Brussels time
LIFE is the EU’s funding programme dedicated to the environment and climate action.
This call aims to support the upskilling of building professionals across Europe.
Launched in 2011, the BUILD UP Skills initiative is supporting the upskilling of building professionals across Europe, to deliver building renovations offering high energy performance as well as new nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEBs). This effort needs to be sustained through the rollout of ambitious training and qualification interventions aligned with the EU Green Deal, the EU’s 2030 climate objectives as well as the EU’s long-term strategy of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The main objective is to increase the number of skilled building professionals at all levels of the building design, operation and maintenance value chain. The focus is on the skills needed to enable the Clean Energy Transition, in particular the EU Renovation Wave, the EU Solar Energy Strategy, the Communication on Digitalising the Energy System – EU action plan, as well as the implementation of the provisions on skills as part of the Fit-for-55 package.
The topic is in line with the Pact for Skills in construction which plans to upskill and reskill overall at least 25% of the workforce of the construction industry in the next 5 years, to reach the target of 3 million workers. In addition, the topic aims to leverage synergies with the upcoming initiatives on digital skills for the energy transition addressed in the framework of the Communication on Digitalising the Energy System.
Proposals should develop, test, validate and prepare the deployment of new and/or the upgrade of existing training and qualifications for all types of professionals involved in the building value chain ('blue collars' and/or 'white collars' professionals), as well as for professionals active in other sectors than buildings renovation. To ensure a successful deployment phase, the proposed training and qualification schemes should be tailored to the specificities of the national markets targeted.
The main focus of proposals should be on continuous vocational education and training (or professional training) of professionals, i.e. after their initial, compulsory education and training or after they have entered working life. This includes the retraining of professionals from other sectors with skills transferable to construction and building renovation. Proposals are also encouraged to address other parts of education and training (e.g. initial education and training, higher education), provided this is justified based on needs detected in the countries targeted. All professional profiles involved in the building value chain, at all educational levels (European Qualification Framework levels 1-8) can be validly addressed. Proposals do not need to address all profiles and educational levels but should clearly justify the choice of the profile(s) and educational level(s) targeted.
The proposed action should address one of the following thematic areas:
1. Skills development and deployment supporting the implementation of core provisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
2. Skills development and deployment supporting the decarbonisation of the building stock
3. Skills development for small-scale renewable energy deployment and energy system integration
4. Development and delivery of innovative on-site training methods (especially for on-site workers/ craftspeople) as part of renovation projects, in cooperation with product manufacturers.
5. Skills development and deployment for the implementation and effective operation of integrated home renovation services (or one-stop-shops), providing coordinated and coherent responses to the needs of building owners at each step of their renovation journey.
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must be legal entities (public or private bodies) and be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
Proposals may be submitted by a single applicant from a single eligible country.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR 1 million to EUR 1.5 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
Brussels time
