific deliverables and results. The fund is also available for project components or phases, as long as it is properly justified in the proposal. The projects or its phases to be funded by the Action Fund Greece should have tangible results, justification of the need for finance and alignment with the Action Fund Greece call.