Deadline: February 17, 2026
The European Commission has announced a single-stage call for proposals under Horizon Europe titled “Innovative pathways for low carbon and climate resilient building stock and built environment” as part of the Built4People Partnership.
The focus is on developing and validating replicable and scalable planning methods and procedures that embed uptake of innovative building solutions when developing or regenerating (including deconstruction aspects when relevant) the building stock and the built environment; validating these planning methods, procedures, and building solutions in at least three countries with diverse climatic conditions and building stock characteristics, with at least two cases being relevant to renovation; investigating innovative tools and methods facilitating adaptation of building stock to changing user needs while positively contributing to occupants’ comfort and health; proposing and applying methodologies to assess effectiveness of pathways for decarbonisation and climate resilience of buildings, including whole life carbon reduction compared to a “business as usual” scenario; ensuring active involvement of all relevant public and private stakeholders of the renovation and construction value chain, including municipalities, citizens (including vulnerable groups), civil society organizations, and building/construction sector professions; and contributing to the objectives of the Built4People partnership and its network of innovation clusters.
Buildings must be sustainable and resource efficient with an accelerated rate of deep renovation. The modernization of the construction sector via robotics and automated systems is crucial to achieve faster, less disruptive, more accurate, cost-effective, and resource-efficient renovation and construction works. The challenge lies in the accelerated uptake of innovative building solutions addressing energy performance, circularity, sustainability, resource efficiency, climate resilience, safety, durability, adaptability of building stock, and whole life carbon emissions.
Proposals should develop and test innovative planning methods embedding these solutions and assess their replicability and scalability across different geographic and climatic contexts. They must validate novel tools for adapting building stock to dynamic user needs while ensuring occupant comfort and health benefits. Metrics for effectiveness should include whole life carbon reduction relative to business-as-usual scenarios.
Stakeholder engagement throughout the renovation and construction value chain is essential for success, including municipalities, vulnerable citizen groups, civil society, and sector professionals. This cooperative approach aligns with the Built4People partnership’s goals and strengthens innovation cluster networks focused on people-centric, sustainable built environments.
The research involves interdisciplinary collaboration including social sciences and humanities to enhance societal impact and increase societal readiness, ensuring consideration of diverse stakeholder needs and fostering inclusion, transparency, anticipation of impacts, and responsible innovation. It supports EU policy objectives for climate neutrality, circular economy, and sustainable development.
The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 5.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts.
The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 15.00 million.
For more information, visit EC.
