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Intelligent Energy: Europe Programme

The Intelligent Energy Europe II (IEE2) Programme (the successor of the Energy Framework Programme 1999–2002 and Intelligent Energy) is one of three pillars under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP). Running from 2007 to 2013, IEE2 has a budget of €727 million. The programme is structured into three areas:

• SAVE – This field of action is aimed at addressing improvements in energy efficiency and the rational use of energy. In particular it focuses on the building and industry sectors.
• ALTENER – Actions under this section aim to promote the use of new and renewable sources of energy and assist in their integration into the local environment and energy systems.
• STEER – This supports initiatives relating to all energy aspects of transport, including the diversification of fuels and the more efficient use of energy in transport.

(Under IEE there was an additional thread of COOPENER. This programme focused on capacity building and training in developing countries, with the aim of promoting renewable sources and energy efficiency. In particular support is directed towards developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific under the EU Energy initiative for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. This thread has now moved to become a Thematic Programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and will be managed by AIDCO.)

Within these four fields the programme organises the activities it wishes to fund, into both vertical and horizontal key actions, with these actions being further defined through specific target areas. The vertical key actions are specific to each field of the programme (SAVE, ALTENER, STEER, COOPENER), while the horizontal key actions are trans-sectoral covering several fields without one field being anymore dominant.

The IEE Programme has two broad objectives: to promote energy efficiency and to increase the share of renewable energy sources. The programme aims to encourage the evolution, demonstration and take-up of energy-efficient products and services and renewable energy sources. It will be an incubator for policies and measures to promote renewable energy technologies and rational use of energy in the EU.

The programme will fund projects that support the development and implementation of medium and long-term energy policy and can contribute to the legislative process and development of other policy measures. Instruments to monitor and evaluate the impact of national and EU-wide measures will also be supported. Projects that bring about short-term behavioural change in energy consumption will also be eligible in view of their contribution to longer-term policy.

Three different funding mechanisms are used, for which funding up to 50 per cent will be available for most projects and 100 per cent in a few cases. These are call for proposals, call for tenders, direct subventions, and concerted actions. Call information will be published on the European Commission’s website CORDIS.

BERR & DEFRA fund the Energie Helpline to give advice on applications to the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) & the Intelligent Energy Europe 2 Programme. For more information, visit the Energie Helpline UK website.

Alternatively, you can call the Helpline on 0161 874 3636.