16 – AWARD CRITERIA

1. Pre-qualification approval (Pass/Fail): projects are evaluated against specific technical criteria outlined in Annex III. Only those projects meeting the technical criteria will be allowed to advance to the bidding stage. This ensures that only technically viable projects proceed, maintaining a high standard of quality and feasibility in the competition.
2. Applicant’s eligibility (Pass/Fail): Contribution to the objectives of this call, the goals and aims of the Paris Agreement, as well as the 2030 climate and energy targets and long-term decarbonisation objective; contribution to the facilitation of a more cost-effective roll-out of renewables across the EU.
3. Technical offer’s eligibility (Pass/Fail): Technical and financial maturity with operational quality regarding the project’s readiness to commence operations within 12 months following the signing of the grant agreement:
   1. Technical maturity: evidence indicating that the project is at an advanced stage of predevelopment, including permits to build and the capability to start operations within 12 months, application for grid connection, etc.; technical feasibility to initiate plant operations within the anticipated timeframe; and the quality, robustness, and reliability of the information presented in the proposal;
   2. Financial maturity and operational quality: the level of commitment and consistency in the proposed project implementation; the qualifications of the participants, including their experience in executing the project; the credibility and robustness of the business plan; adequate financing to support the entire proposed project investment; quality of the risk assessment and the effectiveness of the risk mitigation strategy; the communication strategy, if applicable; quality, robustness, and reliability of the information provided in the proposal.
4. Ranking of financial bids: the price offer will be denominated in EUR per kWh across categories A2 and Part B, whereas for category A1, the price will be based on the investment cost in Euro per kW.

Table 4: List of award criteria

5. Applicants must submit a complete package of properly prepared documents. They need to demonstrate their financial capability to execute the project (liquidity, debt structure, adequate turnover, etc.). They must state an absence of conflicting interests and of double funding by ensuring they do not exceed the threshold of public funding set in Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014.
6. The eligibility of applicants is verified during the online application submission stage. This is done by requiring specific data and documents, as well as predefined value limits that must be filled in. If an applicant does not provide valid information or all the required documents, they will not be able to proceed to the next stage of the application.
7. Technical eligibility of the offers is also assessed during the online application submission. Thresholds align with the technical criteria provided by MECI (or the TSO/DSO). For example, the evaluation includes ensuring that the technical proposal meets predefined technical parameters and is supported by uploading of relevant evidence.

However, all declarations made by the applicant require subsequent administrative verification to confirm their authenticity.

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