The Project will commence implementation of the Roadmap established and endorsed under Pillar I Build Up Skills project in the Czech Republic. Specifically, the project will implement measures 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 of the Roadmap. Moreover, the project will continue (as follow up to BUS StavEdu project) in implementing the Roadmap established and endorsed under Pillar I Build Up Skills project in Slovakia. Specifically, the project will focus on measures 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 and 2.6 of the Roadmap. The Project will set up in the Czech Republic the national qualification and training scheme for craftsmen and on-site workers in the field of energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources in buildings. It will also develop the training offer delivered via Slovak national scheme STAVEDU. Capitalising on the language proximity, the project will facilitate transfer of know-how and experience from the STAVEDU and Train-to-NZEB (H2020 GA no. 649810), as well as Fit-to-NZEB (H2020, GA no. 754059 ) projects between Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Particularly the project will lead to: • Development of 7 training programmes for further education and training of craftsmen and on-site workers in the field energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources of buildings. • Development of on-site training course based on the training course developed by CrossCraft project (IEE project BUS Pillar II); • Development of training courses for further education and training of craftsmen and on-site workers in the field energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources of buildings; • Setting up permanent network of trainers delivering the programmes developed under the project; • Training of trainers for delivery of the programmes; • Development of e-learning programme for targeted craftsmen and construction professionals in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia; • Proposals to governments for incentives boosting demand for highly qualified workers.

The Train-to-NZEB project is designed to establish a functioning network of training and consultation centres (Building Knowledge Hubs, BKHs), providing practical trainings, demonstrations and complex consulting services for the implementation of nearly-zero energy buildings (NZEB). Using the improved training facilities, the BKHs will provide enhanced capacity for conduction of trainings on curricula developed on BUILD UP Skills II, thus reaching a significant number of workers not covered by the initiative. Additionally, BKHs will offer trainings for highly-qualified building professionals and demonstrations for non-specialists with decision-making authority, which, combined with administrative and financial consultancy service, will result in increased capacity for implementation of NZEB projects in the involved countries. In order to reach this goal, the following objectives are set: 1. Development of publicly available Terms of Reference for the setting up of the BKHs; 2. Adaptation of existing and development of new training programs; 3. Actual setting up of 4 training and consultation centres (BKHs) according to the Terms of Reference; 4. Building of internal capacity through train-the-trainer activities, targeting at least 90 qualified trainers; 5. Actual training courses according to annual training plans, resulting in: (a) 120 training courses for construction workers, targeting additional qualification of 2400 trainees; (b) 24 training courses for highly-qualified building specialists, targeting additional qualification of 480 trainees; (c) 36 training courses for non-specialists, targeting additional qualification of 720 trainees; 6. Strict monitoring and evaluation for constant improvement of the offered services. 7. Setting up of a web-based networking platform providing facilities for knowledge sharing and exchange between the BKHs; 8. Conduction of a targeted dissemination and communication campaign to increase the market demand for NZEB projects.

Many citizens, particularly in nascent green building markets, make suboptimal decisions in the design and construction choices for renovation approaches and new home purchases due to a fear of bank financing. Borrowing sufficiently to bring forward necessary resources to build homes properly both reduces citizens’ “Total Cost of Monthly Ownership” (loan payment plus energy, health and repair costs) while unlocking a critical increase of construction budgets facilitating ownership of the greenest, high-quality homes. Financing Green Homes with the borrower subject to lower monthly operating costs is less risky to banks which provide discounted credit without harming profits. The SMARTER project effectively communicates the benefits of Green Homes to citizens and other key stakeholders to bring a systemic solution to a systemic problem that inhibits the financial industry to design and offer green finance products and the citizens to understand and request them. SMARTER replicates a successful “Green Homes and Green Mortgage” program to 12 new countries, addresses barriers and brings green innovation with relevant research and cluster formation, adapts essential tools for administration and communication, and effectively expands collection of actual energy and financial performance to improve risk analysis with local data. Public investment is leveraged and ambitious green EU targets are supported as banks, developers, and green solution providers all contribute budgets to increase private financing for building exemplary homes. The SMARTER “Green Homes Investment Platform” guides new programs to a suitably ambitious, common definition of green investments and facilitates institutional investment by collaborating with ongoing initiatives including EeMAP and EEFIG; aligning with EC objectives such as “Mainstreaming Energy Efficiency Finance” and advancing the Financial, Technical and Behavioral de-risking championed by “Smart Finance for Smart Buildings".

CapaCITIES 2.0 is designed as a support action for national and regional authorities to advance their governance structures for providing dedicated support for cities to achieve the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission (EU Cities Mission) - answering to the Call HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-02-01. As a central initiative to foster and strengthen national narratives for the EU Cities Mission, it will coordinate actions across climate-neutral initiatives for cities in Europe, align and speed up efforts towards the goals of the Mission. CapaCITIES 2.0 will further shape a European environment conducive to urban climate neutrality transitions for national, regional and local authorities. It will initiate and strengthen national change processes to establish and mature national networks and platforms as well as multi-level governance in the entire EU, building on the experience of the CapaCITIES that already started setting-up national platforms in 15 EU countries. It provides dedicated support for public authorities to put enabling conditions and measures for cities in place to achieve the EU Cities Mission. Thereby, it contributes to reach (1) Increased preparedness and capacity of national, regional and local authorities in EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe to engage in cities’ transition towards climate neutrality; (2) Improved ability to effectively address country-specific challenges and barriers for cities to achieve climate neutrality related to current regulatory frameworks, funding and financing, and governance structures and promotion of best-practices through transnational exchanges and sharing of experience and (3) Enhanced synergies with R&I national/international communities, relevant initiatives, and partnerships such as the ‘Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future’ Horizon Europe Partnership and the NetZeroCities – the EU Mission Platform(NZC) for the implementation of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.

Reaching of the 2020 and 2030 energy and climate objectives represents a major challenge to the construction sector, which needs to be ready to deliver high energy performing renovations and, in particular, nearly zero-energy buildings. This goal requires a major effort to increase the number of qualified construction specialists at all levels, which is directly related to the accessibility and quality of the training and educational programmes and the inclusion of training on intelligent energy efficiency and RES solutions in building renovation. Responding to these needs, the project is designed to: (i) Elaborate a set of technological competences and learning outcomes on deep energy renovation; (ii) Develop new large scale training schemes and programmes on deep energy renovation at all levels of the vocational education and training (VET) system; (iii) Review the national educational plans and initiate the necessary changes; (iv) Establish capacity for professional training of trainers and train a sufficient number of trainers; (v) Support and monitor pilot courses on the new programmes on deep energy renovation at all levels. The leading objective of the Fit-to-nZEB project proposal is to deliver all necessary requisites for the introduction of educational content on deep energy renovation of buildings in the curricula at all levels of the educational and training system in Southeastern Europe. This will be done both through incorporation of new educational content in existing curricula and through the development of new specialized programs. This process will be guided by the understanding of the complex nature of building retrofit, combining various building disciplines and allowing integrated design and cross-craft understanding with special focus on practical exercises and demonstrations. An essential element of the project is the creation and deployment of certification schemes and accreditation procedures corresponding to the EQF.