Horizon Europe Cities Mission 2026: opportunities for transport, heating and circular construction

13th July 2026 at 10:29 am

Cities are where Europe’s climate transition becomes practical, from cleaner and more attractive public transport to fossil-free heating in older apartment buildings and more circular approaches to construction. The Horizon Europe Cities Mission call HORIZON-MISS-2026-04: Supporting the implementation of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission focuses on these implementation challenges. Open until 8 October 2026, the call has an indicative budget of EUR 85.5 million and funds three Innovation Action topics: urban mobility, low-temperature heating and circular construction. Together, they target solutions that can be tested in real city environments and scaled beyond individual demonstration sites.

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The first topic focuses on energy-efficient urban and suburban public transport, supported by shared mobility services. It is less about individual vehicles and more about how the whole transport system works: better links between public transport and shared mobility, smarter use of data, and more attractive low-emission options for residents. Suitable project ideas could include route optimisation, last-mile services, improved fleet management, multimodal planning and local measures to reduce emissions while improving access. Consortia must include at least three lead cities and three follower cities, with at least one lead city selected under the Cities Mission.

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The second topic tackles a problem faced by many European cities: how to reduce emissions from the heating systems of older apartment buildings. Typically, these are high-temperature (>70 °C) heat-delivery systems based on fossil fuels. The call topic seeks practical solutions to enable the transition to low-temperature (50-70 °C) heating systems, which are better suited to utilising heat from sustainable sources such as waste heat or renewable energy technologies. Solutions can address district heating or building-level systems and they can include ambient and geothermal loops, heat storage, energy communities and digital solutions for monitoring and control.

The emphasis is on practical upgrades to existing buildings, not isolated technology pilots. Projects should show how cities can move towards cleaner, more flexible heating systems that also support more liveable homes and neighbourhoods. At least two cities from different Member States or Associated Countries must be involved, including at least one selected Cities Mission city.

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The largest topic in the call looks at construction, one of the most visible and resource-hungry parts of urban life. It brings together the Cities Mission with the New European Bauhaus, Built4People and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, with a clear question at its centre: how can cities build, renovate and reuse materials without locking in more waste and emissions? This is not a niche issue. Every renovation, demolition site and new development raises the same challenge: what happens to the materials, and how much value is lost along the way? The topic supports approaches that reduce raw material use, keep products and components in circulation for longer, and cut whole life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and urban construction. Possible project concepts could include urban mining, circular renovation, adaptable buildings, material banks, digital marketplaces for reused construction products, secondary bio-based materials, whole life-cycle assessments and circular business models that can work beyond a single pilot site. Tools and solutions must be developed and demonstrated at the district or city level. Projects must demonstrate solutions in at least three cities from different Member States or Associated Countries. At least one of these cities must be a selected Cities Mission city.

What applicants should not underestimate

The Cities Mission call is appealing because it is practical: it speaks about buses, buildings, construction sites, heat, materials and the everyday systems that make cities work. But that also makes it demanding. A strong proposal will need more than an interesting technology or a well-written concept note, it will need a credible story of implementation.

Applicants should be ready to show:

• why the solution matters for climate-neutral cities;
• where it will be demonstrated and why those cities are the right testbeds;
• how local authorities, infrastructure operators, citizens and market actors will be involved from the start;
• how results will be measured in a way that convinces evaluators;
• how the solution can travel beyond the pilot cities;
• how communication, dissemination and exploitation will help turn results into real uptake.

The role of cities is central. These topics are not looking for municipalities that appear only as logos on a proposal. They need cities that help define the problem, open the right doors locally, test the solution under real conditions and show how it can be scaled.

Preparing a proposal for the 2026 Cities Mission call?

The 8 October 2026 deadline may still feel comfortably far away, but Cities Mission proposals take time to get right. The strongest applications will not be built around a last-minute idea; they will bring together the right cities, credible demonstration sites, committed partners and a clear route from pilot action to wider uptake. At accelopment, we make it our priority to support the Green Deal initiative and projects. Once you have identified your project idea, we stand ready to assist you with professional Proposal Writing support based on your needs. Whether you are applying to a call for the first time, re-submitting or require full support or assistance with certain sections, we have the expertise to meet your needs. With our long-standing experience with successful climate, energy and mobility proposals such as SOLARX, PEPPERONI and ROADVIEW, we can guide you in preparing an innovative and competitive project application.

Andreia Cruz
Research & Innovation Project Manager

Dr. Johannes Ripperger
Research & Innovation Manager