What is the Renewable Energy Community Prize?
The Prize celebrates European communities that are pioneering new ways of organising and governing their collective energy future.
Launched by the European Commission, the Prize will recognise ten outstanding energy communities that have developed creative, inclusive, and effective governance models. These may include new participatory decision-making processes, equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, or innovative collaborations between citizens, local authorities, and local enterprises. This initiative celebrates pioneering approaches that ensure fair participation, transparency, and collaboration – helping to build resilient, citizen-driven energy systems for Europe’s sustainable future.
By rewarding Energy Communities’ innovative governance structures and management of renewable energy assets, the prize aims to inspire other Energy Communities to improve their operations and implementation activities and to foster social innovation in contributing to stop climate change.
Who can apply?
Energy communities can take the form of any legal entity, including an association, a cooperative, a partnership, a non-profit organisation or a limited liability company. Only energy communities with up to 10,000 members as of 1 January 2026 will be eligible.
Energy community must however fall under the EU definitions of “Renewable energy community” or “Citizens energy community”.
The legal definition of “Renewable energy community” is defined under Article 2 (16) of Directive (EU) 2023/2413 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001
The legal definition “Citizens energy community” can be found under Article 2 (11) of Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity
Legal entities constituted as cross-border communities are also eligible to apply for this prize.
Background
Across Europe, renewable energy communities are reshaping the way citizens produce, share, and govern clean energy. These communities bring together people, local authorities, and businesses to generate and manage renewable energy – such as solar, wind, or hydropower – within their own territories. By collectively owning and operating energy assets, members share both the benefits and responsibilities of a more democratic energy system.
What began as grassroots initiatives in the 1980s has now evolved into a vital part of the EU’s clean energy transition. With the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package (CEP) in 2019, the European Union formally recognised the right of citizens and communities to participate directly in the energy market. Today, thousands of energy communities across Europe involve nearly a million citizens. Yet challenges remain: regulatory complexity, limited financing, and the need for governance models that are both efficient and inclusive. The social dimension – how communities make collective decisions, share benefits, and engage diverse stakeholders – is often the key factor that determines long-term success.
Why is there a prize?
The goal is to spotlight best practices that make community energy not only cleaner, but fairer and more democratic – showing how collective governance can strengthen trust, empower citizens, and accelerate the energy transition. Winners will serve as European champions of citizen-led energy innovation, inspiring others to build resilient, socially inclusive energy communities across the EU.
Award criteria
Applicants are expected to demonstrate how the energy community they represent address the following award criteria.
- Inclusivity of the governance structure: addressing the issues of gender balance, membership diversity and solution to inequalities
- Internal governance processes: covering the aspects of innovative financing, mechanisms for representative governance, members participation and engagement with local authorities
- Regional/local transition: links into territorial plans, activities related to regional policies
- Other innovative approaches: efforts to integrate the energy community into the broader energy system, alignment with local sustainable energy and climate action plans or other relevant environmental related plans and cost saving initiatives
How proposals will be assessed
Proposals will be assessed by a jury composed of experts specialised in energy communities in Renewable Energy Technology (RET), from internal staff or external experts. A score will be given against each award criteria. Proposals will then be ranked according to the highest score.
Prize values
The prize budget is €1 million (€1 000 000) to be awarded to up to ten winners as follows:
- 1st place: €350 000
- 2nd place: €200 000
- 3rd place: €100 000
- 4th place to 10th place: €50 000
How to Apply
You will need to submit your application via the Funder and Tenders portal from 20 of January onwards (submission and link will be available on this date). You must apply with the provided application forms.
* Note that the submission page on the Funding and tenders portal displays a different prize name for the prize (Renewable Energy Technology (RET) Solutions in Energy Communities), but this is indeed the correct link for the Prize for Governance Innovation in Energy Communities.
Timeline
The prize will be launched on 10 December 2025 at the Citizens Energy Advisory Hub event.
- 20 January 2026: Opening of the contest
- 25 June 2026: Deadline for submission
- June-November 2026 : Evaluation phase
- November - December 2026: Announcement of results (tentative)
Contact
rtd-ec-prize-energy-communities
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (rtd-ec-prize-energy-communities[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)