Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2026

The Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2026 is a Horizon Europe co-funded transnational partnership call supporting research, innovation and implementation projects that accelerate urban transitions toward climate-neutral, resilient and sustainable cities. It focuses on three Transition Pathways—15-minute City, Circular Urban Economies and Positive Energy Districts—and requires interdisciplinary consortia engaging stakeholders such as local authorities, companies and NGOs. Consortia must include at least three partners from three participating countries (with at least two EU Member States or Horizon Associated Countries) and follow a mandatory two-stage submission via UDiManager, with Stage 1 pre-proposals due 17 November 2026 and Stage 2 full proposals due 15 April 2027 if invited. Funding is provided by national and regional agencies under the co-funded partnership with approximately €49 million committed by participating agencies and specific national eligibility, budget and co-funding rules apply.

Scope

What is funded

Transnational research, innovation and implementation projects that support urban transitions towards sustainability under three Transition Pathways: Positive Energy Districts (PED), 15-minute City (15mC) and Circular Urban Economies (CUE). Projects may be research- or innovation-oriented and must engage stakeholders and user needs.

Total budget:Approximately €80,000,000 in total. Details on national funding contributions and per-project ceilings are provided in the call text ¹.

Who can apply

Consortia of eligible organisations from participating national/regional Funding Agencies. Each proposal must include at least three partners from three different eligible countries; at least two of those must be EU Member States or Horizon associated countries. Research institutions, local authorities, companies, NGOs and other stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

Key conditions

1. 1Two-stage submission: pre-proposal (Stage 1) then invited full proposal (Stage 2).
2. 2All proposals must be prepared in English using the mandatory form and submitted via the transnational submission system. National submissions may also be required.
3. 3Consortium composition and main applicant cannot be fundamentally changed between stages except in exceptional cases.
4. 4Transnational and each Funding Agency eligibility rules must both be met for funding.

Deadlines & submission

Submissions must be uploaded via the UDiManager transnational submission system (UEFISCDI). Pre-proposals not invited to Stage 2 are ineligible for resubmission in this call.

Evaluation:independent expert panels will assess eligibility and quality using the DUT common evaluation form and specific sub-criteria for research- or innovation-oriented approaches.

Information and matchmaking events and the full call text are available on the partnership and call websites DUT partnership website. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, national funding agency list, templates and submission instructions are on the official call page linked above.

Key administrative facts

Call identifiers and financial envelope

Call title:Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2026. Partnership name: European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions. Grant agreement number: 101069506. EC identifier: HORIZON-CL5. Total funding available under this call: €80,000,000. Programme framework: Horizon Europe Framework Programme 2021-2027. Opening date: 1 September 2026. Deadline model: multiple cut-off with two transnational deadlines: 17 November 2026 13:00 CET (pre-proposals, Stage 1) and 15 April 2027 13:00 CEST (full proposals, Stage 2).

Submission platforms and national procedures:Transnational submissions must be made via UEFISCDI UDiManager (www.uefiscdi-direct.ro) following the transnational submission system instructions. Some participating Funding Agencies require additional national/regional submission(s) or documentation; consult the Call Text and Annex A on the call website for country-specific rules Call website. ¹

Purpose, scope and thematic focus

Purpose:To support transnational research, innovation and implementation projects that address urban challenges and accelerate urban transitions towards more sustainable economies and functioning, improving quality of life in cities. The call funds projects across a broad range of scientific disciplines and explicitly requests interdisciplinary approaches and stakeholder engagement (local authorities, service and infrastructure providers, companies, NGOs, citizens).

Transition Pathways and call topics

The call is structured around three Transition Pathways (TP). Applicants must select a principal TP for evaluation and may indicate additional TPs if their proposal covers multiple pathways. Crosscutting issues are recognised and proposals addressing multiple TPs are allowed.

