Innovation Programmes
Call for projects on sustainable cities
Countries
About this call
Ministries and funding agencies in Austria, Finland, Israel, Singapore, Sweden have funding for organisations collaborating on international R&D projects in the field of Sustainable Cities.
The EARTH Innovation Alliance (E5) is a pioneering initiative by a select group of leading innovation agencies to accelerate the development, scale-up and implementation of breakthrough climate technologies. The E5 currently comprises of 5 members: the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, Business Finland, Enterprise Singapore, Israel Innovation Authority and Vinnova.
One of four thematic Working Groups, EARTH Cities, aims to accelerate the development and scale-up of innovative technologies for carbon-neutral cities by facilitating cross-sector innovation and co-innovation between the public and private sectors among the E5 members.
This call for projects has been launched by Austria, Finland, Israel, Singapore, and Sweden following Eureka’s Network Projects framework.
Funding information
This call is for research and development projects in the field of sustainable cities.
A sustainable city is an urban system that meets the social and economic needs of all its residents today, while operating within the Earth’s ecological limits, so that future generations can also thrive. In practice this means the city:
- Minimises resource inputs and harmful outputs (energy, water, food, waste, pollution).
- Ensures universal access to safe, affordable housing, services, and mobility in ways that are inclusive and participatory.
- Supports a resilient, low-carbon economy that provides decent jobs and long-term prosperity.
- Builds adaptive capacity to climate, health and other shocks through nature-based and technological solutions, evidence-based governance, and engaged communities.
Collaborative international R&D and technology development projects can help countries/cities address green transition challenges and needs as countries/cities work towards building nature-positive cities.
Projects under Sustainable Cities could be in the following areas, but this list is not exhaustive:
- Advanced materials for the built environment
- Built materials as an energy source/storage
- Sustainable construction solutions/building materials
- Radiative cooling (active/passive)
- Low- or net-carbon building materials (e.g., CO2 mineralisation, calcium carbonate solutions)
- Circular construction (e.g. use of biochar, reuse of construction demolition waste)
- Sustainable energy
- Renewable energy technologies (solar, hydrogen) and related applications (e.g. hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen purification)
- Energy storage systems
- Grid technologies (e.g. in the areas of grid efficiency/resilience/cyber-security, grid feed-ins)
- Energy communities
- Spot-pricing opportunities
- Resource circularity
- Waste management
- Applications of recycled materials (e.g. waste to high-value products/building materials)
- Urban mobility
- EV charging infrastructure
- Digital tools
- AI
- Public transport enhancement
- Green logistics
Who can apply
To apply, you must meet several eligibility criteria:
- Your project idea must represent international cooperation in the form of a specific project.
- The project must be directed at researching or developing an innovative product, process or service with the goal of commercialisation.
- The project must have a civilian purpose.
- Your consortium must include at least two independent legal entities from a minimum of two Eureka countries.
- No single organisation or country can be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.
- Your project, process, or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
- Projects must address the theme, ‘Sustainable Cities’, and have at least one clear and specific application within the theme.
Your project should be researching and developing a product, process or service for commercialisation and the implementation of project results (such as market launch) should aim to occur no later than 24 months after project completion. Innovative proposals demonstrating novel methodologies or groundbreaking solutions that transcend conventional practices will be prioritised in the evaluation process.
Projects may develop fundamentally new innovations, or adapt, re-engineer and re-purpose existing innovations currently used or envisaged for different application areas. While the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) starting point will vary from one project to another, it is expected that projects will start no lower than TRL level 4.
Country information
Austria 🇦🇹
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Austrian funding agency, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
Funding is available as a grant with a maximum budget of 500,000 euro for the whole call. Within the maximum budget, there is no maximum amount of funding per project. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 60% of eligible project costs |
| Medium-sized companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 40% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations and universities | See details below |
In Austria, all companies are eligible to apply, with cooperation opportunities for universities and research institutions. Funding for Austrian project partners is provided through the FFG General Programme under enhanced Eureka conditions. Project applications are not subject to thematic restrictions. The funding is granted in the form of non-repayable grants, and the maximum funding rate depends on the type of organisation.
Research organisation or university
In the case of a company-led project where a research institution participates as a subcontractor, the costs of the research institution are covered according to the total project funding rate. However, third-party costs may not exceed 50% of the total project costs. In the case of a collaborative project (consortium), the cost share of research institutions is co-funded at 50%.
