Strategic Innovation Open Call

The Strategic Innovation Open Call (EIT Urban Mobility) provides cascade funding to accelerate deployment and scale-up of tested urban mobility solutions, prioritising market-ready projects with clear paths to city deployment. Projects may receive up to €2,000,000 in EIT funding with reimbursement up to 65 percent of eligible costs and a required minimum co-funding of 35 percent; consortia must include at least two independent legal entities established in different EU Member States or Horizon-associated countries. The call uses a multiple cut-off model with current cut-off dates including 28 January 2027 and 3 June 2027, and applications must be submitted via the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite).

What it funds

Scope summary

Grants to accelerate deployment of tested urban mobility solutions with a clear path to market, prioritising projects that de-risk development and enable large-scale procurement and scaling by cities and mobility providers.

Available funding and rates:Total estimated Call envelope €60,000,000 for 2026 2028; this publication shows €18,000,000 available for the current batch. Individual projects may receive up to €2,000,000. EIT funding reimburses up to 65% of eligible costs; minimum co-funding 35% ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: multi-beneficiary consortia with at least two independent legal entities established in two different EU Member States and/or Horizon Europe associated countries.
2. 2Submission route: via EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite).
3. 3Project focus: tested solutions ready for real-world validation and scaling across cities; cross-knowledge-triangle collaboration encouraged (research education business and cities).

Apply and find full call documentation, templates and the Call Manual on the EIT Urban Mobility website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Use the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal to register and submit proposals. EIT Urban Mobility Call page

Footnotes

1. 1Full financial rules, eligible costs and co-funding details are in the Call Manual available on the call page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Call snapshot and administrative details

Key information

Opportunity Title:Strategic Innovation Open Call. Project acronym: EITUM-BP26-28. Full name of EU funded project: EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028. Grant agreement number: 101269525. Funding programme identifier: HORIZON-EIT. Call type: Cascade funding, Multi-Topic Call under EIT Urban Mobility. Opening date: 22 September 2026. Deadline model: multiple cut-off. Published cut-off deadlines (examples provided): 28 January 2027 17:00 (Brussels time) and 03 June 2027 17:00 (Brussels time). Call status: Open for submission. Total funding available for this cut (listed on portal): €18,000,000.00. Total estimated funding allocated to the wider Strategic Innovation Open Call across 2026-2028: €60,000,000 ¹.

Portal and submission:Applications must be submitted through the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite). Register in the portal if not already registered, complete partner information and submit the application online within the published cut-off window.

Evaluation and selection process:The assessment is two-stage: Stage 1 expert evaluation of proposals submitted via the portal; Stage 2 panel hearing and selection by the Selection Committee. Evaluation follows the criteria and process described in Section 5 of the Call Manual. Timings: eligibility check approx. 2 weeks post cut-off, evaluation and invitation to panel hearings up to 8 weeks post cut-off, panel hearings approx. 2 weeks after invitations, communication of results approx. 2 weeks after hearings, project start approx. 4 weeks after result communication.

Eligibility, funding rules and project requirements

This is a multi-beneficiary call. Minimum consortium requirement:at least two independent legal entities established in two different eligible countries (European Member States and/or third countries associated to Horizon Europe). EIT Urban Mobility will reimburse up to 65% of eligible project costs. Minimum co-funding rate required from proposers is 35%. Each project may receive up to €2,000,000 of EIT funding. Projects funded will be expected to progress tested solutions with clear paths to market and real-world deployment in cities and by mobility providers.

Eligible applicant types:Eligible applicants include a wide range of organisations that can form multi-beneficiary consortia: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, non-profit organisations, public authorities (cities, regions), mobility providers, and other legal entities established in eligible countries. Minimum two independent legal entities are required, from at least two different EU Member States or Horizon-associated third countries. Special-case rules (for e.g., Switzerland or Hungarian universities) are referenced in the Call Manual.

