2025 DUT calls pre-published

The DUT (Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future) is a partnership under Horizon Europe. The DUT call for proposals aims to support transnational research and/or innovation projects addressing urban challenges to help cities in their transition to a more sustainable economy and way of operating.

What are the 2025 calls about?

The challenges are grouped into 3 themes known as “transition pathways”, each containing 3 calls which have just been pre-published:

– Positive Energy Districts (PEDs)

The 3 calls in this transition pathway are:

1. Driving a just transition: PED strategies in social and subsidised housing – read more
2. Ensuring positive socio-economic impact: PEDs in local economies and energy markets – read more
3. PEDs in urban heating and cooling strategies – read more

– 15-minute city (15mC)

The 3 calls in this transition pathway are:

1. Next steps for multimodal urban mobility, building on the travel experience – read more
2. Reimagining parking – transforming urban parking policies – read more
3. Mobility policymaking in context of radical contestation – read more

– The  circular urban economy (CUE)

The 3 calls in this transition pathway are:

1. Resilient green and social infrastructure – read more
2. Sustainable tourism – circular benefits and challenges – read more
3. Public procurement to foster urban greening and circularity – read more

What else do I need to know?

When will the calls open? The calls will be officially launched on 1st September 2025. The Stage 1 deadline will be on 17 November 2025, and the Stage 2 deadline on 23 April 2026.

Who can apply? Research organisations, companies and commercial organisations, urban government authorities, consumers and civil society representatives and actors from the culture and creative sectors, from one of the participating countries. Within the Brussels Capital Region, the call is open to all public and private organisations based in Brussels (research organisations, universities, businesses, associations, NGOs, public authorities, etc.) carrying out R&D activities in Brussels.

Are Belgian / Brussels entities eligible? Belgium is among the participating countries. Innoviris is the regional authorities of reference for Brussels-based entities. Other participating countries are listed here.

Do I need to form a consortium? Yes, a project must have at least three partners from three different countries and include a municipality or local authority.

Which types of projects will be funded? 3-year research and innovation projects that focus on urban areas, in the context of achieving climate neutral and resilient cities. The call welcomes a wide range of scientific disciplines such as strategic urban research, applied urban research and urban innovation.

Which budget is available? There are no fixed minimum or maximum limits for a project size. Most projects are expected to have a total budget request of around €1–2 million.

Are you a Brussels-based legal entity?

Then you are welcome to register to the Info Day on the 2025 DUT Calls, organised on 8 September 2025 by Innoviris and NCP Brussels. The Info Day will take place from 10am to 12pm at hub.brussels, 110 Chaussée de Charleroi, 1060 Brussels, on the ground floor. It will then be followed by a networking lunch. In the afternoon, from 1pm to 4pm, bilateral meetings will be held on site with Innoviris and NCP, subject to prior registration.

You can register on this link. The deadline for registrations is 29 August 2025.

To go further:

• Read the 2025 call and Annex with regional funding agencies’ rules of eligibility
• Have a look at the Innoviris DUT page
• Register on the matchmaking platform for the 2025 calls here
• Have a look at the projects funded under the previous DUT calls here and here
• Get in touch with your NCP! For Brussels-based legal entities, contact Camille (cdehestru@hub.brussels) for mobility and circular economy topics, and Aïda (ayassine@hub.brussels) for energy projects