Deadline: 01-Oct-2026
The Mission: Climate-Neutral City call supports research, development, and innovation projects that help Austrian cities, districts, neighbourhoods, and buildings move toward climate neutrality and resilience. The call has a total budget of €20,000,000 and supports urban technologies, pilot demonstrations, renewable energy integration, circular economy approaches, sustainable mobility, climate adaptation, and district-scale system innovation.
The call is part of Austria’s mission-oriented innovation policy led by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure together with the Climate and Energy Fund. It focuses on accelerating climate and energy goals through scalable solutions for climate-neutral cities and urban transformation.
What is the Mission: Climate-Neutral City Call?
The Mission: Climate-Neutral City call is a funding opportunity for research, development, and innovation projects in Austria.
It supports projects that help cities, municipalities, districts, neighbourhoods, and buildings reduce emissions, improve resilience, and move toward climate neutrality.
The call focuses on practical urban innovation, including new technologies, system solutions, pilot demonstrations, and sustainable models for climate-neutral urban development.
Main Purpose of the Call
The main purpose of the call is to accelerate Austria’s transition toward climate-neutral and climate-resilient cities.
The programme supports innovation activities that help cities test, demonstrate, and scale solutions for energy transition, mobility transformation, resource efficiency, renewable energy use, and climate adaptation.
It also aims to position cities as active leaders in sustainable transformation.
Total Budget Available
The total budget for the Mission: Climate-Neutral City call is €20,000,000.
This funding supports eligible research, development, innovation, pilot, demonstration, and urban R&D service projects connected to climate-neutral urban transformation.
Focus Areas and Priorities
The call focuses on climate-neutral urban development, district-scale innovation, and resilient city systems.
Key focus areas include:
- Urban technologies
- Urban system innovation
- Technical, socio-ecological, and economic system solutions
- Climate-neutral urban areas
- Neighbourhood and building development
- Pioneer cities
- Urban pilot demonstrations
- District-scale innovation
- Sustainable public space design
- Sustainable transport design
- Mobility behaviour transformation
- Circular economy approaches
- Renewable energy integration
- Resource efficiency
- Energy efficiency
- Alternative financing models
- Alternative operating models
- Climate adaptation measures
- Urban R&D services
- Climate monitoring
- Climate impact assessment
Key Concepts Explained
Climate-Neutral Cities
Climate-neutral cities are urban areas that reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and balance remaining emissions through sustainable systems.
This includes clean energy, low-emission mobility, energy-efficient buildings, circular resource use, green infrastructure, and climate-conscious urban planning.
Urban System Innovation
Urban system innovation means changing how different parts of a city work together.
This may include buildings, transport, energy systems, public spaces, citizens, municipal services, digital tools, finance, governance, and climate adaptation measures.
Pioneer Cities
Pioneer cities are cities that are actively pursuing ambitious climate and energy goals.
They play a key role in testing, demonstrating, and scaling solutions that can support climate neutrality in other cities and municipalities.
Urban Pilot Demonstrations
Urban pilot demonstrations are practical test projects carried out in real urban environments.
They may involve pilot buildings, climate-neutral districts, modular renovation, renewable energy systems, mobility experiments, public space redesign, or neighbourhood-scale innovation.
Climate Adaptation
Climate adaptation refers to measures that help cities respond to climate-related risks.
This may include heat reduction, flood resilience, green infrastructure, water-sensitive urban design, climate monitoring, and planning for future climate impacts.
Strategic Objectives of the Call
The call supports strategic goals linked to Austria’s energy and climate transition.
Strategic objectives include:
- Reducing emissions through energy transition
- Reducing emissions through mobility transition
- Adapting cities to climate change impacts
- Increasing resource efficiency
- Increasing energy efficiency
- Expanding renewable energy sources
- Expanding the use of renewable materials
- Strengthening knowledge transfer between cities and project partners
- Supporting urban learning processes
- Positioning cities as leaders of sustainable transformation
- Reinforcing gender and diversity aspects in research and development
Operational Objectives of the Call
The operational objectives focus on practical project development and implementation.
The call supports projects that:
- Develop technological solutions for climate-neutral urban areas
- Initiate system innovations in cities and municipalities
- Support resilient buildings and neighbourhoods
- Improve resource-efficient urban development
- Enable sustainable mobility behaviour
- Support social and transformative innovation
- Develop new financing models for climate-neutral urban development
- Develop new operating models for sustainable urban systems
- Strengthen storage and flexibility potential in buildings and neighbourhoods
- Improve understanding of climate-related urban impacts
What Types of Projects are Supported?
The call supports research, development, innovation, pilot, demonstration, and service-oriented projects.
Eligible project types may include:
- Urban technology development projects
- Climate-neutral district innovation projects
- Pilot buildings and pilot neighbourhoods
- Demonstration projects in pioneer cities
- Modular renovation approaches
- Renewable energy integration in buildings and districts
- Circular economy solutions for urban areas
- Sustainable public space and transport design
- Mobility behaviour transformation projects
- Climate adaptation and resilience projects
- Storage and flexibility solutions for buildings and neighbourhoods
- Monitoring and climate impact assessment services
- Exploratory development activities in pioneer cities
Who is Eligible?
The article describes the call as supporting research, development, and innovation projects in Austrian cities, districts, and buildings.
Eligible applicants are likely to be organisations or consortia involved in urban innovation, research, development, city transformation, building innovation, mobility, energy, climate adaptation, or municipal implementation.
Relevant applicant types may include:
- Research organisations
- Universities
- Companies
- Municipalities
- City authorities
- Urban development organisations
- Technology providers
- Energy and mobility organisations
- Innovation consortia
- Public-sector and private-sector partners
Applicants should ensure that their project is clearly connected to climate-neutral urban development in Austria.
