EU Launches New Funding Call for Urban Transitions
The 'Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable future' (DUT) Partnership has announced its fourth funding call to support projects aimed at creating climate-neutral and resilient cities. The call specifically targets themes including circular economy, energy transition, and urban climate adaptation, offering funding opportunities for European municipalities and research consortia.
- The Netherlands is a key participant in the partnership through the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, and Platform31; the country was also one of the original initiators of the preceding Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe in 2008. - The DUT Partnership's work is structured around three specific "Transition Pathways" that guide its research and innovation agenda: Positive Energy Districts (PED), the 15-minute City (15mC), and Circular Urban Economies (CUE). - With a total intended budget of at least €450 million for the 2022-2028 period, the partnership involves more than 65 funding and policy organizations across 28 European countries. - This funding call's theme of circularity directly supports the Dutch government's National Circular Economy Programme, which aims to reduce the use of primary raw materials by 50% by 2030 and achieve a fully circular economy by 2050, with construction designated as a priority sector. - The partnership's previous call in 2024 attracted 254 applications, ultimately resulting in 47 transnational projects being selected for a total funding commitment of approximately €57 million. - The DUT program is a primary instrument for implementing high-level European Union strategies at the urban level, including the European Green Deal, the EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and the Urban Agenda for the EU. - The program's focus on empowering local authorities aligns with the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) 'Gemeenten4GlobalGoals' campaign, which mobilizes municipalities to contribute to sustainable development goals.
