EU Peers Summit#2 2025: Powering the Future of One-Stop Shops in Europe

The European Week of Regions and Cities in October 2025 set the stage for a dynamic gathering on one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: accelerating residential energy renovation. Against this background, the EU Peers Community of Practice brought together over 70 OSS practitioners in Brussels for its second summit - three dedicated exchange sessions over two days designed not just to inform, but to connect the people driving one-stop shops on the ground.

Far from a standard conference, the summit offered space to step away from daily routines and openly discuss what works, what doesn’t, and what’s needed next. One-stop shop coordinators, local and regional authorities, and support organisations compared experiences, tested ideas, and strengthened a growing community committed to making renovation simpler and more accessible for citizens.

The closing public debate of the EU Peers Summit 2025 underlined this momentum. Speakers from local and regional authorities highlighted why they invest in one-stop shops and how these structures can become pivotal levers for implementing renovation strategies at scale - bridging policies, funding, and citizen engagement into practical, user-friendly solutions.

Day 1: Exclusive workshop for EU-funded projects targeting one-stop shops for residential building renovation

Together with CINEA, EU Peers organised a practitioners’ workshop for one-stop shops and supporters on the first day of the Summit. The focus was on EU policy updates, hands-on exchange, and knowledge sharing. Of course, this was accompanied by a group activity that created a great community atmosphere, as the winners of the OSS bingo game can attest. The technical group exchange was organised around five topics, summarised below:

Role of local and regional authorities
Local and regional authorities emerged as key ecosystem builders for one-stop shops: they can provide data and digital platforms, anchor trusted local contact points, map priority areas (including energy poverty), and support start-up funding. With coordinated communication and guidance, they make it easier for citizens to find help and for projects to reach the critical mass needed to attract investment.

Funding and business models
Discussions reframed one-stop shops as essential public infrastructure rather than a cost burden. Stable support comes from hybrid models: combining public budgets, EU and climate funds, private partners, and in some cases modest client contributions. Recognising the broader social and resilience benefits of OSS is key to securing long-term, depoliticised funding.

Skills, teams and partnerships
Successful one-stop shops rely on multidisciplinary teams with both technical knowledge and strong communication skills. Continuous training, supportive working conditions, and smart partnerships with contractors, notaries, real estate actors and federations increase reach and quality - positioning OSS as trusted coordinators rather than extra bureaucracy.

New and low-income homebuyers
The moment of purchase is a strategic entry point for renovation. One-stop shops can guide buyers - especially low-income households - through realistic renovation pathways by working with banks, notaries, real estate agents and social services. Tailored advice, trust-based local support and integrated renovation-plus-finance solutions are crucial to turn inefficient homes into opportunities, not burdens.

Communication that works
Effective communication starts from people’s concerns, not from the concept of “one-stop shops”. Messages that highlight comfort, health, lower bills and practical next steps, backed by visible local presence, renovation ambassadors, demonstrations and municipal endorsement, make the offer tangible and trustworthy for homeowners.

Day 2: Deep dive into Belgian one-stop shop models and launch of the EU Peers campaign

The EU Peers summit continued with a deep dive on Belgian OSS. In this morning session, co-organised by Belgian Peers & EU Peers, participants entered into dialogue with Belgium's three regional approaches to OSS - Homegrade (Brussels Capital Region), SPW (Wallonia) and VEKA (Flanders).

From partnerships to practice

Homegrade (Brussels) illustrated how partnerships with notaries, real-estate agents, and federations can turn trust into traction. Notaries now reference the OSS in property transactions, allowing audits and indicative renovation advice even before purchase. This early engagement builds confidence and prepares homeowners for renovation. Joint awareness-raising activities - for example, explaining how to read energy certificates with private-sector federations - further strengthen these alliances.

Reducing bureaucracy emerged as another key enabler. By simplifying procedures and pre-selecting projects, OSS can retain contractors and boost efficiency. Homegrade’s digital platform, which enables scheduling, verification, and communication, was praised for making collaboration faster and clearer.

Rethinking value: paying for advice while keeping independence

The discussion led by VEKA Flanders zoomed in on the delicate balance between financial sustainability and independence. With budget cuts looming, the Flemish OSS must explore new ways to fund its services without compromising neutrality.

Participants proposed a tiered service model: basic advice free for all, while advanced, personalised support could carry a small fee based on income. This mirrors practices in other European contexts, such as Ecovision (Ireland), where initial guidance is free but detailed audits cost around €750, and energy cooperatives in the Basque Country, which struggle with clients’ reluctance to pay for even basic advice.

