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Strategic Analysis
This Horizon Europe Innovation Action targets the deployment of integrated wastewater management, treatment, and valorisation solutions in European cities and regions. A winning proposal will demonstrate high-TRL (7-8) solutions that enhance climate resilience, promote circularity through resource recovery, and provide actionable insights for widespread replication and upscaling across Europe.
TRL 7 → 8
Demonstrate nature-based solutions e.g. vegetated ditches, treatment wetlands and storage ponds designed to support biodiversity and favour infiltration and where possible to harvest rainwater for reuse at city and regional level, while addressing the effects of climate change.
Implement sustainable urban drainage principles and green-blue storm water management solutions to avoid and reduce pollution from rain and storm water, including during extreme weather events.
Implement energy efficiency and recovery measures and technologies from sewers and/or one or multiple UWWTPs to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions by pooling resources; this can include renewable energy from solar energy production, waste heat recovery or biogas production from sludge.
Explore the pooling of resources at regional level to rationalise investment in resource recovery technologies and address the associated regulatory barriers through local end-of-waste criteria.
incorporate solutions for the reuse of (waste)water, addressing the increased pressures on the availability of water resources.
conceptualise, implement and test possible combinations of urban wastewater treatment, valorisation and reuse processes in selected European cities and regions (referred to as “demonstrators”).
identify the enabling conditions, e.g. legislative, regulatory, policy, governance, financing, that support the deployment of these tested solutions in other European cities and regions (the “replicators”).
develop actionable insights that European cities and regions can use to overcome barriers to wastewater reuse and valorisation, and allow further replication and upscaling.
Cities and regions are equipped with innovative practices for urban wastewater management, adapted to climate change, taking into account: energy efficiency, energy and secondary raw material recovery and water reuse, including opportunities for renewable energy generation and secondary resource production, implemented at city and regional level.
Treatment infrastructures and management solutions are deployed and upscaled for water, storm water and wastewater in cities and regions, with positive effects on climate adaptation, biodiversity, air and water pollution reduction, resource valorisation and energy efficiency.
Knowledge is disseminated about innovative practices, governance and business models for integrated (waste)water management, in the context of climate change among relevant stakeholder groups to facilitate effective replication and upscaling.
Actionable insights are developed to support European cities and regions in addressing the main administrative, governance and financing barriers for rain- and waste-water management, recovery of resources (secondary raw materials, water and energy) and their (market) valorisation.
Focus on Critical Infrastructures
Cross-border resilience
EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change
highThis Horizon Europe Mission aims to support at least 150 European regions and communities in accelerating their transformation towards climate resilience by 2030. It focuses on developing and deploying innovative solutions, demonstrating them in real-world settings, and fostering societal engagement to build adaptive capacity.
Proposals should clearly articulate how they contribute to the Mission's goals, particularly in supporting regions and communities in their adaptation journey. This could involve developing tools, methodologies, or knowledge that directly aids in climate risk assessment and resilience building at local and regional levels, aligning with the Mission's focus on practical implementation and societal engagement.
EU Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI)
highThe EU Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) is part of the Circular Economy Action Plan and aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy at local and regional levels. It supports cities and regions in implementing circular economy principles, including resource efficiency, waste reduction, and valorisation of by-products.
Proposals should demonstrate how their wastewater solutions contribute to circular economy principles, specifically focusing on resource recovery (e.g., nutrients, energy, water reuse) and minimizing waste. Emphasize the systemic integration of these solutions within urban and regional circular economy strategies, aligning with the CCRI's objectives.
Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 concerning urban wastewater treatment (recast)
highThis recast directive updates and strengthens the previous Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). It introduces stricter requirements for nutrient removal, addresses micropollutants, mandates energy neutrality for large plants, and promotes water reuse and resource recovery from wastewater, expanding its scope to smaller agglomerations.
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how their innovative solutions help meet the new, stricter requirements of this directive, particularly regarding advanced treatment for micropollutants, enhanced nutrient removal, energy efficiency/neutrality, and the promotion of water reuse and resource recovery. Solutions should be applicable to urban wastewater treatment plants and contribute to the directive's overall goals of protecting human health and the environment.
European Water Resilience Strategy
highEU Mission Climate-Neutral Smart Cities
mediumThis Horizon Europe Mission aims to help 100 European cities become climate-neutral by 2030, acting as experimentation and innovation hubs. It covers various urban sectors, including energy, transport, buildings, and waste/wastewater, promoting systemic transformation towards climate neutrality.
Proposals should demonstrate how their wastewater solutions contribute to urban climate neutrality, potentially through energy efficiency, resource recovery (e.g., biogas, nutrients), and integration into broader urban climate action plans. Focus on scalability and replicability in urban settings, aligning with the Mission's goal of systemic transformation.
1. Admissibility conditions — Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries — described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide .
3. Other Eligibility Conditions — The following additional eligibility criteria apply: Entities from at least four cities or regions, each from a different Member State or Associated Country, must participate as beneficiaries. At least one entity in each project must be from one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-neutral and Smart Cities[[ The EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities aims to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 and ensure that these cities act as experimentation and innovation hubs to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050. On 28 April 2022, the Commission announced the 100 EU cities that will participate in the Mission. In addition, 12 cities have been selected from countries associated or expected to be associated the Horizon Europe programme.]] and at least one must be from a signatory to the Adaptation Mission Charter[[See the list of Charter Signatories https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/mission/the-mission/regions-and-local-authoritie]]. described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion — described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds — described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes — described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual .
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement — described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants — Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to the following action(s): Collaboration with the Cities Mission Platform[[Conceived through the Horizon 2020 project NetZeroCities - Accelerating cities' transition to net zero emissions by 2030, Grant Agreement n. 101036519, and scaled up through the topic HORIZON-MISS-2021-CIT-02-03: Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) for the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Platform. ]] and the Mission Adaptation’s Platform[[Initially established by MIP4Adapt and extended under the contract CINEA/2025/OP/0014]] is essential and projects must ensure that appropriate provisions for activities and resources aimed at enforcing this collaboration are included in the work plan of the proposal. The collaboration with the Mission Platform must be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding to be concluded as soon as possible after the project starting date. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application form templates Please use the application form that you will find in the Submission System. You can find examples of standard application forms in the Reference Documents page . Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) Guidance HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) HE MGA Call-specific instructions
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Evaluators will prioritize:
Demonstration Impact and Scalability: Clear evidence of deploying TRL 7-8 solutions in diverse "demonstrator" cities/regions, with a credible plan for replication and upscaling across Europe. This includes addressing the identified enabling conditions (legislative, regulatory, policy, governance, financing) and developing "actionable insights" (@SC7, @SC8, @EO4).
Integrated Approach: The proposal must showcase a holistic integration of various solutions, including nature-based solutions (@SC1), sustainable urban drainage (@SC2), energy efficiency/recovery (@SC3), resource pooling (@SC4), and water reuse (@SC5), rather than isolated technologies. The combination of these processes in "demonstrators" (@SC6) is key.
Multi-Actor Engagement and Mission Alignment: Strong involvement of cities/regions (especially Mission Cities and Adaptation Mission Charter signatories), utilities, industry, and research. Explicitly demonstrating how the project contributes to the EU Missions (Climate-Neutral Smart Cities, Adaptation to Climate Change) and other relevant initiatives (CCRI, Green City Accord, etc.) is essential. The consortium must meet the specific eligibility criteria for city/region participation.
Climate Resilience and Circularity: Solutions must clearly address climate change effects (adaptation and mitigation), enhance critical infrastructure resilience (@EI1, @EI2), and promote circular economy principles through resource (water, energy, secondary raw materials) valorisation and recovery.
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| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Demonstrate nature-based solutions e.g. vegetated ditches, treatment wetlands and storage ponds designed to support biodiversity and favour infiltration and where possible to harvest rainwater for reuse at city and regional level, while addressing the effects of climate change. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Implement sustainable urban drainage principles and green-blue storm water management solutions to avoid and reduce pollution from rain and storm water, including during extreme weather events. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Implement energy efficiency and recovery measures and technologies from sewers and/or one or multiple UWWTPs to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions by pooling resources; this can include renewable energy from solar energy production, waste heat recovery or biogas production from sludge. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Explore the pooling of resources at regional level to rationalise investment in resource recovery technologies and address the associated regulatory barriers through local end-of-waste criteria. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5incorporate solutions for the reuse of (waste)water, addressing the increased pressures on the availability of water resources. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6conceptualise, implement and test possible combinations of urban wastewater treatment, valorisation and reuse processes in selected European cities and regions (referred to as “demonstrators”). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC7identify the enabling conditions, e.g. legislative, regulatory, policy, governance, financing, that support the deployment of these tested solutions in other European cities and regions (the “replicators”). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC8develop actionable insights that European cities and regions can use to overcome barriers to wastewater reuse and valorisation, and allow further replication and upscaling. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Cities and regions are equipped with innovative practices for urban wastewater management, adapted to climate change, taking into account: energy efficiency, energy and secondary raw material recovery and water reuse, including opportunities for renewable energy generation and secondary resource production, implemented at city and regional level. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Treatment infrastructures and management solutions are deployed and upscaled for water, storm water and wastewater in cities and regions, with positive effects on climate adaptation, biodiversity, air and water pollution reduction, resource valorisation and energy efficiency. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3Knowledge is disseminated about innovative practices, governance and business models for integrated (waste)water management, in the context of climate change among relevant stakeholder groups to facilitate effective replication and upscaling. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Actionable insights are developed to support European cities and regions in addressing the main administrative, governance and financing barriers for rain- and waste-water management, recovery of resources (secondary raw materials, water and energy) and their (market) valorisation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| No other requirements in this call. | |||
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Focus on Critical Infrastructures | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Cross-border resilience | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1eu mission on adaptation to climate changeThis Horizon Europe Mission aims to support at least 150 European regions and communities in accelerating their transformation towards climate resilience by 2030. It focuses on developing and deploying innovative solutions, demonstrating them in real-world settings, and fostering societal engagement to build adaptive capacity. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2eu circular cities and regions initiative (ccri)The EU Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) is part of the Circular Economy Action Plan and aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy at local and regional levels. It supports cities and regions in implementing circular economy principles, including resource efficiency, waste reduction, and valorisation of by-products. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL3directive (eu) 2024/3019 of the european parliament and of the council of 27 november 2024 concerning urban wastewater treatment (recast)This recast directive updates and strengthens the previous Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). It introduces stricter requirements for nutrient removal, addresses micropollutants, mandates energy neutrality for large plants, and promotes water reuse and resource recovery from wastewater, expanding its scope to smaller agglomerations. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL4european water resilience strategyThe Strategy aims to improve water resilience, including through ecosystem restoration and pollution reduction. The project could address freshwater species decline and propose solutions for water quality and quantity. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
LMIC entities auto-eligible
Low/middle-income country entities are automatically eligible for funding.
EU space data infrastructures
If the project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other sources may be added but not substitute EU infrastructures.
Civil applications only
Horizon Europe funds exclusively civil applications. Research with exclusive military or dual-use application is excluded.
Gender Equality Plan
Having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is an eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations, and higher education institutions from Member States and Associated Countries.
Open Science
Mandatory open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and responsible management of research data (FAIR principles, DMP required).
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