The Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT) has launched its 2026 call to fund transnational research and innovation projects aimed at accelerating the sustainable transformation of cities.
The call has been open since September 1, 2026, and the deadline for submitting pre-proposals is November 17, 2026 at 13:00 CET.
DUT Call 2026 is structured around three main thematic areas, one of which is specifically dedicated to Circular Urban Economies (CUE).
This strand aims to support projects that develop, test, and scale solutions capable of helping cities move towards more circular, resource-efficient, and resilient models.
Projects may address areas such as:
- material and resource circularity;
- new urban production and consumption models;
- reuse and valorisation;
- circular waste management;
- urban and industrial symbiosis;
- digital solutions that enable circularity;
- new urban services and business models.
Who it is for
The call is transnational and is aimed at consortia that may include companies, research centres, universities, cities, public authorities, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders.
Specific eligibility requirements depend on the rules of the participating national funding agencies, so applicants should review the conditions applicable in each country before preparing their proposal.
For startups and SMEs, the call may be particularly relevant if they are working on solutions related to cities, waste, reuse, traceability, logistics, materials, valorisation, or new circular models with demonstration and scaling potential.
How to apply
The process begins with a pre-proposal phase, with a deadline of November 17, 2026 at 13:00 CET.
Proposals must be submitted by a transnational consortium and comply with both the general DUT requirements and the specific conditions set by the funding agencies in each participating country.
Source: Driving Urban Transitions Partnership / Horizon Europe.