Additional steps for applications from Austria
In addition to the Eureka application, Austrian participants must submit a separate national application by 22 January 2026 latest to FFG General Programmes (Basisprogramm) via eCall on the FFG website.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Austria
All for-profit companies registered in Austria are eligible for funding, with cooperation possibilities for universities and research organisations. Funding for Austrian project partners is provided through the FFG General Programme under enhanced Eureka conditions. This programme is generally open to all topics, with no thematic restrictions in Austria.
Additional evaluation steps for applications from Austria
Im Rahmen der nationalen Ausschreibung fördert die FFG experimentelle Entwicklungstätigkeiten österreichischer Organisationen. Die Evaluation des österreichischen Projektteils erfolgt durch interne Expert:innen. Das Projekt muss die Eureka Kriterien sowie die nationalen Kriterien laut Ausschreibungsleitfaden erfüll
For more information, please visit the website of FFG.
Finland 🇫🇮
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Finnish funding agency, Business Finland, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
Funding is available as a grant for research projects or as a loan for development and piloting projects on an open-budget basis. There is no maximum amount of funding per project. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of grant funding available |
| Small companies | Up to 60% of eligible project costs See details below |
| Medium-sized and large companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs See details below |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 80% funding, specific national co-innovation project funding rules apply See details below |
Small and medium-sized companies
The grant for SMEs’ research projects accounts for 50% of total eligible project costs. For projects that are purely industrial research (100% industrial research), funding is a grant of 60%. An SME must have fewer than 250 employees, maximum net sales of 50 million euro, or a balance sheet total of no more than 43 million euro.
Large and midcap companies
For midcap and large companies, the grant covers 40% of total eligible project costs, and for projects that are purely industrial research, funding is a grant of 50%. Midcap companies must have group-level maximum net sales of 300 million euro. Companies larger than this are considered large companies.
Additional funding information
In case of funding as a loan, which is available for development and piloting projects, the loan can cover up to 50% of eligible costs, rising to 70% in certain cases. Please contact Business Finland for more information.
Funding from Business Finland is intended for challenging and innovative research, development, and innovation projects. For more information on eligible costs and funding rates, please see the website of Business Finland for more information.
In this call, Business Finland may fund individual Finnish companies as well as groups of Finnish companies participating in the joint international project. Individual companies apply for R&D funding (instructions for small and midcap companies are available on this link)and large companies (instructions for large companies are available on this link). Funding for groups of Finnish companies and for joint participation of Finnish companies and Finnish research organisations in the international consortia is applied as Co-Innovation funding. In Co-innovation funding, the combined total costs of public research organisations may not exceed 60%.
Research organisation or university
Public Research Organisations can receive up to 80% funding, specific national co-innovation project funding rules apply.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Finland
Applicants will be advised in detail about the applicable rules by Business Finland contact persons prior to submitting the Eureka application.
Additional evaluation steps for applications from Finland
The funding from Business Finland is competitive funding. The assessment also takes into account any other funding applications and the indirect effects of the joint project. For more information, please visit the website of Business Finland.
Israel 🇮🇱
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Israeli funding agency, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
Funding is available as a conditional loan on an open-budget basis. There is no maximum amount of funding per project. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of grant funding available |
| SMEs or large companies | Up to 50% of approved project costs |
| Research organisation or universities | Up to 50% of approved project costs as a subcontractor (only for-profit, R&D performing companies can receive direct funding) |
More information about funding and payment of royalties is available on the website of IIA.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Israel
- The duration of your project may not exceed 36 months.
- Your project consortium must have at least one company.
- Your project, process, or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
- You must be an R&D-performing company registered in Israel.
Additional steps for applications from Israel
The full application must also be submitted through the Israel Innovation Authority portal. More details can be found on the website of IIA.
Singapore 🇸🇬
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Singaporean funding agency, Enterprise Singapore, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call.
Funding is available as a grant on an open-budget basis. Funding is given on a reimbursement basis. There is no maximum amount of funding per project. Applicants must ensure sufficient cashflow to finance the project prior to application. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| SMEs | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies (non-SMEs) | Up to 30% of eligible project costs |
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Singapore
All Singapore companies must meet all the following eligibility criteria to apply:
- Business entity registered and operating in Singapore.
- Company has at least 30% local equity held directly or indirectly by Singaporean(s) and/or Singapore PR(s), determined by the ultimate individual ownership.
- Company is financially ready to start and complete the project.
- Companies must cooperate on a joint innovation project that will focus on developing innovative products and applications within civilian purposes.
Additional evaluation steps for applications from Singapore
Funding will only be provided to projects that receive a positive evaluation from all relevant national or regional ministries and funding agencies. For more information, please visit the website of Enterprise Singapore.
