The EU’s Climate-Neutral Cities Mission refers to various aspects of urban transformation towards climate neutrality, such as reduced air and noise pollution, improved health and well-being, reduced urban environmental footprints, enhanced urban greening, reduced soil sealing and improved water management.
The key areas of the mission are:
- Boosting innovation: The mission seeks ideas to enhance the ability of local governments to develop and adopt green technologies and zero-emission solutions.
- Sustainable mobility: Proposals focused on integrating clean transportation options like electric vehicles, automation, and connected infrastructure for moving people and goods are encouraged.
- Greener cities: The mission welcomes ideas for incorporating nature-based solutions, renaturing urban spaces and developing green infrastructure projects.
- Planning for climate-neutral districts: Proposals for creating digital models that simulate carbon-neutral districts and eventually entire cities are a focus area.
- Improving public spaces: The mission seeks ways to better connect different city areas by promoting multimodal transportation and shared services within public spaces.
- Tackling pollution: Proposals for improved methods to assess air, water, soil and noise pollution, especially its impact on vulnerable populations, are sought.
- promoting sustainable mobility: The mission encourages proposals that enhance public understanding and acceptance of sustainable transportation options.
- Greening peri-urban areas: Ideas for integrating green and smart mobility, energy, industry and governance solutions in areas surrounding cities are welcomed.
- Building capacity for change: The mission is looking for proposals to support national, regional and local authorities in managing the transition of cities towards climate neutrality.
- Climate city contracts: Proposals that assist cities, particularly those selected for the mission, in designing and implementing their Climate City Contracts, including investment plans, are highly sought.
Who can apply?
- A consortium of at least three independent legal entities (“beneficiaries”), each established in a different EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country (e.g. Israel); at least one member of the consortium must come from an EU member state.
- Additionally, some of the Civil Security calls require the participation of specific partners in the proposal (for example: local authorities, border management authorities, first responders or others) – read the specific topic carefully to see the requirements.
Funding
- Up to several million Euros per project, in accordance with to the specific topic description. Participants will usually receive hundreds of thousands of Euros per project, depending on their role and responsibilities in the project.
- The funding rate of this grant will be 70% or 100% of the eligible costs + 25% overhead, depending on the type of funding mechanism. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) will cover 100% of the expenses and Innovation Actions (IA) will cover 70% of the expenses.
Submission
RIA/IA proposals must follow this provided template; CSA proposals must follow this provided template.
Evaluation process
- Your proposal will be first evaluated and scored remotely by at least 3 EU expert evaluators, each giving it a grade of up to 5 on the three evaluation criteria: Excellence, Impact and Implementation
- The evaluators will meet at an evaluation committee that decides on the final score, taking into consideration the comments of the evaluators.
- The evaluation process is expected to take 5 months after the deadline.
Important links –
For questions and more information: Reut.cohen@iserd.org.il