akaryon has been involved in the development of digital platforms to support energy communities for several years. The latest project of this kind is the Energy Communities Facility. The kick-off took place in September 2024.

Current project: Energy Communities Facility – supporting energy communities in the development of business plans

There will be two open calls: the first in June 2025 and the second in September 2026. The program is aimed at initiatives from all EU member states, Iceland, and Ukraine. In addition to financial support, tailored capacity-building programs will be offered to assist energy communities in the startup phase.

Additionally, information on funding opportunities, best practices, legal frameworks, and one-stop shops will be shared. The project also aims to provide inspiration for member states to replicate such initiatives at the national level.

The project is being implemented by a consortium of experienced organizations and builds on previous initiatives such as the Energy Communities Repository and the Rural Energy Communities Advisory Hub.

akaryon is developing the website and platform for the application and funding management of the Energy Communities Facility. The website is already online and was launched in early March 2025:

Other consortium members alongside akaryon are:

• Coordinator REScoop.eu, a European Federation of Renewable Energy Cooperatives
• Energie Cities, a coalition of European cities in the energy transition
• FEDARENE, a European network of regional and local organizations focusing on energy and environmental policy
• GNE Finance, specialized in financial solutions for energy-efficient and sustainable building renovations
• Ecorys, an international consulting company for economic, social, and spatial development
• Ricardo, a provider of strategic consulting in the fields of energy transition, sustainable mobility, and environmental engineering

Also involved is a network of 29 national experts who connect with local initiatives.

Previous project: Energy Communities Repository – Support and monitoring platform for the development of energy communities

One of the previous projects aimed to establish and operate a consulting and information hub that monitors the legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks for energy communities and collects data on the development of energy communities across the European Union. Additionally, it was designed to offer guidance on setting up energy communities and share best practices from across Europe.

akaryon’s task was to set up and operate a project website, including an interactive map of energy communities across the European Union. A database and the required structure were also provided. Additionally, Akaryon contributed its expertise to other parts of the project, such as technical support and capacity building.

Also in this project, akaryon collaborated with REScoop.eu, Energie Cities, and FEDARENE, as well as with the Florence School of Regulation – Energy & Climate (European University Institute), part of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence.