Content
- About the call
- Projects
- Events within ENUTC
- Call topics
- Who can apply?
- Approaches and recommendations for proposals
- Project duration
- Documents, call text
- Timeline
- FAQ
- Call secretariat and contact information
- Participating funding agencies and national contact points
1. About the call:
In the ERA-NET Cofund Urban Transformation Capacities (ENUTC) Call, 16 national research and innovation funding agencies, from 14 European countries (namely members of the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe), with the European Commission, have earmarked a global budget of about 18.4 M€, in order to support transnational R&I projects.
The call applies a two-step application process, in which the first step involves the submission of a pre-proposal outline and the second step is for submission of complete full proposals.
This call welcomes a broad range of research and innovation projects that enable capacity building for urban transformations.
Projects should clearly build upon previous experiences of building capacity in practice and build upon existing knowledge of transformation capacities towards urban sustainability, resilience and liveability.
Projects should study transformation processes and transformative capacity building for increased knowledge and understanding of such processes making it possible to develop this knowledge further. Projects are encouraged to use new technologies and tools for implementation of research and innovation and to ensure possibilities for scaling up.
These principles apply to all three call topics as an overarching entry point.
“The goal of this call is to generate transnational research and innovation projects to support capacity building for urban transformation.”
2. Projects
In December 2021, 16 projects were announced recommended for funding in this call. View the projects here.
3. Events in ENUTC
Both international as well as national activities will take place to ease matchmaking and inform applicants about the proposal process. For national events, please get in contact with your national funding agency (information at the end of the page). The international events will be as follows:
- Matchmaking platform (B2Match)– create a profile and search for partners to your consortia
In this matchmaking tool, interested parties in the call can create a profile, partner search, chat, and schedule video-meetings directly in the platform. The platform stays open for registration 26 Feb – 15 April. - LinkedIn group for self organised networking
- Online matchmaking event in Zoom, 9 March, 10.00-12.00 CET (this event has passed)
>> The PPT from the Zoom meeting on 9 March is available here.
>> The matchmaking part of the program is going on in the matchmaking platform until 15 April. - Information webinar, 18 February, 13.00-14.30 CET (this event has passed)
> Powerpoint presentation 1 – Welcome to JPI Urban Europe and the ambitions with this call
> Powerpoint presentation 2 – Detailed call presenation
> Webinar recording - Kick-off Event & AGORA Dialogue, Zoom, 5–6 April
4. Call topics
In this call, urban transformation capacities are related to three main topics, which address a wide variety of urban challenges. Because of the intricacy of issues, the three call topics overlap and there are also crosscutting concerns (use of data, tools for decision-makers, etc.). Each challenge considers these transverse issues from a specific perspective. A proposal must address at least one call topic but may be related to several call topics if it considers a crosscutting subject or an issue that is at the frontier of several topics.
- Topic 1: Urban circular economies
This implies functional urban design in support of circular systems, the use of nature-based solutions – that is actions for societal challenges that are inspired by processes and functioning of nature – and for supporting circularity in resource use and waste management strategies, business models and smart city developments for the common good.
- Topic 2: Community-based developments and urban innovation ecosystems
This implies innovative neighbourhoods which enable social innovation and local entrepreneurs, inhabitant engagement, co-creation and co-design to support liveable, just, inclusive and attractive neighbourhoods.
- Topic 3: Robust and resilient urban infrastructure and built environment
This implies an urban infrastructure and a built environment that can resist natural, environmental, social, economic and technological threats on smaller and larger scales based on efficient use of resources. It also implies fair access to urban infrastructure and the built environment.
5. Who can apply?
Each project proposal must be submitted by a project consortium consisting of at least three eligible applicants applying for funds in the call from at least three different countries whose funders participate in the call.
Depending on the national requirements applicants can be organisations such as:
- Research organisations (such as universities, university colleges, research institutes or other authorities with research undertakings).
- Urban government authorities (such as regional and local government institutions, municipalities and municipal organisations, city authorities, urban governments, urban public administrations, and infrastructure and service providers).
- Companies and commercial organisations (from industry, cooperatives, and small, medium and large enterprises), especially public utility companies (e.g. in the field of energy supply, other communal supply and disposal systems); infrastructure and service providers; real estate developers; investors; facility management providers; actors from the fields of energy, spatial and transport planning; transport authorities; entrepreneurs and innovators.
- Consumers (e.g. business enterprises and test households).
- Civil society (e.g. local and community organisations, non-governmental organisations, not-for-profit organisations, urban communities and inhabitants).
6. Approaches and recommendations for the proposals:
All projects are expected to be cross-sectoral and will be required to clearly engage relevant stakeholders, including the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia, throughout the duration of projects. Projects must also have a transdisciplinary approach, including relevant disciplines, such as natural sciences, social sciences, technical sciences, and applied fields, to support and implement integrative approaches and strategies to enhance urban transformation capacities.
7. Project duration
The expected project duration is three years i.e. the project duration applied for may not exceed 36 months. Note: some countries also impose a minimum project duration, please check the regional/national eligibility guidelines for further requirements.
8. Documents
>> Call text
>> Submission guidelines for applicants
>> Pre-proposal form
>> ENUTC presentation
>> ENUTC Information flyer
>> Full proposal template
>> Submission Guidelines for the full proposal phase
>> National Forms for the full proposal phase for ANR, Innoviris and NWO
>> Article on the kick-off event, the projects catalogue
9. Tentative Call Calendar
Call opening: 29 January 2021, 13.00 CET
International information webinar: 18 February 2021, 13.00-14.30 CET
International online matchmaking event: 9 March 2021, 10.00-12.00 CET
Matchmaking platform B2Match opens Friday 26 Feb and closes for registration 15 April
Pre-proposal submission deadline: 15 April 2021 (14:00 CEST)
Evaluation of pre-proposals: April – May 2021
Submission open for full proposals: June 2021
Full proposals submission deadline: 23 September 2021 (14:00 CEST)
Evaluation of full proposals: September – October 2021
Funding decisions announced: December 2021 – March 2022
Kick-off event: April 2022
Projects end: 2025
10. FAQ
There is now a collection of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) about this call. It includes questions that have been posed in connection to and during our webinars. Please note that it is the call text that is the guiding document for your proposal. This FAQ only includes short answers related to specific questions. Find it here.
11. Call secretariat
If you have questions on the general process and proposal submission, please contact the Call secretariat:
Elena Simion
UEFISCDI – Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding
Email: elena.simion@uefiscdi.ro / enutc@uefiscdi.ro
Tel.: +40 21 307 19 93
Vincent van Doninck and Aniek van den Eersten
NWO – Dutch Research Council
Email: enutc@nwo.nl
Tel.: +31 70 349 42 66 or +31 70 349 43 97
12. Participating countries and funding agencies:
