Mission: Climate Neutral and Smart Cities

This program focuses on the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission. Funding provides support to enable the previously selected Smart Cities to roll out their climate action plans and achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The cities that benefit from these actions are intended to act as innovation hubs for other cities to become climate-neutral by 2050.

The Call “Changing urban spaces and mindsets to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality” opened September 17th; proposals must be submitted to Horizon Europe by February 11, 2025.

University of Manitoba teams planning to submit to this intake would best benefit from contacting Major Projects Office (MPO) at the first opportunity during planning. 

Rethinking urban spaces towards climate neutrality
Program Code: HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-01
Program Type: Innovation Action
Research Areas: Reallocation of space and redesign of infrastructure. Dynamic curb-side management and use. Development and implementation of mobility and energy solutions; improvement of air quality, reducing urban overheating and pollutant emissions; improved public space connectivity and accessibility of urban districts; more efficient use of urban space and vehicles. Pilot demonstrations in 3 cities, including at least one EU Smart City, co-designed with local stakeholders - digital by default. Achieve TRL 7 by end of project.
Total Funding Available: $68M CAD for three grants.

Zero-pollution cities
Program Code: HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-02
Program Type: Research & Innovation Action
Research Areas: Methods for assessing exposure to pollution, health impacts, including on vulnerable groups; assessment of morbidity and mortality as a result; behavioral economics, psychology to lower pollution; understanding impact on health and well-being. Sources of pollution; comparative analysis of abatement strategies. Technology at TRL 5 by end of project. At least 1 Smart City/Green City involved.
Total Funding Available: $30M CAD for four grants.

Mobility Management Plans and Behavioural Change
Program Code: HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-03
Program Type: Coordination & Support Actions
Actions: Identify and address specific bottlenecks and barriers that prevent uptake of sustainable mobility management schemes across the EU and propose solutions that could lead to the desired behaviour change of citizens, aimed at more sustainable and decarbonised urban transport. Propose recommendations to support the uptake of smart and bidirectional recharging for electric vehicles (EV) and related demand side management schemes in cities to enable EV participation in electricity markets. Encourage new mobility behaviour by means of marketing, information and awareness raising campaigns. SSH involvement. At least 2 of 4 cities should be Smart Cities.  
Total Funding Available: $7.5M CAD for one grant.

Integrated peri-urban areas in the transition towards climate neutrality
Program Code: HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-04
Program Type: Innovation Action
Research Areas: At least 2 of the 4 domains: mobility, energy, industry, governance. Outcomes include sustainable transportation, decarbonized energy, reduced GHGs, and better integration of peri-urban areas into the current spatial/land-use/transport/landscape planning. Focus is on peri-urban areas. This will require establishment of living labs in multiple cities, including the previously-selected Smart Cities. Research actions should provide a summary of measures contributing to climate neutrality in European peri-urban areas, identifying barriers, establish co-designing process and engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure successful uptake of solutions contributing to climate neutrality of peri-urban areas, develop, test, and demonstrate scalable solutions in real life in at least 2 of 4 domains contributing to climate neutrality of peri-urban areas. Project will involve SSH research. Activities at least TRL 7 by end of project.  
Total Funding Available: $42M CAD for three grants.