Eligible Project Locations
Projects should focus on Austrian urban environments.
This may include:
- Cities
- Municipalities
- Districts
- Neighbourhoods
- Buildings
- Public spaces
- Pioneer cities
- Urban pilot areas
The strongest projects will show how their proposed solution can support climate neutrality and resilience in real urban settings.
How the Call Works
The Mission: Climate-Neutral City call funds projects that develop, test, demonstrate, or assess solutions for climate-neutral urban transformation.
Projects may focus on individual technologies, district-scale solutions, building innovation, urban system change, or climate-related services.
The call encourages cooperation with pioneer cities because these cities can provide real-world testing environments for scalable climate solutions.
Projects should show how their activities contribute to emissions reduction, climate adaptation, resource efficiency, renewable energy use, urban learning, and long-term transformation.
How to Apply
Applicants should first confirm that their project contributes to climate-neutral and resilient urban development in Austria.
They should then identify the specific challenge the project addresses, such as emissions reduction, sustainable mobility, renewable energy integration, climate adaptation, circular economy, building renovation, or district-scale system innovation.
The application should clearly explain the project concept, expected innovation, target location, implementation approach, partners, outputs, and expected climate impact.
Applicants should also explain how the project aligns with Austria’s mission-oriented innovation policy and the objectives of the Mission: Climate-Neutral City call.
Suggested Application Steps
- Define the urban climate challenge the project will address.
- Identify whether the project focuses on a city, district, neighbourhood, building, public space, or pioneer city.
- Select the main innovation area, such as renewable energy, mobility, circular economy, climate adaptation, building efficiency, or urban system innovation.
- Explain the research, development, innovation, pilot, or demonstration component.
- Show how the project will reduce emissions or improve climate resilience.
- Describe the role of project partners, including cities, municipalities, research organisations, companies, or technology providers.
- Include a clear implementation plan with activities, milestones, and expected outputs.
- Explain how the project will support knowledge transfer and urban learning.
- Address gender and diversity aspects where relevant.
- Prepare a realistic project budget aligned with the call requirements.
- Submit the application through the official funding process.
Why It Matters
Cities are central to climate action because they concentrate people, buildings, transport systems, energy demand, infrastructure, and public services.
Climate-neutral cities can reduce emissions while improving air quality, energy security, public space, mobility, housing quality, and resilience to climate impacts.
This call matters because it supports practical innovation that can be tested in real urban environments and scaled across Austrian cities and districts.
By funding climate-neutral buildings, neighbourhoods, mobility systems, renewable energy solutions, and urban R&D services, the programme helps cities become active drivers of the climate transition.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid submitting projects that are too general and do not clearly contribute to climate neutrality.
Projects should not focus only on theory if the call requires practical research, development, pilot, or demonstration activities.
Applicants should avoid weak links to Austrian cities, districts, buildings, or pioneer cities.
Projects should not ignore climate adaptation, resilience, social innovation, or mobility behaviour if these are relevant to the proposed solution.
Applicants should avoid unclear descriptions of expected emissions reduction, energy savings, resource efficiency, or climate impact.
Applications should also avoid treating gender and diversity aspects as an afterthought.
Tips for Strong Applications
A strong application should clearly define the urban problem and explain why it matters for climate neutrality.
The proposal should show how the project combines technology, system innovation, social transformation, and practical implementation.
Applicants should demonstrate how the solution can be tested in real urban conditions.
Projects involving pioneer cities should clearly explain the city’s role in demonstration, learning, and scaling.
The application should include measurable outcomes, such as emissions reduction, energy efficiency gains, renewable energy use, resource savings, improved resilience, or behavioural change.
A strong proposal should also show how results can be transferred to other cities, districts, or neighbourhoods.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Mission: Climate-Neutral City call?
The Mission: Climate-Neutral City call is an Austrian funding opportunity that supports research, development, and innovation projects for climate-neutral and resilient cities, districts, neighbourhoods, and buildings.
2. How much funding is available?
The total budget for the call is €20,000,000.
3. What does the call focus on?
The call focuses on urban technologies, climate-neutral districts, renewable energy integration, sustainable mobility, circular economy, resource efficiency, building innovation, climate adaptation, pilot demonstrations, and urban R&D services.
4. What are pioneer cities?
Pioneer cities are cities that are actively working toward ambitious climate and energy goals. They help test, demonstrate, and implement scalable solutions for climate neutrality.
5. Are demonstration projects supported?
Yes. The programme supports urban pilot and demonstration projects, including neighbourhood-scale testing, pilot buildings, modular renovation approaches, and exploratory activities in pioneer cities.
6. Does the call support mobility innovation?
Yes. The call supports sustainable public space and transport design, mobility behaviour transformation, and system solutions that contribute to lower-emission urban mobility.
7. Why is this call important for Austria?
The call supports Austria’s climate and energy goals by funding practical urban innovation that reduces emissions, improves resilience, increases resource efficiency, and helps cities lead sustainable transformation.
Conclusion
The Mission: Climate-Neutral City call supports Austria’s transition toward climate-neutral, resilient, and resource-efficient urban areas.
With a total budget of €20,000,000, the call funds research, development, innovation, pilot demonstrations, and urban R&D services focused on cities, districts, neighbourhoods, buildings, mobility, energy, and climate adaptation.
Applicants should present clear, practical, and scalable projects that reduce emissions, improve resilience, support renewable energy integration, strengthen urban learning, and contribute to the long-term transformation of Austrian cities.
For more information, visit Climate and Energy Fund.