1. 115-minute City Pathway (15mC): core topics include adaptive reuse of existing urban structures and spaces, aligning ambitions for mobility transitions across sectors, and nurturing neighbourhood economies including activation of local everyday offers.
2. 2Circular Urban Economies Pathway (CUE): core topics include adaptive reuse of existing urban structures and spaces, innovative maintenance of urban green and blue spaces, and rethinking urban production for circular and resilient cities.
3. 3Positive Energy Districts Pathway (PED): core topics include adaptive reuse of existing urban structures and spaces, PED solutions for private housing across different urban contexts, and sustainable PEDs including flexibility in energy systems and integrated technologies.

Who can apply and consortium requirements

Eligible applicant types:The call is open to a wide range of organisations. Typical eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, public authorities (local/regional authorities/municipalities), nonprofit organisations, NGOs, and other stakeholders such as service and infrastructure providers. The call explicitly asks projects to engage stakeholders including companies, public authorities and NGOs and to consider users needs in defining goals.

Consortium requirement:Transnational consortiums are required. Each proposal must involve at least three partners from three different countries listed on the call website and eligible for funding by their respective national/regional Funding Agency. At least two of the three countries must be EC Co-Fund eligible (EU Member States or Horizon Associated Countries). The added value of transnational collaboration must be demonstrated.

Geographic eligibility and participating countries

Beneficiary scope:Eligibility is determined by participating national/regional Funding Agencies. Partners must be from countries included in the list published on the call website and be eligible for funding by their respective Funding Agency. Two of the minimum three participating countries must be EU Member States or Horizon Associated Countries to satisfy EC Co-Fund eligibility requirements. The full list of participating countries must be consulted on the Call website for precise national eligibility rules.

Project types, expected stage and activities funded

Project stage:The call supports a spectrum of project maturity levels and activities, including research, innovation, demonstration and implementation activities. The call is open to research-oriented approaches (ROA) and innovation-oriented approaches (IOA). Applicants must select the approach best fitting their project; specific sub-criteria apply depending on the chosen approach.

Examples of supported activities and outcomes

1. 1Research into new urban transition concepts, system-level modelling, social, governance and policy innovations.
2. 2Development, testing and demonstration of technical and non-technical solutions for PED, 15mC and CUE contexts.
3. 3Implementation pilots engaging local authorities, service providers and citizens to translate global strategies into local action.
4. 4Capacity building, tools, methods and governance frameworks that enable upscaling and replication across urban contexts.

Funding modality, support type and co-funding

Funding type:Grant funding disbursed by national/regional Funding Agencies under a co-funded partnership model (EC co-funded via the DUT partnership). Nature of support: monetary grants to beneficiaries; non-monetary support (matchmaking, capacity building, guidance) may be available through partnership activities but funding is monetary. Co-funding requirement: Projects are funded by national/regional Funding Agencies; applicants must follow each Funding Agency's co-funding and eligibility rules. The call requires that partners are eligible for funding by their national/regional Funding Agency. Specific co-funding percentages or national rules are defined by each Funding Agency and must be checked in Annex A and national calls.

Funding amount and project duration:Total call envelope: €80,000,000. Individual project funding ranges are not specified in the scraped text and are determined by participating Funding Agencies and national rules. Applicants must consult the Call Text and national Funding Agency guidance for indicative project budgets and maximum eligible funding per partner. Expected duration of participation: not specified in the scraped text; consult Call Text for project duration limits and eligible activity periods.

Application and evaluation procedure

Application type:Open joint transnational call with a two-stage (two-step) procedure. Stage 1: transnational pre-proposal (pre-proposals) submitted by the first deadline. Eligible pre-proposals will be evaluated by an independent panel of experts; ranked pre-proposals will be invited to Stage 2. Stage 2: invited full proposals (full-proposals) submitted by the second deadline will be evaluated by an independent panel of experts and ranked for funding allocation by Funding Agencies.

