Public procurement to foster urban greening and circularity

  • All sectors
  • EU Open Calls
Public procurement to foster urban greening and circularity Projects funded
  • Coordinators: Driving Urban Transition - Circular Urban Economies
  • Allocated budget: Most projects are expected to have a total budget request of around €1–2 million.
  • End of applications: 23 April 2026
  • Project duration: 36 months
  • Project submitted on: Open calls

Objective

Leverage public procurement to mainstream nature-based solutions, enhance biodiversity, and drive circularity, enabling green, climate-resilient, and resource-efficient urban transitions through strategic, cross-sectoral implementation.

Priorities

➡️ Advance strategic circular procurement to prioritise reuse, recycling, and sustainable design in urban development, enhancing resilience, reducing waste, and supporting low-emission, resource-efficient, and climate-neutral cities.

➡️ Empower public authorities and suppliers through capacity-building and collaboration to develop procurement frameworks that promote local, inclusive, and circular supply chains while fostering innovation and community-driven urban greening.

➡️ Integrate nature-based and socially inclusive criteria in procurement to enhance biodiversity, promote wellbeing, mitigate climate impacts, and ensure equitable benefits across communities, supporting just and sustainable urban transitions.

Eligibility

Legal entities such as (but not limited to):

  • research organisations (higher education institutions including universities, university colleges; research institutes or other entities with research undertakings),
  • companies and commercial organisations,
  • urban government authorities (such as local and regional government institutions, municipalities and municipal organisations, city authorities, urban public administrations, infrastructure and service providers),
  • consumers and civil society representatives (e.g. local and community organisations, non-governmental organisations, not-for-profit organisations, advocacy and activist groups, citizens’ representatives, neighbourhood initiatives, social innovators, social entrepreneurs, etc.).
  • From the culture and creative sectors (e.g. artists and designers).

Each proposal must be submitted by a consortium consisting of at least three eligible Applicants from at least three different participating countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (funding agencies Formas and SWEA have confirmed their participation and will publish their National Annexes at a later date), Switzerland, Tunisia More confirmed countries will be added continuously up until the call opens on 1 September.)

At least two of the eligible Applicants must be from different EU Member States (MS) or Associated Country (AC)

Eligible activities

➡️ Policy guidelines and recommendations for embedding urban circularity and sustainability in public procurement processes.

➡️ Best practice frameworks and models for integrating lifecycle assessments, nature-based solutions and circular urban economy principles in procurement.

➡️ Toolkits and resources to support capacity building and training for public procurement professionals.

➡️ Case studies including examples of successful circular urban procurement initiatives with measurable and impact-oriented outcomes (e.g. facts and figures).

➡️ Strategies for enhanced urban resilience, and circularity, and reduced waste, improved resource efficiency, and strengthened local supply chains.

➡️ Approaches to enhance biodiversity preservation and increase adoption of NBS to mitigate the effects of urbanisation.

➡️ Recommendations for improved social impact in procurement procedures, greater community involvement, support for marginalised groups, and generation of local employment.

➡️ Strategies to promote stimulation of local urban economies through circular business models and sustainable consumption trends.

Would you like to apply ?

Pre-proposals are expected by 17 November

To apply, please follow this link
for more information, please contact our europe team

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