Energy efficient urban and sub-urban public transport, complemented by shared mobility

The HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01 funding opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe initiative, specifically aimed at improving energy efficiency in urban and suburban public transport, while also promoting shared mobility solutions. This opportunity invites consortia comprising multiple stakeholders, including local authorities, academia, and public transport operators, to collaborate on innovative projects that enhance urban mobility within the framework of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.

The budget for this call is €20 million, with an estimated allocation of up to €10 million per project. It is anticipated that two projects will receive funding. The application process is single-stage, opening on February 4, 2026, and closing on October 8, 2026. This program targets the testing and implementation of effective mobility solutions that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public transport efficiency.

Eligible applicants must form a consortium of at least three lead cities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries, along with at least three follower cities, ensuring diverse representation and geographical balance. One lead city must be one of the 112 cities participating in the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

Successful projects will aim to demonstrate innovative transport solutions in real urban environments, evaluate their impacts, and provide practical guidelines for local authorities. The call highlights the necessity for integration of Social Sciences and Humanities expertise to ensure societal benefits alongside technological advancements. Furthermore, collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform and adherence to EU strategies such as the Zero Pollution Action Plan and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy are crucial aspects of the proposals.

This opportunity presents a chance for cities to lead in innovative mobility solutions that contribute to broader EU climate goals, tackling urban mobility challenges while emphasizing sustainability and community engagement. The high competitiveness of the call, with a low success rate expected, necessitates that consortium participants showcase exceptional coordination and capability to deliver impactful projects that align with EU climate objectives.

The EU Funding Opportunity HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01 focuses on Energy Efficient Urban and Sub-Urban Public Transport, complemented by shared mobility. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and the call "Supporting the implementation of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2026-04)". It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 04 February 2026, and the deadline date is 08 October 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The topic aims to support activities that enable or contribute to the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, accelerating the transition towards climate neutrality in cities. Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes: Cities involved in this action advance in achieving their climate neutrality targets, reducing greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions by improving energy efficiency in urban and sub-urban public transport systems, complemented by urban mobility service car fleets (taxis, ride-hailing, car sharing, and other active and shared mobility services). A comprehensive inventory and assessment of existing instruments and measures to foster electrification and attractiveness of urban and sub-urban public transport systems, urban mobility service car fleets, and shared mobility, accompanied by targeted guidance for responsible authorities, operators, and providers through the integration of measures to improve energy efficiency in public transport and new shared mobility services. Upscaling of innovative and sustainable integrated mobility solutions, identifying gaps and shortcomings in existing systems, and exchanging best practices in the pilot sites involved in the action, leading to a state-of-the-art of electrification and attractiveness of urban and suburban public transport with complementary urban mobility service car fleets and other active and shared mobility solutions. Enhanced assessment tools to quantify the direct benefits and associated co-benefits of decarbonized urban mobility service car fleets and new shared mobility solutions complementary to public transport (including evaluation of impacts on modal shift, increased intermodal mobility, and diverse user needs), the trade-off analysis between different solutions, and the recommendation of the most suitable implementation strategies, thereby helping to attract public investments. Further progress towards achieving the targets set by relevant EU strategies and policies such as the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, the new EU Urban Mobility Framework, the Decarbonise Corporate Fleets Communication, and the Energy Efficiency Directive.

The scope of this topic includes exploring and testing solutions to increase the energy efficiency and attractiveness of urban and sub-urban public transport, urban mobility service car fleets, and other active and shared mobility solutions in the pilot sites involved in the proposals. This includes facilitating the exchange of experiences and good practices and fostering learning at the European level. The work should lead to an updated and comprehensive overview of the state of the art of the electrification of urban and sub-urban public transport systems, urban mobility service car fleets, and shared mobility solutions, including an assessment of gaps and shortcomings in existing systems.

The topic invites proposals from consortia including at least three cities from different Member States or Associated Countries, along with at least three follower cities, ensuring a good geographical balance. Follower cities can be from the same Member State or Associated Country as the lead cities. At least one of the three lead cities must be one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-neutral and Smart Cities. The consortium should bring together academia, responsible local authorities, public transport operators, urban mobility service car fleet providers, shared mobility service providers, and other relevant stakeholders. The goal is to collaboratively test and implement a mix of technological and non-technological innovations, along with policy-based measures, to enhance the energy efficiency and appeal of urban and suburban public transport in complementarity with urban mobility service car fleets and shared mobility solutions. An assessment of the overall ecological footprint, including impacts on air quality, of the tested solutions should also be carried out, taking into account the whole value chain and possible rebound effects.

From the lessons learned through the testing of solutions, recommendations and guidance on the optimal integration of energy-efficient urban and suburban public transport with urban mobility service car fleets, active and shared mobility solutions should be provided for local authorities and public transport operators. Recommendations and measures could cover newly emerging technologies and soft measures such as marketing, real-time information, awareness-raising campaigns, and co-creation of user-oriented and environmentally sustainable solutions, with particular regard to the specific needs of diverse user groups. Proposals could test the establishment of new operating and business models. Proposals may also include take-up and replication actions, research activities, as well as tools to support local planning and policymaking. To facilitate replication, upscaling, and up-taking of the generated outcomes and to foster capacity building/upskilling of public authorities, local actors, and communities, actions should engage in outreach, communication, dissemination, and training activities.

This topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions, as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform is essential and should take place through the CIVITAS initiative. Proposals should ensure that appropriate provisions for activities and resources aimed at enforcing clustering activities and cooperation with the Cities Mission Platform and the CIVITAS initiative are included in the work plan. Proposals should plan for active collaboration amongst the projects selected under this topic for dissemination, evaluation, and coordination facilitated by and within the CIVITAS initiative.

Regarding the general conditions, the proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Additional eligibility criteria include the participation of at least three lead cities, represented by a local authority or an entity with explicit consent from the local authority, from different Member States or Associated Countries, along with at least three follower cities, ensuring a good geographical balance. At least one of the three lead cities must be one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Participation is subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to the action HORIZON-MISS-2021-CIT-02-03. Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform is essential, and projects must ensure that appropriate provisions for activities and resources aimed at enforcing this collaboration are included in the work plan of the proposal. This collaboration must be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding or a collaboration agreement to be concluded as soon as possible after the project starting date.

Application and evaluation forms and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction and Missions), the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and other relevant guidelines and regulations.

The budget for this topic is 20,000,000 EUR for the year 2026. The action is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 04 February 2026, and the deadline is 08 October 2026. The indicative number of grants is 2, with an estimated contribution of around 10,000,000 EUR per grant.

There are three partner search announcements available for this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal, as well as any user having an active public Person profile.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header. Applicants are advised to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application. The Online Manual serves as a guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing the grant. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ provides answers to frequently asked questions on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. Support services such as the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks are available to assist applicants.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality in cities by supporting projects that improve the energy efficiency and attractiveness of urban and suburban public transport systems, complemented by shared mobility solutions. It encourages collaboration between cities, academia, and industry to test and implement innovative solutions, with a focus on electrification, integration of new technologies, and policy-based measures. The successful projects will contribute to achieving the targets set by relevant EU strategies and policies, such as the Zero Pollution Action Plan and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, and will provide recommendations and guidance for local authorities and public transport operators to promote sustainable urban mobility. The initiative requires a strong consortium with at least three lead cities and three follower cities, ensuring geographical balance and active collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform and the CIVITAS initiative.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include academia, responsible local authorities, public transport operators, urban mobility service car fleet providers, shared mobility service providers, and other relevant stakeholders. The call specifically mentions that at least three lead cities, represented by a local authority or by an entity with an explicit consent from the local authority, from different Member States or Associated Countries along with at least three follower cities, must participate.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG], under HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions). This indicates that the funding is intended to support innovation actions within the Horizon Europe framework.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The consortium must include at least three cities from different Member States or Associated Countries, along with at least three follower cities, ensuring a good geographical balance.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes Member States of the EU and Associated Countries. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily focused on transport, climate, and urban development. Specifically, it targets energy-efficient urban and sub-urban public transport, urban mobility service car fleets (taxis, ride-hailing, car sharing), active and shared mobility services, and the integration of these services to achieve climate neutrality in cities.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Member States and Associated Countries of the EU. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the innovation action stage, which implies a focus on testing, demonstrating, and scaling up innovative solutions. The call aims to explore and test solutions to increase energy efficiency and attractiveness of urban and sub-urban public transport.

Funding Amount: The budget overview indicates that for the topic HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01, the budget is EUR 20,000,000, and the indicative grant amount is around EUR 10,000,000. For HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02, the budget is EUR 18,000,000, with indicative grants around EUR 6,000,000. For HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-NEB-B4P-CCRI-03, the budget is EUR 47,500,000, with indicative grants around EUR 9,500,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their projects.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some context. For HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01, two grants are expected. For HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02, three grants are expected. For HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-NEB-B4P-CCRI-03, five grants are expected.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01, aims to support the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission by funding projects that accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality in cities. The call focuses on improving energy efficiency and attractiveness of urban and sub-urban public transport systems, complemented by urban mobility service car fleets and shared mobility solutions. It seeks to integrate these services effectively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

The call requires consortia to include at least three cities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries, along with three follower cities, ensuring geographical balance. One of the lead cities must be among the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The consortia should bring together diverse stakeholders, including academia, local authorities, public transport operators, and mobility service providers.

Projects should test and implement technological and non-technological innovations, along with policy measures, to enhance the energy efficiency and appeal of public transport. They should also assess the ecological footprint of the tested solutions, considering the entire value chain and potential rebound effects. The call encourages the development of recommendations and guidance for local authorities and public transport operators on integrating energy-efficient transport solutions.

The funding is provided through HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of EUR 20,000,000 for HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01 and an indicative grant amount of around EUR 10,000,000. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a planned opening date of February 4, 2026, and a deadline of October 8, 2026. Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform and the CIVITAS initiative is essential. The call also emphasizes the importance of incorporating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines to enhance the societal impact of the research activities.