On 24–25 March 2026, the NESOIPlus team took part in the CINEA Contractors’ Meeting 2026, joining around 20 EU‑funded projects working on energy communities and one‑stop shops across Europe. The meeting felt less like a formal conference and more like a space for honest exchange: what’s working, what’s not, and what we still need to figure out together.
Some takeaways
One of the strongest messages from CINEA was clear: we don’t need more tools or guidelines. They already exist, in many shapes and forms. What’s missing is coordination, clarity, and real support on the ground. Projects were encouraged to stop working in silos, avoid duplicating efforts, and think carefully about where they add value. A simple but important question kept coming up: who are OSS actually for?
When it comes to energy communities, people matter more than technology. Many speakers shared how long it really takes to build trust, engage neighbours, involve municipalities, and keep momentum alive. Voluntary work, local champions, and promoters with strong communication skills were repeatedly mentioned as key ingredients for success. One phrase summed it up well: “no promotion, no demand”. Outreach is not a one‑off activity, it’s ongoing work that needs time, budget, and dedicated people.
Communication was another recurring theme. Participants agreed that messages need to be practical and concrete. Telling people “join our OSS” is far less effective than inviting them to do something tangible, like learning how to install PV panels in their building. Translating materials into local languages, working with local associations, mapping stakeholders, and involving local media were all highlighted as simple but powerful actions.
Financing, unsurprisingly, remains a major headache. Many projects shared similar struggles: accessing loans, dealing with DSOs, and navigating complex legal and administrative processes. At the same time, examples from federations and second‑level cooperatives showed that pooling initiatives and setting up community‑based financing schemes can unlock real investment. At EU level, CINEA confirmed its intention to keep supporting energy communities, even if the future of funding programmes like LIFE is still uncertain.
Why this matters for NESOIPlus
Much of what was discussed at the meeting strongly echoes the direction of NESOIPlus. The call from CINEA to move away from generic outputs and focus on practical, hands‑on support is exactly where NESOIPlus is heading. The lessons shared on citizen engagement, OSS accountability, targeted communication, and financing will directly feed into how the project designs its Open Calls, capacity‑building activities, and collaborations.
By staying connected to this wider community of practice and grounding its work in real experiences from across Europe, NESOIPlus aims to help energy communities move beyond ideas and into action, especially in islands and other regions where tailored support can make a real difference.
Read more about our first Open Call: Apply – Nesoi PLUS