1. 1Stage 1: Submit a transnational pre-proposal in English using the mandatory proposal template via UDiManager by 17 November 2026 13:00 CET. Respect page limits and formatting rules on mandatory forms. Some Funding Agencies may require additional national submissions.
2. 2Eligibility check: Transnational Secretariat checks transnational eligibility; participating Funding Agencies perform national eligibility checks.
3. 3Evaluation Stage 1: Independent panel evaluates pre-proposals using common evaluation form and criteria. A ranked list is created; a subset of pre-proposals invited to Stage 2.
4. 4Stage 2: Invited consortia submit full proposals in English using the mandatory templates via UDiManager by 15 April 2027 13:00 CEST. Respect the same formatting and page rules. National submissions may also be required.
5. 5Evaluation Stage 2: Eligible full proposals are evaluated by an independent panel using the common evaluation form and criteria (with approach-specific sub-criteria for ROA or IOA). Funding Agencies decide on funding according to rankings and national budgets.

Eligibility and submission rules highlights

Mandatory language and forms:All pre-proposals and full-proposals must be prepared in English using the mandatory proposal form. Proposals in other languages are ineligible. Page limits and formatting specified in the mandatory form must be respected. Resubmission rules: It is not possible to submit a full-proposal for a pre-proposal that was not invited from Stage 1; only pre-proposals invited to Stage 2 are eligible for full proposal submission. Major changes between pre-proposal and full-proposal initiated by applicants alone are prohibited (objectives, main applicant, consortium must remain the same except in cases explicitly allowed by the Call Secretariat or force majeure). Minor administrative corrections may be allowed when requested by the Call Secretariat.

Evaluation and selection

Evaluation criteria:Pre-proposals and full-proposals will be assessed using a common evaluation form. The evaluation uses criteria described in detail in the DUT Call Text. Some sub-criteria differ depending on whether a consortium chooses a Research-Oriented Approach (ROA) or an Innovation-Oriented Approach (IOA). Applicants must choose the approach that best fits their project and follow the relevant sub-criteria. Eligible consortia will be ranked by independent expert panels; Funding Agencies will use rankings and national budgets to select projects for funding.

Success rates:No success rate or target number of projects is published in the scraped content. Final selection depends on the number and quality of eligible proposals, the ranking lists from expert evaluations and the national/regional Funding Agencies’ budgets. Applicants should expect competitive selection and consult the Call Text for any indicative funding targets or expected number of projects if available.

Application forms and templates

Template information:Pre-proposals and full-proposals must use designated mandatory proposal forms in English. The forms set page limits, required sections and formatting rules (standard font size and normal page margins). The submission system and Call Secretariat will provide an online help document with guidance for submission detailing duties of the Main Applicant and other partners. Applicants must fully complete the proposal form and respect the total number of pages. Exact structure (section headings and page allocations) is provided in the mandatory forms available on the Call website and UDiManager; consult those documents for itemised templates, required annexes and national submission templates where applicable.

Practical considerations and restrictions

1. 1Do not submit proposals in languages other than English; such proposals are ineligible.
2. 2Only pre-proposals invited to Stage 2 may submit full proposals; unsolicited full proposals are ineligible.
3. 3No fundamental changes to objectives, main applicant or consortium are allowed between stages unless explicitly permitted by the Call Secretariat or due to force majeure.
4. 4National/regional Funding Agency rules may impose additional eligibility criteria, required national submissions, co-funding rules and budget limits per partner — check Annex A and national instructions.
5. 5Resubmissions or revisions after the submission deadline are not permitted except for administrative corrections at the request of the Call Secretariat.

