The European Commission has granted almost €3.5m to two Irish projects under the 2024 EU LIFE Programme to accelerate the country's green transition.
The LIFE programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment, climate action and clean energy with a budget of €5.4bn for the 2021-27 period.
Most projects receive between €1m and €5m in co-financing, with higher amounts available for larger integrated projects.
The funding received by HERO and BUSUnited will be used to expand home energy renovation services and tackle skills shortages in the construction sector.
HERO aims to develop a stronger national model for one-stop shops and improve access to finance for smaller contractors.
By removing these bottlenecks, HERO aims to double the current rate of residential deep renovations. The total project value is €1.58m out of which the EU contribution is €1.5m.
BUSUnited aims to tackle the shortage of skilled workers in the construction and retrofit sector.
The project builds on the BUILD UP Skills United initiative and has been awarded an EU contribution of €1.98m under the LIFE Programme.
It will bring together over 400 stakeholders from public bodies, training organisations, industry and civil society to upscale and reskill the workforce needed to deliver energy-efficient buildings in Ireland and across Europe.
Both projects were selected under the Clean Energy Transition strand of the LIFE Programme, the EU's funding instrument for environment, climate action and clean energy.
Two other multinational projects with Irish participation also got funding in the 2024 call of the LIFE Programme.
In all, the European Commission granted more than €358m to 132 projects across Europe, including €147m for nature and biodiversity projects, €76m for projects contributing to the circular economy and improving quality of life, €96m for projects to strengthen climate resilience and mitigation efforts, and €77m for projects supporting clean energy.