Oct 20, 2023

DUT (Driving Urban Transitions) Call 2023 out now!

The purpose of this call for proposals is to support transnational research and/or innovation projects addressing urban challenges to help cities in their transition towards a more sustainable economy and functioning. The challenges are grouped into three themes called ‘Transition Pathways: Positive Energy Districts, the 15-minute City and Circular Urban Economies.

It is the second call of the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) which is co-funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe.

Transnational consortia & stakeholder involvement

The DUT Call 2023 is opened to a wide range of scientific disciplines and welcomes interdisciplinary approaches. It intends to support a large range of activities, from research to innovation and implementation.

It also asks applicants to engage explicitly with stakeholders (companies, public authorities, NGOs …) in the projects and to consider users’ needs in the identification of the project goals. Projects are expected to take a transdisciplinary and preferably co-creative approach from the early project formulation stages.

Call topics

(please note: only Topics PED and 15minC [both with sub-topic 1 and 3] is funded by the German funding agency)

Positive Energy Districts Pathway (PED) - funded by BMWK
Now, more than ever, energy resilience and locally produced energy are gaining significant momentum. We aim to explore ways to ensure that nobody is left behind, focusing not only on the stability of our energy system but also on addressing energy poverty. This entails finding innovative investment models and incentives to foster collaboration among public authorities, real estate entities, financing institutions, utilities, and homeowners, enabling the implementation and realization of Positive Energy Districts.
- PED topic 1: Energy Resilience and Engery Poverty
- PED topic 3: Enabling Systems for Local Energy Transitions: Collaboration and Sustainable Investment
15-minute City Pathway (15minC) - funded by BMBF
In urban areas, the issue of car-centred planning and resulting car dependency continues to persist. The question remains: how can we open up more leeway to lower existing car dependency, prepare evidence to change and identify exemplary cases of integrated policies that actively work against it, incentivising individuals and ensuring that no one is left behind? Given the recent demonstrations of the concept of 15-minute cities, it becomes imperative to explore methods for actively involving people in the transition process, raising awareness, and promoting incentives for the use of more sustainable modes of transportation:
- 15mC topic 1: Integrated Policies and Evidence to Reduce Car-dependency
- 15mC topic 3: Empower People for Urban Mobility Transitions
Circular Urban Economies Pathway (CUE)

Timeline and eligibility criteria

21^th of November 2023 – pre-proposal submission
30^th of April 2024 –proposal submission
Funding for joint projects with min 3 partner from 3 participating countries
small to medium sized consortia with 3-5 partners are expected
max EUR 400,000 - 450,000 per proposal for German applicants (including 20 % overhead)

Participating countries: https://dutpartnership.eu/funding-opportunities/dut-call-2023-funding-agencies/

Further information: https://dutpartnership.eu/funding-opportunities/dut_call_2023/