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Horizon Europe · European Union

Urban nature: supporting restoration of urban ecosystems, along urban transport networks and in the built environment

Opens 9 Feb 2027

The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 4 awards of €10 million each, from a total budget of €40 million. Applications close on 22 Sep 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.

Expected outcome

Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Development of approaches, tools and methods, on how and where to restore, increase and maintain urban green space and tree canopy cover to achieve the greatest positive impacts - on climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience, biodiversity, soil, air and water quality, quality of life, and human health.

• Uptake and deployment of solutions to map, restore, increase and maintain urban green space and tree canopy cover, via pilot sites in lead cities, including along urban transport networks [1] .

• Monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the environmental, economic, social and health impacts of the solutions deployed in pilot sites, including co-benefits and trade-offs.

• Dissemination of results to follower cities and relevant target groups in other countries and cities.

Scope

To address the expected outcomes, individual projects will be required to address all the following aspects, with at least three in each pilot site:

• Develop and test approaches, tools and methods to understand how different patterns of urban green space and tree canopy cover impact on local temperature regulation / heat island effect, biodiversity, water scarcity, stormwater and landslide management, local air quality; and how changing / increasing the distribution / quantity / quality / connectivity of urban green space and tree canopy cover could help build more resilient and biodiverse urban ecosystems.

• Identify obstacles and barriers limiting the development of urban green spaces and tree planting / maintenance, including governance aspects, interface issues between green structures and underground infrastructure (underground pipes, etc.) and overall root growth and survival, water scarcity and the shortage of supplies of native tree seedlings. Develop innovative solutions that address such barriers and ensure the sustainability of urban green spaces and trees.

Who can apply

Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Air quality Biodiversity conservation Civil engineering Environmental health Environmental protection Management of urban areas Natural resources and environmental economics Soil biodiversity Sustainable transport Urban planning Urban transport Urban nature air quality biodiversity built environment climate adaptation climate mitigation decarbonisation nature restoration soil

Timing

Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-09-22. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).

How to apply

1. Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
2. Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
3. Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
4. Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
5. Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.

From the call text

Who can apply

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Company stage

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Single applicant or consortium

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where applicants must be based

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where to apply

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Read the EU application guide

Where these facts come from

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.

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