The Driving Urban Transitions Partnership has announced that its upcoming DUT Call 2026 will place a stronger focus on innovation, implementation and solution uptake across European cities.
The call will support research and innovation projects that help cities address urban challenges and move towards a climate-neutral and resilient future. Projects are expected to contribute to one or more of DUT’s three Transition Pathways:
- 15-minute City
- Circular Urban Economies
- Positive Energy Districts
A key change in the 2026 call is the introduction of a new cross-cutting innovation topic. This topic will span all three Transition Pathways and will be reserved for innovation-oriented approaches. Projects are expected to move beyond concepts and focus on pilots, demonstrations, scaling and implementation in real urban contexts.
As in previous DUT calls, applicants are expected to use co-creative approaches involving stakeholders such as municipalities, civil society organisations, local communities and private sector actors. All projects must involve a municipality or local authority, while consortia applying under the new cross-cutting innovation topic must also include a private sector organisation, such as an SME, industry partner or business.
By increasing its focus on innovation-oriented approaches, the DUT Call 2026 can help cities move from experimentation to replicable and investment-ready district solutions. The first call topics are expected to be published on June 1st, 2026, and the call is scheduled to open for applications on September 1st, 2026.
You can read more about the DUT call on their website.