Target thematic sectors and scope:The Call focuses on urban mobility challenges and aims to accelerate electrification of transport and alternative fuels among other priority themes. The Call targets solutions that are market-ready or tested, demonstrate clear commercialisation and scaling pathways, and can be deployed in real-world urban environments. The Call may include additional specific topic scopes over time to address urgent market opportunities or market failures.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: startups; SMEs; large enterprises; universities; research institutes; non-profit organisations; public authorities including cities and regions; mobility providers; and other legal entities able to participate in a multi-beneficiary consortium across eligible countries.
2. 2Funding Type: grant via cascade funding mechanism and EIT funding under the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: consortium required (minimum two independent legal entities from two different eligible countries).
4. 4Beneficiary Scope: organisations established in European Union Member States and Third Countries associated to Horizon Europe; specific guidance for special cases in the Call Manual.
5. 5Target Sector: urban mobility, with priority areas including electrification of transport and alternative fuels; solutions that enable large-scale deployment in cities and by mobility providers.
6. 6Project Stage: tested solutions with a clear path to market; suitable for development, validation, demonstration, commercialization and scale-up stages.
7. 7Funding Amount: up to €2,000,000 per project from EIT funding; call-wide estimated funding €60,000,000 for 2026-2028; portal listing shows €18,000,000 available under the present entry.
8. 8Funding Rate and Co-funding: EIT will reimburse up to 65% of eligible costs; minimum co-funding rate 35% required from applicants.
9. 9Application Type: open call with multiple cut-off dates (multiple cut-off model).
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary grants (financial support); accompanied by non-financial services and support through EIT Urban Mobility community and implementation handbooks.
11. 11Application Stages: two main stages (expert evaluation and panel hearing selection); additional administrative eligibility checks precede evaluation.
12. 12Success Rates: not published in the scraped content; selection is competitive and depends on scoring at evaluation and panel stages.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: yes, minimum 35% co-funding from applicants or other sources.
14. 14Application Templates and Documents: Letter of commitment/support template; Project implementation handbook; Financial Support Agreement (FSA) template; EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027; Call Manual with detailed rules and evaluation criteria.

Timetable, deadlines and process milestones

Application guidance and supporting materials

Applicants must consult and comply with the Call Manual which contains the evaluation criteria, submission steps, admissibility and eligibility rules, and special cases. Templates and reference documents provided for applicants include: Letter of commitment or support template, Project implementation handbook, Financial Support Agreement (FSA) template, and the EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027. Applicants are advised to register and use the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite) to prepare and submit proposals. A dedicated community group Mobility Innovators hosts resources, webinar recordings and a matching mechanism for consortium building.

Info sessions and applicant support:EIT Urban Mobility offers info webinars and recorded sessions relevant to applicants (e.g., Info webinars, commercialisation and financial sustainability, intellectual property strategy, guidance to applicants). Recorded webinars and a refresher webinar (19 October 2026) are available via the Mobility Innovators platform. Applicants may contact the Innovation Team at innovationcall@eiturbanmobility.eu for general or technical questions.

Selection criteria highlights and expected project features

The call seeks projects that:demonstrate a tested and market-ready solution or a clear route from pilot to scale; address concrete, defined problems faced by cities and mobility providers; present credible plans for procurement-readiness and for de-risking deployment at scale; show financial sustainability and commercialisation strategies; engage relevant partners across the knowledge triangle (education, research and business) and cities; and commit to measurable impact in urban mobility.

• Preferred maturity: solutions beyond initial concept, in development, validation, demonstration, or commercialization stages.
• Consortium composition: cross-border partnerships bringing complementary skills (technical, commercial, city deployment partners).
• Expected deliverables: deployment pilots, procurement-readiness deliverables, business model validation, market replication plans.

Practical notes and special cases

Special-case applicant rules (for example relevant to Switzerland or Hungarian universities) are described in the Call Manual. Ensure the PIC and organisational registration details are aligned to avoid registration denial; contact servicedesk@eiturbanmobility.eu if issues arise. Cut-off dates and available budgets may differ across cut-offs; earlier cut-offs were published under prior business plan calls (BP23-25) for earlier budgets. Confirm the currently open cut-off on the portal under Grant Management -> Open Calls.

Templates and application structure guidance

The Call Manual and application form in the NetSuite portal provide the exact structure of the proposal. Supporting documents supplied by EIT Urban Mobility include templates for letters of commitment and the Financial Support Agreement. The application form will require: project summary; consortium composition and roles; technical description of the solution; evidence of testing or pilot results; deployment and scaling plan; budget and justification; financing plan showing minimum 35% co-funding; impact and KPIs; IP and exploitation strategy; and letters of support from city or deployment partners where relevant.

