Deadline: January 22, 2026
The E5 Eureka co-innovation grant call invites international R&D collaborations in the field of Sustainable Cities, jointly launched by Austria, Finland, Israel, Singapore, and Sweden.
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, and 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 and cities address green transition challenges and needs as they 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 such as 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), and circular construction (e.g. use of biochar, reuse of construction demolition waste); sustainable energy including 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, and spot-pricing opportunities; resource circularity such as waste management and applications of recycled materials (e.g. waste to high-value products/building materials); and urban mobility including EV charging infrastructure, digital tools, AI, public transport enhancement, and green logistics.
The grant call is part of the EARTH Innovation Alliance (E5), a pioneering initiative by innovation agencies in Austria, Finland, Israel, Singapore, and Sweden to accelerate climate technologies. Its thematic group, EARTH Cities, focuses on carbon-neutral cities through cross-sector innovation and co-innovation between public and private sectors.
Eligible applicants must form international consortia with at least two independent legal entities from a minimum of two Eureka countries. Projects must aim to develop innovative products, processes, or services with civilian purposes for commercialisation, and demonstrate technological risk. No single organisation or country may cover more than 70% of the project budget, and project outcomes should target market launch within 24 months of completion.
Funding support is provided by national agencies: Austria’s FFG offers up to 500,000 euro for the call; Finland’s Business Finland provides grants or loans without a maximum limit; Israel’s Innovation Authority offers conditional loans; Singapore’s Enterprise Singapore funds SMEs and large companies with reimbursement-based grants; and Sweden’s Vinnova provides up to 272,000 euro per project within an overall budget of 544,000 euro. Each agency applies national rules, additional eligibility criteria, and evaluation processes.
Applications are submitted via the Eureka portal, with partners also completing national submissions where required. Proposals are assessed for impact, excellence, implementation quality, and overall perception. Successful projects receive a Eureka label before final national funding decisions.
For more information, visit Eureka.
