General project information:
➢ Call: LIFE-2022-STRAT-two-stage
➢ Type of Action: LIFE-PJG
➢ Acronym: LIFE22-IPC-BG-LIFE-SIP CLIMA-SUMP
➢ Number: 101104610
➢ Duration: 78 months
➢ Period of implementation: 01/01/2024 – 30/06/2030
➢ Estimated Project Cost: €16,171,489.94
➢ Requested EU Contribution: €9,629,968.00
➢ Budget of Sofia Municipality: €5,265,579

Project partners:
➢ 1) Sofia municipality (Coordinating Beneficiary)
➢ 2) Burgas municipality
➢ 3) Ruse municipality
➢ 4) Stara Zagora municipality
➢ 5) Veliko Tarnovo municipality
➢ 6) Montana municipality
➢ 7) Club “Economika 2000”
➢ 8) National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB).

Overall Objective of the Integrated Project:
The main goal of the Strategic Integrated Project is to assist local authorities in creating administrative, organizational, technical, and financial conditions for the full implementation of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), contributing to their transformation into a climate-neutral and sustainable society.
The Sofia Municipality is the coordinating beneficiary, while the other beneficiaries are the municipalities of Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Montana, Ruse, and Stara Zagora (responsible for the implementation of the SUMPs), as well as the non-governmental organizations National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria and Club "Economics 2000." The Strategic Integrated Project covers the territory of the beneficiary municipalities with a population of about 2 million inhabitants, or nearly 30% of the country's population.
The comprehensive implementation of the six SUMPs is limited by the lack of appropriate capacity in the municipalities and the insufficient financial resources available for implementing the measures. Therefore, the Strategic Integrated Project proposes an integrated approach that addresses existing challenges, gaps, and obstacles in their entirety and works to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project's results and actions.

Specific project objectives:
➢ 1) Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the six municipalities as a result of the implementation of SUMP measures
➢ 2) Building sustainable capacity in the administrations of the six municipalities so that they are able to:
➢ 3) Raising awareness and creating a well-informed and motivated residents to be a partner of the municipal administrations in the implementation of the SUMP;
➢ 4) Increasing the awareness and knowledge of municipalities in Bulgaria on issues related to sustainable urban mobility and the climate and replicating the results of the project in other Bulgarian municipalities;
➢ 5) Communication and engagement of the interested parties in support of the implementation of the PUGM and increasing their activity regarding the implementation of the complementary measures and the attraction of financing for the complementary measures.

Main Activities:
The planned work program includes actions in several areas that accelerate the full implementation of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs):
➢ Implementation of the priority measures for municipalities under the SUMPs;
➢ Creation of mechanisms for building and strengthening long-term capacity in municipalities to:
    - Mobilize financial resources for the implementation of additional actions under the SUMPs;
    - Coordinate and monitor the implementation of measures under the SUMPs, including through the development and  application of a model for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and carbon offsets;
    - Develop a documentary base in municipalities for implementing policies for transitioning to a climate-neutral and sustainable society;
    - Update the SUMPs;
    - Engage and work with stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels.

Project work packages:
➢ 1) Project management and coordination;
➢ 2) Monitoring, coordination and mobilization of Complementary actions (CA);  
➢ 3) Building the capacity of beneficiaries;
➢ 4) Engagement of stakeholders;
➢ 5) Development of a Model for calculating GHG emissions and carbon offsets;
➢ 6) Innovative approaches to attract financial resources for climate projects;
➢ 7) Preparatory actions for implementation of SUMPs measures to be implemented in Phase 2;
➢ 8) Implementation of the first group of urban mobility projects;
➢ 9) Assessment of the implementation of the first group of urban mobility projects;
➢ 10) Preparation for implementation of the SUMP measures, which will be implemented during Phase 3;
➢ 11) Implementation of the second group of urban mobility projects;
➢ 12) Assessment of the implementation of the second group of urban mobility projects;
➢ 13) Sustainability, replication and exploitation of project results;
в 14) Communication, dissemination and visibility and project monitoring.

Project Duration:
➢ Phase 1: 18 months
     Start: January 1, 2024
     End: June 30, 2025
➢ Phase 2: 30 months
     Start: July 1, 2025
     End: December 31, 2028
➢ Phase 3: 30 months
     Start: January 1, 2028
     End: June 30, 2030

Status: Ongoing

Funding: EU LIFE Programme

You can find more information about the LIFE Programme of the EU on the official site of the programme: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en