Sweden 🇸🇪
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Swedish funding agency, Vinnova, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research institutes, and universities participating in this call.
Swedish participants can apply for grants according to Vinnova’s general terms and conditions for grants. State aid rules apply to organisations that carry out economic activities. The rules on state aid for research, development and innovation are stated in the European Commission’s General Block Exemption Regulation No 651/2014 (GBER). In this call article 25 in GBER applies, with support for Industrial research.
Funding is available as a grant with a maximum budget of 544,000 euro for the whole call. The maximum funding (grant) per project is 272,000 euro. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Small companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 30% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
Information on terms and conditions for funding and eligible costs is available on the Vinnova website. Swedish participants that require funding from Vinnova are recommended to get in touch with one of the Vinnova contact persons before submitting the national application.
Additional steps for applications from Sweden
In addition to the centrally submitted online Eureka project application form, Swedish participants of the international project consortium must also apply to the national call on Vinnova’s website that opens on 1 September 2025 and closes on 29 January 2026, 14:00 CET. Exclude international project partners in the national grant application and in the budget for the Swedish part of the project.
The complete Eureka application form of the international project consortium, including all partner forms, project budget, and Gantt diagram of work packages must be submitted as project description in the application to Vinnova. A CV of the Swedish project coordinator should also be submitted as appendix to the application.
All Swedish participants, including the assigned Swedish coordinator, must fill in the “Participant Approval” form before project start.
All participants in the international Eureka project shall enter into a Consortium Agreement and it should be by the due date of the first Vinnova status report. It shall include the participants’ mutual commitments, conditions concerning rights to foreground and background information, and issues significant to the cooperation.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Sweden
Vinnova’s national call is aimed at companies, universities, research institutes or other relevant actors in Sweden that want to collaborate with organisations in the participating Eureka countries. A participant seeking a grant must be a Swedish legal entity. In this respect, a Swedish legal entity is equated to a foreign organisation with a branch or establishment in Sweden. The project costs must have been incurred in the Swedish legal entity. For more information, please visit the website of Vinnova.
How to apply
Application process
- Contact your ministry or funding agency through Eureka’s website to discuss your project idea, finances, eligibility and procedures.
- Create an account on our application portal (one per consortium) and select the funding opportunity you want to apply to.
- To apply, use the portal and complete one application form per consortium in English. Additionally, request that other partners fill out a partner form.
- Submit a GANTT chart, a signed co-signature form (available for download on the platform), and any other required attachments.
- We will check your application for completeness and eligibility before reviewing it using a standard evaluation procedure. If successful, your project will receive a Eureka label.
- Your country or region’s ministry or funding agency may conduct another evaluation performed by experts and based on national regulations.
- The final step is to complete and sign a consortium agreement. We recommend that you seek legal advice when drafting your consortium agreement.
Important: Your national or regional funding body may need you to complete additional steps to apply to this Network Projects call. If you do not provide the information required by your national or regional funding body, you may render yourself ineligible to receive public funding.
Evaluation process
1. Impact
- Is the market properly addressed (i.e., size, access and risks)?
- Is the value creation properly addressed (i.e., employment opportunities and environmental and societal benefits)?
- What are the competitive advantages of your project (i.e., strategic importance, enhanced capabilities and visibility)?
- Are your commercialisation plans clear and realistic (i.e., return on investment, geographical and sectoral impact)?
2. Excellence
- What is the degree of innovation? (i.e., is the proposed product, process or service state-of-the-art? Is there sufficient technological maturity and risk)?
- How is new knowledge going to be used?
- Is your project scientifically and technically challenging for consortium partners?
- Is the technical achievability and risk properly addressed?
3. Quality and efficiency of implementation
- What is the quality of your consortium (i.e., balance of the partnership and technological, managerial and financial capabilities of each partner)?
- Is there added value through international cooperation?
- Is your project management and planning realistic and clearly defined (i.e., methodology, planning approach, milestones and deliverables)?
- Is your cost structure reasonable (i.e., costs and financial commitment for each consortium partner)?
4. Overall perception
Experts will list three positive and negative points about your application and state whether they recommend your project for public funding. Your ministry or funding agency may carry out a further evaluation according to national/regional rules before allocating funding to organisations.
More information
Events
Future of Cities Webinar
Programme
- A session on the “Future of Cities” followed by a discussion with a panel of thought leaders in this field.
- An overview on Sustainable Cities followed by an information session on the Call for Projects on Sustainable Cities.
Date: 15 September 2025
Time: 10am CET / 4pm SGT
Registration Link: Webinar Registration – Zoom
