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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to continue and expand the 'Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Co-Funded Partnership' to help cities become more sustainable and climate-neutral. It supports the implementation of the partnership's strategy and action plan.

SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on urban transitions, sustainable urban development, climate action, and related areas.
Target Recipient: The coordinator of the existing DUT consortium (funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16 and HORIZON-CL5-2023-D2-01-08).
Geographic Scope: Primarily European cities, with a strong emphasis on international collaboration and outreach.
Key Filtering Criteria: Your organization must be the coordinator of the specified existing DUT consortium. New partners can be added, but the lead must be the established consortium.
Grant Frequency: This is a continuation of an ongoing co-funded partnership, extending its activities.

Financial Structure

Total Budget: The total budget allocated for this specific topic is EUR 56,000,000.
Minimum Grant Amount: EUR 56,000,000.
Maximum Grant Amount: EUR 56,000,000.
Currency: All amounts are in EUR (Euros).
Funding Rate: The grant will cover up to 30% of the eligible costs.
Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP): Beneficiaries are allowed to provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.
Maximum FSTP per Third Party: The maximum amount of FSTP to be granted to an individual third party is EUR 5,000,000.
Justification for FSTP: This high amount is justified because the provision of FSTP is the primary activity of this action, based on extensive experience from predecessor partnerships.
Retroactive Costs: Costs incurred from the submission date of the application may be considered eligible if the need for a retroactive starting date is justified in the proposal.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Organization Type: Must be the coordinator of the consortium that previously received funding under the Horizon Europe topics HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16 and HORIZON-CL5-2023-D2-01-08 (the 'Driving Urban Transitions to a sustainable future (DUT) Co-Funded Partnership').
Partnership/Consortium: Required. The application must come from the established consortium, though additional partners may be included.

Geographic Location

Eligible Countries: Organizations from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, as defined in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. This typically includes most European countries and several non-European associated countries.

Financial and Operational Capacity

General Requirements: Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity, as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Exclusion Criteria

General Rules: Standard exclusion criteria for EU funding, as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, apply.

Application Process

Application Procedure

Submission System: Proposals must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Action Type: This action is intended to be implemented as an amendment to an existing grant agreement (concluded under topics HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16 and HORIZON-CL5-2023-D2-01-08).

Key Dates and Deadlines

Planned Opening Date: May 6, 2025
Application Deadline: 2025-09-23 22:00:00+0000 (UTC).
Submission Model: Single-stage submission.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form: Specific application forms are available in the Submission System. Applicants should refer to Part B of the Application Form for page limits and layout.
Standard Forms: Various standard application form templates (HE RIA, IA, CSA, COFUND, RI) are provided for reference, to be adapted as needed.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA): Reference is made to HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, and Framework Partnership Agreement FPA.

Project Implementation and Reporting

Grant Duration: The grant extends the activities of the existing DUT Co-funded Partnership.
Reporting: Financial and operational reporting requirements are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Assistance and Support

Online Manual: Comprehensive guide for proposal submission and grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common questions regarding submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance and practical assistance on participation in Horizon Europe.
Enterprise Europe Network: Advice for businesses, especially SMEs, including EU research funding guidance.
IT Helpdesk: For technical issues with the Funding & Tenders Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks: Advice on standardisation in project proposals.
European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct: General principles for researchers, employers, and funders.
Partner Search: Tools available to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

General Evaluation and Award

Award Criteria, Scoring, and Thresholds: Defined in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation Committee: Will be partially composed of representatives from EU institutions.

Project Quality and Relevance

Added Value: Proposals must clearly describe additional activities and justify their added value compared to ongoing actions.
Policy Alignment: Demonstrated understanding and integration of actual progress in relevant EU and international policy frameworks and urban initiatives (e.g., European Green Deal, Urban Agenda for the EU, UN 2030 Agenda, Paris Agreement).
Coherence: The proposed activities must ensure a seamless pursuance of the existing DUT strategy, objectives, and actions.

Impact and Synergies

Synergies with EU Missions: Plans for scaling up synergies with initiatives like the NetZeroCities Mission Platform, CapaCITIES, and other EU Missions (e.g., MIP4Adapt) are important.
Collaboration with European Partnerships: Expected collaborations and synergies with other European Partnerships such as Clean Energy Transitions (CET), Built4People, Biodiversa+, 2ZERO, CCAM, EIT Urban Mobility, and Water4All.
Broader Engagement: Exploration of interfaces with public procurement, investment programs, Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), European Urban Initiative (EUI), and private funds to support solution uptake.
International Outreach: Emphasis on collaboration with global urban and research funding networks (e.g., Belmont Forum) to align strategies and promote evidence-based urban policy.

Consortium Expertise and Uniqueness

Specific Expertise: The evaluation will consider the existing context and the scope of the initial evaluation, recognizing the specific expertise of the current consortium in relation to the Partnership's objectives and past activities.
Continuity: Recognition that the current consortium is 'uniquely placed' and that 'no other consortium would be able to continue the activities... without a significant disruption'. This suggests a strong preference for the incumbent consortium's ability to maintain continuity.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

General Annexes Compliance: Adherence to general conditions described in Annex A (page limit/layout), Annex B (eligible countries), Annex C (financial/operational capacity, exclusion), Annex D (evaluation/award criteria), Annex F (submission/evaluation processes, timeline), and Annex G (legal/financial set-up) of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
EU Financial Regulation: Compliance with EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Data Protection and Privacy

Portal Policies: Compliance with Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement.

Ethical Standards

Research Ethics: Adherence to ethical standards relevant to research and innovation projects.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

IP Management: Policies regarding intellectual property are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Risk Management

Not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but generally required for large-scale EU projects.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Existing Partnership Continuation: This grant is specifically designed as a continuation of an existing successful co-funded partnership, emphasizing its proven track record and unique position to achieve the objectives.
Primary Activity is FSTP: The action's primary activity is the provision of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), indicating a focus on broader impact through sub-granting.
Strategic Alignment: Strong emphasis on contributing to major EU and international policy goals including the European Green Deal, UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Urban Agenda for the EU, New EU Urban Mobility Framework, Habitat III New Urban Agenda, and the Paris Agreement.
Innovation and Impact: Expected to contribute to enhancing multi-level cooperation, strengthening the EU as a role model for R&I in sustainable urban development, fostering innovative governance, integrating emerging mobility, and empowering local stakeholders.

Grant Details