PERMIT-BOOST

Introduction

RAA-PERMIT-BOOST helps EU Member States put Renewables Acceleration Areas (RAAs) into practice under the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III, Article 15c). It equips public authorities and stakeholders with practical, reusable guidance and hands-on support to designate and operationalise RAAs and to speed up the permitting of renewable-energy projects, while strengthening public acceptance and safeguarding biodiversity. The result is faster, more consistent and fairer renewables deployment across the Union. The project is funded under the EU LIFE Programme (LIFE-2025-CET-POLICY).

Approach

The project follows a MAP – LEARN – APPLY – DISSEMINATE sequence across the EU-27:

• MAP. Monitor and evaluate how RAAs and permitting are being implemented, through a living repository of knowledge and 27 country fiches that map actors, zoning and permitting processes, and identify "pioneers" and "learners".
• LEARN. Develop 25 to 30 in-depth, practical case studies and run two enduring Communities of Practice (one for RAA siting and designation, one for implementation and permitting) for peer-to-peer exchange.
• APPLY. Equip authorities with practical tools and tailored support: a Clerk's Manual for efficient permitting, a helpdesk and expert clinics, targeted technical assistance, a self-assessment tool and an NGO KPI toolkit.
• DISSEMINATE. Secure lasting uptake through policy recommendations, two EU policy conferences and broad dissemination. After the project, the communities and key outputs migrate to a European Centre of Excellence so they remain openly accessible and maintained.

Our role

Th!nk E coordinates RAA-PERMIT-BOOST. As project coordinator (Work Package 1), Th!nk E leads day-to-day management and consortium coordination, quality and risk management, KPI monitoring, and a Network of National Contact Points for stakeholder engagement and validation. Th!nk E also delivers targeted, deep-level technical assistance to national and regional authorities as part of the project's capacity-building work.

The consortium brings together 10 organisations, with work-package leads including eclareon (RAA monitoring backbone), ECORYS (case studies), the Austrian Energy Agency (guidance, capacity building and technical assistance), The Nature Conservancy (communities of practice) and the European Renewable Energies Federation (communication, dissemination and exploitation).