District heating and cooling investment 2026 Grant

Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME)

About this grant

ADEME provides financial support to help municipalities and companies extend or create heat and cold networks powered by renewable energy sources and/or waste heat recovery. The programme aims to facilitate energy transition by assisting with investments in these infrastructure projects. Support is available for both extension of existing networks and creation of new installations. The grant is calculated based on either economic analysis or forfeit aid, depending on the power capacity of the installation to which the network connects. Eligible projects must meet specific technical and operational criteria, including serving as public heat distribution services with at least two distinct customers besides the project owner, utilizing renewable or recovered energy sources such as biomass, solar thermal, geothermal, anaerobic digestion, or industrial waste heat recovery.

Eligibility

Applicants must be municipalities, administrations, or companies operating in France (all regions eligible). The heat or cold network must legally exist with at least two distinct customers separate from the project owner, and must exclusively distribute heat or cold. Networks must be exclusively powered by renewable energy sources or waste heat recovery including biomass, solar thermal, geothermal energy, anaerobic digestion, recovered industrial process heat, municipal waste incineration facilities, or cogeneration. The municipality must be the organizing authority for public distribution services. Prior contact with the regional ADEME office is strongly recommended before applying.

How it's scored

Applications are evaluated based on technical implementation characteristics of the planned networks, including additional energy production share from renewable or recovered sources and energy density. Assessment also considers any other funding sources sought (such as regional council funding). Projects with renewable energy production of 12 GWh/year or less are evaluated under one set of criteria, while projects exceeding this threshold follow separate evaluation procedures. Documentation requirements vary based on applicant profile (municipality/administration versus company) and project scope.

Key requirements

• ✓Network must provide a public heat or cold distribution service with the local authority as organising authority
• ✓Network must exist for tax purposes with at least two clients distinct from the project owner and distribute only heat or cold
• ✓Global supply must reach at least 65% renewable and recovered energy for heat (50% for cooling)

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME) offer?

District heating and cooling investment offers Aide calculée au cas par cas.

When is the District heating and cooling investment deadline?

Applications close 31 Dec 2026.

Who can apply for District heating and cooling investment?

Eligibility covers organisations in FR; local-authority, engineering-contractor, consortium. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Heating and cooling funding supports heat pumps, district heating, thermal networks, efficient cooling and the removal of fossil boilers. It arrives through national support schemes, local authority programmes and procurement for heat networks. Applicants typically need heat demand assessments, a connection plan and an operator for the system.