Background
The Climate City Contract (CCC) strategy of the City of Bergamo outlines a pathway towards climate neutrality, including the electrification of the tertiary and residential sectors through increased adoption of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and heat pumps to replace conventional heating systems. According to the Regional Energy, Environment and Climate Programme (PREAC) estimations, this shift would generate savings of approximately 69.000 MWh/a in natural gas (methane) and other fossil energy sources, while increasing electricity consumption by about 23.000 MWh/a. The estimated CO2 emission reductions through the electrification strategy in the Tertiary sector comes to 5.633 tCO2eq/annum and 1.896 tCO2eq/year in the residential sector. Moreover, the estimated potential saving given to photovoltaic installations, in terms of tonnes of CO2eq, comes to 59.514 tCO2eq/a (ref. Bergamo Action Plan).
To enable this energy transition, the city recognizes the importance of enhancing both internal coordination mechanisms and external stakeholder engagement frameworks. Current barriers include siloed departmental structures and limited interdepartmental collaboration, as well as insufficient mechanisms for continuous stakeholder dialogue across the urban ecosystem.
In response, the Municipality of Bergamo has decided to foster a broader governance enhancement process, aiming to strengthen interdepartmental coordination, define roles and responsibilities, and ensure more systemic delivery of the CCC. As a tangible first output of this effort, the city will establish an “Energy and Climate Desk” that will act as a driver for enhanced communication, coordination, stakeholder engagement, awareness raising and capacity/capability building. This desk will be supported by a business model to ensure its long-term operation and integration into city structures.
Many other Italian Mission Cities have already implemented Energy Desks (or similar service) that provide consultation/information expertise on energy topics to citizens, private sector stakeholders, condominium administrators and technicians. Bergamo wants to build such a service, but also use as it as a launchpad for strengthening internal and external governance. This effort is not only about setting up the desk, but also about embedding it within a more strategic framework for internal and external collaboration.
About the request
The City Expert Support Facility (CESF), through NetZeroCities / Climate-KIC, are requesting quotations for expert support to the City of Bergamo, Italy, to strengthen internal and external governance structures, and build capacity for climate action implementation. This includes support for enhancing interdepartmental coordination, designing frameworks with assigned responsibilities, and fostering a more integrated Mission delivery ecosystem. A key outcome of this assignment will be the development and activation of an Energy and Climate Desk, which will serve as one of the outputs of the wider governance enhancement process.
The support of this project will allow the Municipality of Bergamo to deepen the understanding and ownership of climate and energy efforts/issues among the private sector, municipal staff and citizens. The support will also help the municipality to subsequently build a more articulated One Stop Shop, with more tailor-made activities for the territory and building on the CCC’s stakeholder engagement efforts. This support is also connected with on-going support, being delivered by RENAEL in collaboration with Padova and the other Italian Mission Cities, focussed on designing feasible business and financial models for Energy Desks/One-Stop-Shops.
This support will also build strong synergies between the Energy and Climate Desk activities, on one hand, and the energy and climate management tasks of the Municipality on the other.
The main goals of this support are:
- Build and position the Energy and Climate Desk as a replicable governance and service delivery model to be scaled within the municipality.
- Increase cooperation across municipal departments on climate change and energy issues.
- Increase technical knowledge of climate topics among municipal staff, private stakeholders and citizens, thereby facilitating climate action among all parties.
- Strengthen relations and collaboration between the private and the public sector.
- Build greater awareness of the impact and co-benefits of actions on climate neutrality.
- Increase awareness of the CCC and the efforts the Municipality is making towards climate neutrality.
- Build greater citizen involvement and engagement in the Mission.
- Strengthen the city’s ability to activate and sustain long-term action aligned with CCC objectives and Mission ambitions.
Please find all further relevant information including key tasks, foreseen timeline, full detailed scope, out of scope, milestones, and all related information below.
Timeline and additional information
Interested parties are invited to submit their proposals by 23 May 2025 (23:59 CET) to Luisa Carretti [CESF@netzerocities.eu]. Proposals should include and address all specific requirements related to the request which can be found below.
