PR South-East 2.1.B: €44.5 million for public buildings with ELENA projects, deadline 30 December

The South-East Regional Programme 2021-2027 has opened the non-competitive call PRSE/2.1/B/2/2026, with EUR 44,503,529 to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings in the region. Only public entities that have signed partnership agreements with ADR South-East under the ELENA project "Energy Efficiency for Public Buildings South-East" (SEEE-PB) can apply. Projects, with a minimum value of EUR 150,000, must be submitted in MySMIS2021 by 30 December 2026, 14:00.

In brief

• Programme: South-East Regional Programme 2021-2027, Priority 2, Action 2.1.B – Improving the energy efficiency of public buildings
• Authority: ADR South-East, the Managing Authority of the PR South-East
• Beneficiaries: local authorities (UAT), local and county public institutions and services, state educational institutions and partnerships between them, only if they have a partnership agreement with ADR SE under the ELENA project (SEEE-PB)
• Total budget: EUR 44,503,529 (ERDF and state budget), of which EUR 38,600,000 ERDF
• Value per project: minimum EUR 150,000; own contribution of at least 5% of eligible costs
• Submission period: 30 June 2026, 10:00 – 30 December 2026, 14:00, via MySMIS2021
• Status: call open, non-competitive (launched on 4 June 2026)

Who can apply?

The call is dedicated to projects whose technical documentation was prepared through the ELENA (European Local ENergy Assistance) facility, managed by the European Investment Bank. Through this project, ADR South-East has supported local public authorities and universities in the South-East Region with energy audits, technical expert reports, technical and economic documentation for intervention works (DALI) and technical verifications.

Therefore, the basic condition is a partnership agreement signed with ADR SE under the SEEE-PB project. Within this framework, the following can apply:

• administrative-territorial units (communes, towns, municipalities, counties);
• local or county public institutions and services;
• state educational institutions, from pre-school to university level;
• partnerships between these entities.

Public buildings are eligible, including those with historic monument status. A town hall without an ELENA agreement cannot apply to this call, however well prepared the project may be.

What is funded?

The main eligible activities are:

• thermal rehabilitation of building elements;
• building management systems (BMS);
• rehabilitation or modernisation of electrical and lighting installations, only as an investment included in the energy efficiency works;
• energy audit;
• installation of alternative systems for producing energy from renewable sources, except biomass.

In addition to the core investment, auxiliary actions can also be funded, up to 15% of the eligible value of the costs under chapters 1, 2, 4 (points 4.1–4.6) and 5 (point 5.1.1) of the funding application budget. The limit rises to 20% if the project includes building structural strengthening measures.

The call page does not set a maximum ceiling per project. For the energy saving thresholds and the full list of ineligible costs, check the applicant's guide. According to ADR South-East, the technical solutions proposed in the ELENA documentation must deliver primary energy savings of at least 40%.

How and by when do you apply?

Funding applications are submitted in MySMIS2021 between 30 June 2026, 10:00, and 30 December 2026, 14:00. The call is non-competitive: projects are not ranked against each other but checked as they are submitted. In the version put to public consultation (30 January – 27 February 2026), evaluation and contracting were carried out within each county's allocation. The final selection rules are those in the guide published at launch.

The applicant provides at least 5% of the eligible costs, plus the project's ineligible costs.

What this means for your institution

Our recommendation for ELENA partners: do not leave submission until the end of December. There are about three months left until 30 December, and a funding application for energy renovation needs local council decisions, approval of the technical and economic indicators based on the DALI, and proof of co-financing in the budget. All of this depends on the council meeting calendar, so schedule them now.

Common pitfalls we see in projects like these:

• The DALI prepared through ELENA no longer matches the situation on site or current prices. Update the general estimate before approving the indicators.
• Auxiliary actions exceed the 15% or 20% ceiling. Calculate the percentage strictly on the chapters specified in the guide.
• Inconsistencies between the energy audit, the DALI and the indicators in the funding application.
• Documents on the right of administration or ownership of the building are missing, especially for schools and subordinate institutions.

If your institution does not have an ELENA agreement, this call is not for you. You can use the eligibility check to see which other programmes suit the public buildings you manage.

Frequently asked questions

Can any town hall in the South-East Region apply?

No. Only public entities that have signed partnership agreements with ADR South-East under the ELENA project "Energy Efficiency for Public Buildings South-East" (SEEE-PB), through which the buildings' technical documentation was prepared, can apply.

What is the minimum value of a project?

The minimum funding is EUR 150,000 per project. The official call page does not mention a maximum value. The applicant contributes at least 5% of eligible costs.

Can photovoltaic panels or heat pumps be installed?

Yes. Systems for producing energy from renewable sources are eligible as part of the energy efficiency project, except those using biomass.

Until when can projects be submitted?

Until 30 December 2026, 14:00, in MySMIS2021. Submission opened on 30 June 2026, 10:00.

Are historic monument buildings eligible?

Yes. The guide includes public buildings with historic monument status among the eligible buildings, provided that the applicant is a partner in the ELENA project.

Official sources

• ADR South-East – Call launched: 2.1.B Improving the energy efficiency of public buildings (PRSE/2.1/B/2/2026)
• Applicant's guide 2.1.B – ELENA projects, June 2026 (.zip archive)
• ADR South-East – ELENA project "Energy Efficiency for Public Buildings South-East"
• ADR South-East – Call 2.1.B under public consultation

Information checked on 2 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.