CONPLUSULTRA GMBH

Their core work

ConPlusUltra is an Austrian consultancy specializing in sustainable energy policy, governance, and financing strategies at the municipal and regional level. They help public authorities and local governments develop Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), design financing mechanisms to unlock private investment in energy efficiency, and facilitate multi-level governance processes across Central and Eastern Europe. Their work bridges the gap between EU energy policy ambitions and on-the-ground implementation by local actors.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ConPlusUltra entered H2020 through PANEL 2050 (2016), focused broadly on energy leadership and vision-setting for 2050 targets. By 2018, they moved into a coordinator role with E-FIX, narrowing their focus to the practical challenge of financing energy transitions through private sector engagement. Their most recent project, CEESEU (2020), shows a geographic sharpening toward Central and Eastern Europe and a deepening focus on SECAPs, climate adaptation, and multi-level governance — indicating a shift from broad energy strategy toward hands-on implementation support for municipalities.

Moving from high-level energy strategy toward practical municipal implementation support, with growing specialization in Central and Eastern European markets.

How they like to work

ConPlusUltra operates as both a coordinator and an active partner, having led one of their three projects (E-FIX). Despite being a small SME with only three H2020 projects, they have built a remarkably broad network — 29 unique consortium partners across 16 countries — suggesting they are well-connected facilitators rather than repeat-partner loyalists. This breadth indicates strong networking capacity and an ability to assemble diverse, multinational consortia, which is valuable for any coordinator seeking a well-connected partner for CSA-type projects.

Impressively broad network for a small SME: 29 partners across 16 countries from just 3 projects. Their geographic spread spans Western and Central/Eastern Europe, with a clear operational focus on CEE energy markets.

What sets them apart

ConPlusUltra occupies a specific niche: they are not a technology developer or research lab, but a policy-to-practice consultancy that helps municipalities and regions actually implement EU energy goals. Their combination of energy financing expertise and multi-level governance experience makes them particularly useful for projects that need to bridge EU policy frameworks down to local government action. Based in Austria but with strong CEE connections, they can serve as a gateway for consortia targeting energy transition support in Central and Eastern European markets.

Highlights from their portfolio

• E-FIX
  Their only coordinated project, focused on the critical challenge of unlocking private sector financing for energy efficiency — their largest single grant at EUR 324,862.
• CEESEU
  Most recent project demonstrating their geographic specialization in Central and Eastern Europe and deepening focus on SECAPs and climate adaptation at municipal level.