Handbook of project funding

This handbook aims to help housing providers, municipalities, SMEs and other relevant partners (henceforth “promoters”) plan to renovate social and affordable housing, public or private, to prepare their financial strategy and find suitable sources of financing.

The handbook outlines the possibilities for financing social and affordable housing renovations, notably at the district-level. It critically enumerates the public (EU or in some Member States) or private available financing. For clarity, these were divided into the different possibilities afforded in the current policy landscape, including:

1. Direct investment,
2. Public funding to leverage private investments,
3. Public grants,
4. Debt financing,
5. Equity, and
6. Alternative schemes to attract private financing (such as project bundling, risk-sharing
facilities, etc.).

The handbook also includes advisory services for project preparation and financial advice, namely through the EIB – Elena Facility, the European City Facility and the Technical Assistance of the European Energy Efficiency Fund. Within the aforementioned scope, it proceeds to provide valuable insights into the type of projects that can be financed, the financial products available and how housing providers, municipalities and SMEs can access them.

In order to provide a comprehensive insight into the financing sources detailed in this funding mapping, we present specific real-world cases as illustrative examples. These cases aim to offer readers a practical understanding of how particular financial instruments have been effectively utilized to fund specific projects. While the majority of these examples revolve around social housing renovation projects, in a few instances where specific cases related to social housing were unavailable, we have included instances focusing on energy-efficient home renovation projects. These additional cases serve as valuable references to demonstrate the practical application of the discussed mechanism.

Download here the Access to Funding Handbook