This year marks the closure of the
GRASPINNO Interreg MED Green Growth modular project. From 2016 to 2019, GRASPINNO provided innovative green e-procurement solutions supporting energy savings and the efficient refurbishment of public buildings in order to sustain the emergence of Mediterranean smart cities and communities. GRASPINNO aimed to improve the capacity of public authorities to manage the energy efficiency of public buildings and to strengthen the capacity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enter the green energy market. The project connected 12 partners located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, France, Greece Italy, Spain and Slovenia.
Indeed, mainstreaming solutions for energy efficiency in the built environment is key to achieving the targets of the EU Green Deal and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. 80% of the EU’s buildings in 2050 already exist now, which is why boosting their energy efficiency and supplying them through renewable energy sources is an essential step towards achieving the targets of these European frameworks. At the global level, GRASPINNO’s efforts also contributed to moving towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDG 7- Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
By emphasizing the replicability, transferability and leverage effect of the project’s results, GRASPINNO ensured the transfer of smart, low-cost and sustainable solutions to public authorities and SMEs in the entire MED region. Working together with public and private stakeholders, the project tested its methodology on 13 pilots within 28 public buildings located in 5 countries. The pilots achieved a total reduction in energy consumption of approximately 10%. GRASPINNO also created an online platform to centralise the information needed by both public authorities when preparing a public procurement process and for SMEs to showcase their green energy products and solutions. This platform comprises three tools for green public procurement:
- A database that assists public authorities in setting green energy requirements within their procurements and allows SMEs to propose solutions to meet these targets;
- An electronic Green Public Procurement (eGPP) Support Tool that offers public authorities an easy way to collect green specifications that can inform the tender preparation process;
- A Life Cycle Cost (LCC) Calculating Tool, which attributes an economic value to products and services relevant to the circular economy in the public sector. The platform supports public authorities in planning and managing the green public procurement process, and in publishing and awarding calls for tenders according to the rules of each country. SMEs can also search for tenders and insert their green products and services into the eGPP platform.
GRASPINNO also launched 7 “living labs” in 6 countries to train around 60 public institutions, 20 SMEs and business support organisations on green public procurement and energy management. It is noteworthy that GRASPINNO’S methodology is replicable to other kinds of buildings, and not only public ones. Read more about the Interreg Green Growth working groups on eco-innovation and smart cities by delving into their White Papers:
- White Paper 2 – Towards circular towns and cities: promoting green and smart public services within Mediterranean municipalities to move towards a circular economy
- White Paper 4 – Fit for a circular future: promoting competitiveness and innovation of Mediterranean SMEs for a circular economy
Learn more about the Interreg MED Green Growth project here and join our Green Growth Capitalization Community!