Geographic and country mentions

Eligible geographies explicitly referenced:European Union Member States and Third Countries associated to Horizon Europe. The scraped content lists several nominal country names in a site footer (examples: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Democratic Republic of the Congo; various territories), but the formal eligibility for applicants is EU Member States and Horizon-associated third countries. Applicants should consult the Call Manual for precise eligibility lists and guidance for special cases.

Risk, likelihood and success assessment

The call is competitive and selection depends on alignment with evaluation criteria, quality of proposed deployment and scaling, strength of the consortium, co-funding plan and market-readiness. The scraped documents do not publish explicit success rates. Applicants should assume competitive selection and address evaluation criteria comprehensively.

Summary and final explanation

The Strategic Innovation Open Call under the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028 is a multi-cut-off, cascade funding call designed to accelerate deployment and large-scale adoption of tested urban mobility innovations across Europe. It targets consortia of at least two independent legal entities from different eligible countries and funds projects up to €2,000,000 each with EIT reimbursement up to 65% of eligible costs and a required minimum co-funding of 35%. The call emphasises solutions that are market-ready or already tested, with clear commercialization and replication pathways in cities and for mobility providers. Applications are submitted through the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite) and evaluated through a two-stage process: expert evaluation followed by panel hearings and selection by the Selection Committee. Applicants must consult the Call Manual and supporting templates, use the Mobility Innovators community for resources and matchmaking, and follow the cut-off timetable for submission and evaluation milestones. For full details, applicants must read the call documentation and register/submit via the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal and consult the reference links and templates provided by EIT Urban Mobility ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Source and further information: Strategic Innovation Open Call - EIT Urban Mobility. Official call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EIT Urban Mobility websites. For portal listing see ec.europa.eu and the call pages on eiturbanmobility.eu.

The Strategic Innovation Open Call is EIT Urban Mobility's cascade funding call for tested urban mobility innovations with a clear path to market, deployment and scale-up [1][5][6]. The current opportunity record shows a multiple cut-off scheme for the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028, with the wider call family budgeted at €60 million for 2026 to 2028 and the portal record indicating €18 million available for this opportunity.

Key facts

What the call funds

The call supports innovative solutions, products and services that address the most pressing urban mobility challenges and that can be de-risked for large-scale deployment [1][6]. The call is explicitly designed to help cities and mobility providers adopt proven innovations rather than early-stage concepts [1][5].

• Urban logistics [1]
• Public transport [1]
• Mobility data management [1]
• Electrification of transport and alternative fuels [1]
• Health and mobility [1]

Who can apply

This is a multi-beneficiary call, so single applicants are not eligible. Applicants must form a consortium of at least two independent legal entities, and those entities must be established in two different European Union Member States and or third countries associated with Horizon Europe [1][13].

• SMEs, universities, research and technology organisations and large businesses are explicitly reflected in the applicant profile described for the call [3].
• The call also targets innovators working with public and private mobility actors, including cities and public authorities [5][6].
• The consortium must be structured so that the legal entities are independent from each other and eligible under the call manual [13].

Funding conditions

Deadlines and selection timeline

How proposals are assessed

Proposals are evaluated against pre-defined criteria and the process described in Section 5 of the Call Manual [1][13]. The call uses a two-stage process with expert evaluation first and then a panel hearing followed by selection by the Selection Committee [1][13].

What applicants should prepare

1. 1Confirm that the consortium has at least two independent eligible legal entities in two different eligible countries [1][13].
2. 2Align the proposal with one of the five thematic sectors and show a clear urban mobility impact pathway [1].
3. 3Demonstrate that the solution is already tested or sufficiently mature for deployment and scaling [1][5][6].
4. 4Prepare a credible co-funding structure that meets the 35 percent minimum at project level [1][12][13].
5. 5Submit the application through the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal before the cut-off deadline [1].

For applicants, the opportunity is best viewed as a late-stage innovation and market deployment call rather than a research-only grant. The strongest proposals are likely to combine technical maturity, clear city or market demand, a realistic financial plan and a consortium capable of implementation and scaling [1][5][6][13].