Driving Urban Transitions to a sustainable future (DUT) Co-Funded Partnership

The "Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) Co-Funded Partnership" is a grant opportunity under Horizon Europe aimed at supporting sustainable urban development. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe Cluster 5, focusing on climate, energy, and mobility. It seeks to fund collaborative projects that advance urban transitions, in alignment with the European Green Deal and the UN 2030 Agenda.

Eligible applicants must be part of a consortium, involving entities such as universities, research institutes, public authorities, and NGOs. Single applicants are not permitted, mandating partnerships among at least three independent entities from different EU or associated countries. The specifics of the funding type indicate that it is a grant, categorized as a co-fund grant under Horizon Europe.

The grant supports projects primarily aimed at applied research and innovation, scaling existing initiatives, and implementing sustainable solutions in urban settings. Eligible activities may encompass diverse sectors including energy transition, circular economy, and urban mobility, emphasizing innovative governance and stakeholder engagement.

Geographically, the program is open to proposals from EU member states and associated countries, with possible inclusion of international partners under specific provisions. The overall budget for this grant opportunity is substantial, with the total available allocations varying by topic; notably, the co-fund actions alone total approximately €56 million.

The application process is a single-stage open call with a submission deadline set for September 24, 2025. The expected funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible project costs. Successful projects will demonstrate clear pathways to impact and contribute significantly toward the objectives of sustainability and climate neutrality in urban environments.

The project aligns closely with various European policies and aims to enhance cooperation in urban research and innovation, strengthen EU leadership in sustainable urban development, and support cities in fostering resilient urban environments. The call for proposals is specifically targeted at the consortium that won a previous grant under the related topic, allowing them to expand upon their existing projects with new partners and activities.

The EU Funding and Tender Opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07, titled "Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) Co-Funded Partnership," aims to continue support for the DUT partnership, facilitating the roll-out of its strategy and assisting cities in achieving sustainability and climate neutrality. This initiative aligns with the European Green Deal, the UN 2030 Agenda, the Urban Agenda for the EU, the New EU Urban Mobility Framework, the Habitat III New Urban Agenda, and the Paris Agreement.

The expected outcomes of the partnership include: enhanced multi-level cooperation on sustainable urban development R&I, strengthening the EU's role as a model for sustainable urban development R&I, establishing innovative urban governance and policy-making, integrating emerging mobility and transport services, fostering sustainable and climate-neutral urban environments, empowering local authorities and citizens, and increasing the implementation of the European Green Deal.

The scope of this action involves continuing support for the DUT Co-funded Partnership, funding additional activities, capitalizing on collaboration opportunities, pursuing mutual benefits from international cooperation, ensuring a seamless pursuance of the DUT strategy, scaling up synergies with various EU missions and platforms, and enhancing collaboration with other European Partnerships.

The eligibility conditions specify that the proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16. The evaluation committee will include representatives from EU institutions. The action is intended to be implemented as an amendment to an existing grant agreement. The funding rate is up to 30% of eligible costs, and beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 5,000,000 per third party. The starting date of the grant may be retroactive to the submission date.

The call includes several specific topics with varying budgets and objectives:

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 30,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 15,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 7,500,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-04: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 15,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-07: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of EUR 4,000,000.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07: HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions with a budget of EUR 56,000,000.

The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 24, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Application forms, evaluation templates, guidance documents, model grant agreements, and additional resources are available in the Submission System and through the provided links. Support services such as the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks are available to assist applicants.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals to continue the "Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future" (DUT) Co-Funded Partnership under Horizon Europe. It aims to support cities in their transition towards sustainability and climate neutrality by funding additional activities, fostering collaboration, and implementing innovative solutions. The call is specifically targeted at the consortium that previously won the grant under topic HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16, allowing them to amend their existing grant agreement to include new partners and activities. The initiative seeks to align with various EU and international policies, promote multi-level cooperation, and empower urban stakeholders to actively participate in sustainability transitions. The total budget for the HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions is EUR 56,000,000, with the opening date for submissions on May 6, 2025, and a deadline on September 24, 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The primary applicant must be the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16: Co-Funded Partnership: Driving Urban Transitions to a sustainable future (DUT). The consortium can include additional partners. The text mentions local authorities, municipalities, businesses, social partners, civil society, and knowledge institutions as entities to be empowered, suggesting they can be partners. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible, subject to specific provisions.

Funding Type: The funding type is a co-fund grant, specifically a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action (HORIZON-COFUND) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). The action is intended to be implemented as an amendment to an existing grant agreement. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, and while the coordinator must be from the existing project HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16, additional partners can be included.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be focused on EU member states and associated countries. The text mentions "European cities" and alignment with EU policies. However, non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects. The text also encourages international outreach and cooperation with global cities and research funding networks, suggesting some level of international eligibility.

Target Sector: The program targets sustainable urban development, climate neutrality, energy, environment, transport, urban mobility, circular economy, social inclusion, and innovation in urban settings. It also touches on governance, policy, and citizen engagement.

Mentioned Countries: The text does not explicitly mention specific countries, but it refers to the EU, non-EU countries, and non-Associated Countries. It also mentions Africa in the context of potential synergies.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on the continuation and enhancement of existing initiatives. It aims to scale up synergies, implement tested approaches, and support the transition towards sustainability and climate neutrality, suggesting a focus on validation, demonstration, and potentially scale-up.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07 - HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions is EUR 56,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-07 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions is EUR 4,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 15,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 12,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 7,500,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 15,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 30,000,000. The maximum FSTP to be granted to an individual third party is EUR 5,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. They may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants varies by topic, ranging from 1 to 3.

Co-funding Requirement: The funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible costs, implying that co-funding is required.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07) aims to continue supporting the "Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future" (DUT) Co-funded Partnership. The goal is to assist European cities in their transition towards sustainability and climate neutrality, aligning with the European Green Deal, the UN 2030 Agenda, and other relevant policies. The call seeks to enhance multi-level cooperation, promote innovative urban governance, integrate sustainable mobility solutions, and foster resilient urban environments. The funding is provided as a co-fund grant, requiring co-funding from the beneficiaries. The call is open to a consortium, but the coordinator must be the same as the one from the previously funded project (HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16). Additional partners can be included. The geographic focus is primarily on EU member states and associated countries, with some potential for international collaboration. The call targets a wide range of sectors related to urban development, including energy, environment, transport, governance, and social inclusion. The project stage is focused on scaling up existing initiatives and implementing tested approaches. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 24, 2025. The funding rate is up to 30% of eligible costs, and beneficiaries can provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, up to EUR 5,000,000 per third party. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D2-07 - HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions is EUR 56,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-07 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions is EUR 4,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 15,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 12,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 7,500,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 15,000,000. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions is EUR 30,000,000.