EXCITE Project is an initiative that aims to promote excellence in local climate action. They specialize in energy management and bring the best practices of the European Energy Award (eea) to countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Through the establishment of national eea frameworks, EXCITE supports the implementation of energy and climate planning, as well as ISO:50001 standards, under the Covenant of Mayors.

To enhance capacity building, EXCITE offers a dedicated online platform for blended learning, qualification, and certification of municipal energy managers. They also organize study tours in Austria to showcase eea winners' best practices and arrange international peer reviews and training events for pilot municipalities. Recognizing the importance of financing, EXCITE conducts a comprehensive review of business and financing models relevant to eea methodology.

They explore innovative financial schemes, such as crowd funding and energy communities, to attract additional private investment in energy and climate actions. Moreover, EXCITE places significant emphasis on civil engagement. They analyze successful strategies from eea, the Covenant of Mayors, and Smart Cities and Communities projects to develop local communication strategies.

Through major civil engagement campaigns, EXCITE actively supports the implementation of eea, collaborating closely with local partners. The EXCITE Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No 892034. While the opinions expressed on their website are those of the authors, EXCITE is at the forefront of empowering local authorities to take effective climate action