Transition to low-temperature heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings

The HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02 call focuses on the transition to low-temperature heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings, aimed at facilitating the decarbonization of urban heating infrastructures in Europe. This initiative under Horizon Europe encourages projects that aim to retrofit existing residential heating systems for improved energy efficiency and use of renewable sources.

Eligible applicants include at least two cities that must each be from different EU Member States or Associated Countries, represented by local authorities or entities with explicit consent from local authorities. At least one of these cities must be among the 112 selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The project types span various entities, including municipalities, research institutions, and SMEs involved in heating systems.

The funding type is categorized as HORIZON Innovation Actions and utilizes a lump sum grant modality with a total budget of €18 million allocated to fund approximately three projects, each receiving about €6 million. The grants simplify the funding process by eliminating detailed cost reporting requirements.

Projects are expected to operate at the demonstration stage, focusing on implementing practical solutions and showcasing the viability of low-temperature heating in real-world urban contexts. The call encourages the demonstration of various technologies, including heat pumps and digital control systems, across at least four residential buildings in different climate zones.

The application process is structured as a single-stage submission, with the planned opening on February 4, 2026, and a deadline for applications set for October 8, 2026. Proposals must detail the project’s technical, implementation, and management plans while also highlighting the integration with the Cities Mission Platform to ensure alignment with broader urban climate goals.

Financial contributions are designed to cover eligible costs comprehensively, though there is no explicit co-financing requirement. Nevertheless, alignment with municipal investment strategies is encouraged to enhance project feasibility.

The overarching goal of this initiative is to foster innovative low-temperature heating solutions that contribute to the EU's sustainability objectives, helping to network and connect buildings with district heating systems and renewable energy sources. This aligns with the mission of achieving climate neutrality and improving urban living conditions through enhanced building energy performance and affordability.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically "Transition to low-temperature heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings" under 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 Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. 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 expected outcomes of the projects are a faster transition of district heating and building heating systems towards low-temperature operations and increased use of renewable energy and/or waste heat.

The scope of the topic includes:
Low-temperature district heating systems in urban areas: Supporting the conversion of existing supply solutions (district heating and individual heating) into low-temperature alternatives, reducing and optimising the heat load of buildings.
Efficient district heating systems: Demonstrating solutions that support the transition to low-temperature district heating systems operating at supply temperatures below 70°C, to meet the criteria in terms of the use of renewable energy, waste heat and/or co-generation in line with Article 26(1) of the Directive (EU) 2023/1791.
Non-fossil fuel heating systems: Demonstrating heat pump solutions to replace both central and individual fossil fuel boilers in existing residential multi-apartment buildings, addressing the limited choice of established non-fossil fuel heating and hot water systems.

Proposals are expected to address at least two of the following:
Demonstrate system design and technical solutions at district and building level, to enable the integration of various heat supply sources (particularly renewable energy sources and waste heat), and to facilitate the transition to low-temperature district heating systems. Refine digital tools for the control and monitoring of district heating systems as well as digital tools to support decision-making both at the initial planning stages and for the standardized replication of solutions.
Demonstrate building-level heating solutions for hot water and low-temperature heating with maximum heating supply temperatures up to 50°C and fulfilling water safety regulations in at least four residential multi-apartment buildings of at least 1000 m2 each. The solutions should be transferrable and standardised.
Demonstrate building-level heating solutions for hot water and heating needs in at least four residential multi-apartment buildings of at least 1000 m2 each that use either on-site renewable energy sources or an ambient or geothermal loop shared with other buildings / facilities, or a connection to district heating systems for the heat supply.
At a building, district or city level, demonstrate approaches for connecting buildings via district heating networks and ambient or geothermal loops to reduce the overall energy demand, to facilitate the deployment of low-temperature district heating systems and to improve heating systems’ flexibility via the integration of heat storage, including in heat networks, by or with the inclusion of energy communities.
Ensure the participation of local energy communities to assess their socio-economic benefits for the local community and heating system operators.

Projects are expected to demonstrate the proposed solutions in two different climate zones, at building, district and/or city level, and to assess the environmental, social and economic benefits of the proposed solutions for the local community and heating system operators while accounting for the regional economic and regulatory aspects. The system design must include advanced controls to allow exploiting the energy flexibility of individual heating systems in a collective way. Projects must present a concise state-of-the-art of existing relevant solutions, knowledge and tools from EU funded projects.

