Boosting the transformation towards climate-neutral cities, the net-zero economy and open strategic autonomy through Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP)
Public procurers, specifically local authorities from EU cities, collaborate to drive demand-driven innovation through Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) for climate-neutral solutions. The grant targets breakthrough technologies to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, supporting market-ready innovations in sectors like energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart mobility.
Details
Agency
EU Commission
Status
Open
Language
English
Funding Type
Grant
Funding Amount
Up to 12.0M €
Deadline
2027-10-07
Open Date
2027-02-09
Overview
Public procurers, specifically local authorities from EU cities, collaborate to drive demand-driven innovation through Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) for climate-neutral solutions. The grant targets breakthrough technologies to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, supporting market-ready innovations in sectors like energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart mobility.Who Can Apply
Consortia of public procurers, primarily local authorities, including at least three of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The lead procurer must be one of these 112 cities. Private developers, industry, or research organizations are not directly funded but may respond to tenders launched by the procurer consortia.Funding Details
- Maximum grant amount: €12,000,000
- Funding type: Grant
- Financial support to third parties: Up to €200,000 per third party for financial incentives to end-users adopting solutions.
- Eligible costs: PCP/PPI procurement costs.
What Is Funded
- Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) to develop and pilot innovative solutions for climate neutrality, including:
- Activities must align with the Net Zero Industry Act and contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions in participating cities by 2030 and 2050.
- Collaboration with policy makers to strengthen national frameworks for PCP and innovation procurement.
- Deployment and validation of solutions post-installation, where applicable.
Technology / Maturity Requirements
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 7–9 (system prototype demonstration in operational environment to actual system proven in operational environment).
Key Dates
- Open date: 2027-02-08
- Deadline: 2027-10-06
Application Process (High-Level)
- Single-stage application process.
- Proposals must include an open market consultation before launching procurement and promote tenders widely across Europe.
- Submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Post-Award Obligations
- Formal collaboration with the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Platform, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding.
- Reporting on greenhouse gas emission reductions and solution deployment.
- Dissemination of results and contribution to standardization, regulation, or certification where relevant.
- Sustainability planning to ensure project impact beyond the grant period.
Geographic Scope & Language
- Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
- Application language: English.
Notes
- Proposals must demonstrate how solutions will be adopted post-PCP, either through procurement, regulatory incentives, or other means.
- Projects targeting higher budgets must show greater ambition in innovation or deployment scope.
- Consortia are encouraged to collaborate with follower cities to facilitate wider uptake of solutions.
- Compliance with General Annex H of the Horizon Europe Work Programme is mandatory for PCP actions.