Net-Zero AI4Permitting Pilot
The AI4Permitting Pilot supports local and regional authorities in Net-Zero acceleration territories to procure and deploy AI and digital tools that make their permitting processes faster, more transparent and better integrated.
The Call for Proposals
What the AI4Permitting Pilot is and why it exists
The Pilot sits within a broader EU policy response to a well-documented problem. The Draghi report on European competitiveness and identified slow, fragmented permitting as a brake on investment and the green transition.
The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) requires Member States to streamline permitting for Net-Zero technology projects and establishes the concept of Net-Zero Acceleration Valleys as designated territories for accelerated industrial development.
The NetZero AI for Permitting Pilot project was initiated by the European Parliament, notably through the work of MEP Christian Ehler.
Who this Pilot is for
This Pilot has been designed for local and regional authorities directly involved in industrial permitting and are located in or serving Net-Zero Acceleration Valleys, particularly.
Geographic scope: who is covered
The Pilot targets local and regional authorities across EU Member States, with a particular focus on designated and potential Net-Zero Acceleration Valleys.
What the Pilot funds
The Pilot supports a broad range of activities related to the digitalisation of industrial permitting, including but not limited to:
- Procurement of AI-based software to support one or more elements of the permitting procedure
- Enhancement of existing IT solutions with AI capabilities
- Development or procurement of non-AI digital tools for permitting processes
- Deployment activities: system integration, staff training and change management
- Cooperation activities between permitting authorities
- User-oriented systems to improve the applicant experience
- Interoperability measures to connect permitting systems across administrative levels
This list is illustrative. The Pilot is designed to be flexible, and the funded activities can be tailored to the specific needs and digital maturity of each participating authority.
Scale and further information
The AI4Permitting Pilot is funded through the PPPA-2026-NETZERO grants, open to eligible local and regional authorities. For further details please refer directly to the Call page.
Find out more about other funding opportunities on the EISMEA website.
Expected impact and benefits for participating authorities
Expected impact
Participating authorities are expected to work on projects that result in:
- Reduced processing times for industrial permit applications
- Improved interoperability between permitting IT systems across authorities
- Greater transparency for businesses and applicants throughout the process
- Enhanced scalability of digital permitting solutions across the EU
Additional benefits
Beyond the systematic gains outlined above, other benefits include:
- Faster, more transparent permitting procedures for applicants and project developers
- Validated AI and digital solutions built to EU-level interoperability standards
- Grant funding that covers procurement, deployment and training, with reduced upfront risk and cost
- Connection to a European network of permitting authorities for peer learning and best practice exchange
Events
Transforming Permitting: IT and AI in action– Brussels, 18 March 2026
A stakeholder event took place in Brussels on 18 March 2026, which also served as the official launch of the Net-Zero AI4Permitting Pilot project. The session brought together IT solution providers, policy makers, business organisations and prospective applicants from local and regional authorities across the EU.
IT vendors presented available solutions for permitting digitalisation.
Date: 18 March 2026
Location: Brussels
Speakers:
- Karolina Zakrzacka and Kris Timmermans, Accenture – Permits.AI
- Adam Anyszewski, Director, Continuum Industries – Optioneer
- Kris Timmermans and Guy Willems, Accenture / WindEurope – EasyPermits
- Max van Riel, Co-founder, Struck.eu – AI to accelerate construction
- Adrien Guilbaud, Senior Adviser GovTech, cBrain – F2 platform
- Lodie Glimmerveen, Programme Leader, DCMR Environmental Protection Agency, Province of South Holland – Always Up-to-Date Digital Permit (AADV) Programme
- Leyre Garralda Iriarte, Head of the Planning Section, General Directorate of Energy and Digital Transition, Navarra Regional Government – Navarra Digital transformation strategy
Online info session – 13 April 2026
EISMEA organised an online informative webinar on the Net-Zero AI4Permitting call for proposals (PPPA-2026-NETZERO) on 13 April 2026. Prospective applicants received an overview of the grant process, eligibility criteria, and goals of the pilot project.
Regional events in Net-Zero Acceleration Valley regions
Transforming Permitting: IT and AI in Action
Date: 5 May 2026
Location: Pamplona, Spain
The Pamplona event gathered public authorities, industry representatives and policy stakeholders to discuss how digital tools and AI can support faster, simpler and more transparent permitting. The event put permitting reform firmly in the context of industrial competitiveness and the clean energy transition.
Presentations covered single digital access points, process simplification and AI-assisted decision-making. A key theme was that digitalisation alone is not sufficient: administrative processes need to be redesigned from a user perspective before digital tools can deliver their full value.
Institutional coordination and interoperability were identified as critical, with fragmentation across departments remaining one of the main barriers to effective permitting.
Permitting Procedures in Transition: IT and AI in Practice
Date: 24 April 2026
Location: Cottbus, Germany
The Cottbus workshop, organised as part of the Net Zero Valley initiative, focused on how digitalisation and AI can improve permitting procedures, combining policy input, a practical case study and interactive group discussions.
Three themes dominated: the need for stronger digital standards and a human-centred approach to change management; the use of KPIs and dashboards to measure permitting performance; and the challenge of replacing outdated analogue systems with interoperable digital ones.
Participants noted that successful transformation depends as much on change management as on the technology itself.
Permitting Procedures in Transition: IT and AI in Practice
Date: 4 May 2026
Location: Oldenburg, Germany
The Oldenburg workshop, organised as part of the Net Zero Valley initiative, explored the practical application of AI and digital tools in permitting processes with stakeholders from public administration and related institutions.
Presentations covered governance approaches, central coordination structures, and existing AI-based modules that can be integrated into administrative workflows. Group discussions focused on the importance of process analysis before implementing digital solutions, and the value of building on existing systems rather than starting from scratch. Open-source approaches were highlighted as a promising route to improving interoperability and reducing dependencies on proprietary systems.
Participants agreed that successful implementation requires clear governance, defined responsibilities and coordinated collaboration.