Projects are expected to contribute to the implementation of Climate City Contracts and/or Sustainable Energy Action Plans, Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans. Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform is essential and must be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding to be concluded as soon as possible after the project starting date. Under the guidance of the Cities Mission Platform, the selected projects will engage in clustering activities with other relevant projects supported under the Cities Mission to promote synergies and complementarities. Proposals should ensure that appropriate provisions for activities and resources aimed at enforcing clustering activities and cooperation with the Cities Mission Platform are included in the work-plan.

Admissibility Conditions:
Proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

Eligible Countries:
Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions:
At least two cities, represented by a local authority or by an entity with explicit consent from the local authority, each from a different Member State or Associated Country, must participate as beneficiaries. At least one of the two cities must be one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion:
Described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award:
To ensure a balanced portfolio covering both district heating and building-level heating solutions, grants will be awarded to proposals not only in order of ranking, but also to at least one highest-ranked proposal in each category of heating solution (district heating and building-level heating), provided all thresholds are met. This balanced portfolio is also achieved if one proposal addressing both categories (district heating and building-level heating) is funded. 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:
Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to the following action(s): HORIZON-MISS-2021-CIT-02-03. Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform is essential. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme. General conditions are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions:
Not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)). Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, 12. Missions, 15. General Annexes; HE Programme Guide; HE Framework Programme 2021/695; HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

Budget overview:
HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01: EUR 20,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02: EUR 18,000,000, indicative number of grants: 3
HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-NEB-B4P-CCRI-03: EUR 47,500,000, indicative number of grants: 5

Partner search announcements:
Partner search announcements are available. LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Support:
Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment, Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on promoting the transition to low-temperature heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings and district heating systems within the context of climate-neutral and smart cities. It seeks innovative projects that demonstrate technical and digital solutions, integrate renewable energy sources, and involve local communities. The call requires collaboration between cities and alignment with Climate City Contracts and Sustainable Energy Action Plans. Funding is provided as a lump sum, and projects must address specific eligibility criteria and contribute to the overall goals of the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The call aims to accelerate the adoption of efficient and sustainable heating systems, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and enhance the integration of renewable energy in urban environments.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include cities represented by a local authority or by an entity with explicit consent from the local authority, from a Member State or Associated Country. At least one of the two cities must be one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Other types of applicants are not explicitly mentioned but can be inferred to include entities collaborating with local authorities, energy communities, and potentially research institutions or enterprises involved in heating solutions.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The action type is HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The minimum requirement is at least two cities, each from a different Member State or Associated Country, participating as beneficiaries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically focusing on heating solutions, including district heating and building-level heating systems. It also touches upon climate, sustainable energy, and urban development. The specific technologies of interest are low-temperature district heating systems, heat pumps, renewable energy sources, waste heat utilization, digital tools for control and monitoring of heating systems, and heat storage solutions.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the eligibility extends to EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is demonstration. The call aims to demonstrate system designs and technical solutions at district and building levels, refine digital tools, and demonstrate building-level heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02 is EUR 18,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 3. Therefore, the funding amount per project is around EUR 6,000,000.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: There is one stage for the application process.

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02, focuses on "Transition to low-temperature heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings." It aims to support projects that demonstrate innovative solutions for transitioning district heating and building heating systems to low-temperature operations, increasing the use of renewable energy and waste heat. The call targets EU Member States and Associated Countries, requiring consortia with at least two cities from different eligible countries. One of the cities must be part of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

Projects should address at least two of the following: demonstrating system designs for integrating heat supply sources and transitioning to low-temperature district heating, demonstrating building-level heating solutions for hot water and low-temperature heating in residential multi-apartment buildings, demonstrating building-level heating solutions using on-site renewable energy sources or shared ambient/geothermal loops, and demonstrating approaches for connecting buildings via district heating networks and ambient/geothermal loops. Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform is essential, and projects must contribute to the implementation of Climate City Contracts and Sustainable Energy Action Plans.

The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a total budget of EUR 18,000,000 and an indicative allocation of around EUR 6,000,000 per project. The application process is single-stage, with a planned opening date of February 4, 2026, and a deadline of October 8, 2026. This call presents an opportunity for cities, local authorities, energy communities, and related entities to develop and demonstrate innovative heating solutions that contribute to climate neutrality and sustainable urban development.