Quick checklist for applicants

1. 1Confirm your organisation is eligible for funding by your national/regional Funding Agency and that your country is listed as participating on the Call website.
2. 2Assemble a transnational consortium with at least three partners from three participating countries, ensuring at least two are EU Member States or Horizon Associated Countries.
3. 3Decide whether to adopt a Research-Oriented Approach (ROA) or an Innovation-Oriented Approach (IOA) and structure the proposal accordingly.
4. 4Prepare the pre-proposal in English using the mandatory template, respecting page limits and formatting rules.
5. 5Submit the pre-proposal via UDiManager by 17 November 2026 13:00 CET and be prepared for potential national submissions if required.
6. 6If invited, prepare a full proposal using the mandated templates and submit via UDiManager by 15 April 2027 13:00 CEST, adhering strictly to the no-fundamental-changes rule.

What this opportunity is about — summary

This DUT Call 2026 is a co-funded, transnational grant call launched under the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions, designed to finance collaborative research, innovation, demonstration and implementation projects that accelerate urban transitions toward sustainability. The call focuses on three integrated Transition Pathways — Positive Energy Districts, 15-minute Cities and Circular Urban Economies — and encourages interdisciplinary approaches, stakeholder engagement and practical urban implementation. Funding (€80 million total) is allocated through national/regional Funding Agencies according to transnational evaluation rankings. The application process follows a mandatory two-stage procedure with strict eligibility, language and consortium composition rules; applicants must use the provided templates, submit via UDiManager and comply with both transnational and national eligibility criteria. The call is competitive and aims to support projects that produce actionable, replicable results, strengthen local capacities and translate strategic ambitions into on-the-ground urban transformations.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, participating countries list, templates and national contact points are available on the DUT Call web page: ec.europa.eu

The DUT Call 2026 is a Horizon Europe co funded transnational partnership call that supports research, innovation and implementation projects helping cities move toward a climate neutral, resilient and sustainable future. It uses a two stage process with pre proposals and invited full proposals.[1][4]

What the call supports

The call focuses on urban transition challenges grouped into three Transition Pathways, Positive Energy Districts, the 15 minute City, and Circular Urban Economies. Applicants may address several topics within one proposal, but should choose one main pathway for evaluation.[1]

Who can apply

The call is open to a broad range of disciplines and welcomes interdisciplinary projects. It explicitly expects applicants to engage stakeholders such as companies, public authorities and NGOs and to take user needs into account when defining project goals.[1]

1. 1Consortia must include at least three partners from three countries on the participating list, and each partner must be eligible under its own national or regional funding agency.[1]
2. 2At least two of those three countries must be eligible for EC co funding, meaning EU Member States or Horizon Associated Countries.[1]
3. 3The proposal must clearly show the added value of transnational collaboration.[1]
4. 4The proposal must be prepared in English, use the mandatory proposal form, and respect the page and formatting limits in the call templates.[1][4]
5. 5Some countries require parallel national submissions in addition to the transnational submission.[1][4]

Funding, duration, and indicative scale

The official call page reports approximately €49 million in budget committed by the participating funding agencies for this call. Funding is provided directly by national or regional agencies, so exact grant sizes, rates and eligible cost rules depend on the participating country or agency.[1]

Submission and timeline

The call opened on 1 September 2026 and uses a multiple cut off deadline model. Stage 1 pre proposals close on 17 November 2026 at 13:00 CET, and Stage 2 full proposals close on 15 April 2027 at 13:00 CEST.[1][4]

1. 1Submit the pre proposal in UDiManager by the deadline; revisions after the deadline are generally not allowed except for technical administrative corrections requested by the Secretariat.[4][1]
2. 2Eligible pre proposals are checked for transnational and national eligibility and evaluated by an independent panel of experts.[1]
3. 3Only invited pre proposals may proceed to Stage 2, and applicants must not make fundamental changes to objectives, main applicant or consortium unless exceptional circumstances apply.[1]
4. 4Eligible full proposals are checked again and then ranked for funding recommendations.[1]

Evaluation and practical applicant notes

The call uses a common evaluation form for both stages, with some sub criteria tailored to research oriented or innovation oriented approaches. A proposal that is eligible is only admitted to evaluation and is not guaranteed funding, so country specific funding rules and budget availability remain decisive.[1]