Open the call 2026 of the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT)

Transnational research projects under the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) initiative should focus on supporting cities in their transition to a more sustainable economy and functioning.

The challenges are grouped into three areas called Transition Pathways:

• Positive Energy Districts (PED)
• City of 15 Minutes (15mC)
• Circular Urban Economies (CUE).

Each proposal must be submitted in a group of at least three partners from three different participating countries in the DUT 2026 Joint Call. All partners must be eligible for funding by the agencies of their respective countries and, in addition, at least two partners must come from two different countries eligible for cofinancing from the European Commission, be they EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe.

The consortiums may be composed of universities, companies, industrial organizations, local or regional governments, research organizations and NGOs.

The call is open to a wide range of scientific disciplines and promotes an interdisciplinary approach to projects. Each proposal should also clearly set out the added value of transnational collaboration.

The call will remain open until 17 November 2026.

Grants from the CDTI Innovation

The CDTI Innovation will grant a grant to those Spanish companies whose projects have been chosen. The amount shall be granted on a case-by-case basis according to the actual eligible cost of each project, the characteristics of the beneficiary and budgetary availability, subject to the maximum aid intensity limits laid down in the General Block Exemption Regulation:

• 60% for small businesses
• 50% for medium-sized enterprises
• 40% for large companies

In case of budgetary availability by the CDTI, the aid intensity could reach 70% for all entities.

Submission of applications

The announcement takes place in two phases:

• Pre-proposals: until 17/11/2026 at 13:00 CET.
• Complete proposals: until 15/04/2027 at 13:00 CET.

Each Spanish company participating in a consortium must send through the electronic headquarters of the CDTI Innovation a preliminary PAR application with a deadline of November 17, 2026. This request consists of an online form accompanied by a technical report describing, in Spanish, the R&D activities and the budget of the company’s participation in the international proposal.

Information and search for partners

Stakeholders can now join the Partner Search Platform to explore collaboration opportunities and book 1:1 meetings with potential partners.

Likewise, the DUT Call 2026 Info Day will be held on September 9, from 10:00 to 13:00, in online format, and will include national sessions to explain the financing conditions at the national level.

Contact

It is recommended that each partner contacts their agency as soon as possible, as soon as they have a project idea. For more information on the calls and personalized advice on your proposal, you can contact the Deputy Directorate of Technological Cooperation, through:

partenariadoshe@cdti.es
(+34) 91 581 04 89

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.

More information:

Press Office
press@cdti.es
91-581.55.00

On the Internet
Website: www.cdti.es
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