The UK’s energy retrofit coordinator role was also discussed - a model where coordinators are paid by contractors, raising questions about independence and quality assurance. Participants agreed that fair pay and clear public-interest mandates are essential for credibility. Examples from Manchester underscored how clear regional strategies and stable frameworks can empower partnerships, unlike settings where policies change frequently. Participants agreed that regions should set the rules and strategies, enabling the work of municipalities and private actors. Ideas for innovation ranged from housing-purchase vouchers for renovation advice to gamified incentives for young homeowners, showing how creativity and behavioural insights can complement traditional funding mechanisms.

Growing the ecosystem without losing neutrality: lessons from Wallonia

Another workshop focused on how to scale up regional renovation ecosystems while maintaining neutrality and quality assurance. The session concluded that shared tools, communication assets, and training programs increase capacity and reduce fragmentation. Participants called for a region-wide quality assurance and certification framework, including transparent criteria and periodic audits of certified providers. A neutral marketplace or registry could connect citizens with trusted contractors, while public service contracts paired with modest user fees would provide financial stability. 

Maintaining neutrality requires clear communication about the OSS’s role, open data, and rotation of service providers to prevent bias. The consensus: neutrality and coordination can coexist - but only with stable, multi-year funding and transparent governance.

A call to action: Introducing the new EU Peers campaign for cities and regions 

This Summit also marked the launch of the new EU Peers campaign for cities and regions, inviting local authorities to take a leading role in making energy renovation accessible, affordable, and effective for all citizens. The message is simple but powerful: Give your citizens a home renovation gift box - open a one-stop shop.

By setting up an OSS, cities and regions can:

• Create local jobs and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction sector.
• Keep renovation spending and energy savings within their local economies.
• Support vulnerable households while improving public health, comfort, and safety.
• Accelerate compliance with EU and national climate and energy goals, contributing to a zero-emission building stock by 2050.

The result: a smoother, safer, and higher-quality renovation process that benefits not just homeowners, but the entire local economy. Across Europe, this potential is already visible in the approaches shared by our panel speakers. From Vilnius, it was demonstrated how a publicly operated OSS can professionalise support services and offer structured, reliable pathways for citizens. Community-driven and semi-public models also play a strong role: Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative (Ireland) leverages local trust to mobilise households, while the SERAFIN network in Hauts-de-France combines technical expertise and financing tools to help a wide range of citizens take action. Together, these examples underline that when OSS are locally anchored, well-governed, and supported by strong partnerships, they drive renovation uptake, strengthen local economies, and build lasting citizen confidence.

Now, the EU Peers campaign calls on more cities and regions to create OSS that empower residents, strengthen local value chains, and turn climate ambition into tangible local action. For more information why to set up an OSS and how it can be your political win, visit the campaign page here. 

Key outcomes and takeaways:

• Policy context: The EED and EPBD are the main demand engines for renovation. OSS play a pivotal role in preparing projects, reducing friction, and ensuring quality and consumer protection.

• Message what homeowners value: Lead with safety, health, and comfort. Build trust and drive renovation throughput.
• Territorial presence matters, as well as partnerships: Effective OSS are visible and accessible - beyond websites. They rely on local networks, physical offices, and targeted outreach to truly engage communities. Collaboration with notaries, real-estate agents, and local actors helps OSS reach homeowners earlier and simplify renovation journeys. Strong local ecosystems turn trust into action.
• Sustainable funding is key: OSS need stable, long-term financing to thrive. Clear governance and multi-year funding ensure transparency and public trust - to secure their future beyond short-term grants.
• Cities and regions are driving the change: The new EU Peers campaign calls on local authorities to “open a One-Stop Shop” - creating jobs, boosting local economies, and making quality renovation accessible to all citizens.
• Evidence and governance: Use EU Peers tools like the Knowledge HUB, Learning Labs, and make use of our network to professionalise practice, share knowledge, and document measurable results.

From Vilnius to Wallonia, and from Brussels to Budapest and Bilbao, practitioners left with fresh  ideas, new contacts, and renewed aspirations to accelerate sustainable building renovation. The EU Peers Community of Practice continues to grow, powered by collaboration, mutual learning, and the shared conviction that sustainable renovation starts and thrives together with your peers throughout Europe.

Take a look at the Summit#2 highlights in our wrap-up video or check out the photos from the event.

‍