ALLEANZA PER IL CLIMA ITALIA

Their core work

Alleanza per il Clima Italia (Climate Alliance Italy) is an Italian NGO that works at the intersection of local government, citizens, and energy transition. They support municipalities and regions in designing inclusive energy policies — from innovative financing for building renovation to green public procurement and citizen engagement in energy decisions. Their practical focus is on helping public authorities and SMEs adopt sustainable energy practices through co-creation methods and participatory approaches.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CAI's earliest H2020 involvement (CITYnvest, 2015) was as a third party supporting municipal energy efficiency financing — a relatively narrow, technical support role. From 2019 onward, they shifted toward more participatory and policy-oriented work: green public procurement with SMEs (XPRESS) and energy citizenship through co-creation and citizen action labs (DIALOGUES). The trajectory shows a clear move from backstage technical support toward front-stage citizen and community engagement in energy transition.

CAI is moving toward participatory governance and citizen-driven energy transition, making them a strong fit for projects that need community engagement expertise in clean energy initiatives.

How they like to work

CAI has never coordinated an H2020 project — they join as a participant or third party, contributing domain knowledge rather than leading consortia. With 36 unique partners across 17 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia (averaging 12+ partners per project). This suggests they are comfortable in multi-national teams and bring a specific local/regional perspective to broad European initiatives.

Despite only 3 projects, CAI has built a broad network of 36 partners across 17 countries, indicating they participate in large pan-European consortia. Their reach spans well beyond Italy, though their practical contribution is rooted in Italian municipal and regional contexts.

What sets them apart

CAI brings an unusual combination: they are a climate-focused NGO that understands both the policy/procurement side (working with public authorities) and the citizen engagement side (action labs, co-creation). For consortium builders, their value lies in bridging the gap between top-down energy policy and bottom-up community participation — especially in an Italian context. Their NGO status gives them credibility with municipalities and citizens that a consultancy or university typically cannot match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DIALOGUES
  Largest funding (EUR 303,250) and most recent project, focused on the emerging concept of 'energy citizenship' — a growing EU policy priority.
• XPRESS
  Bridges public procurement and SME collaboration for green energy, combining policy tools (LCA methodology) with practical business engagement.