Call for proposals dedicated to SMEs and research organizations
Coordinators European Defence Fund (EDF)
- All sectors
Mobility policymaking in context of radical contestation
- All sectors
- EU Open Calls
- Coordinators: Driving Urban Transition – 15-minute City Transition Pathway
- Opening of application: 5 August 2025
- 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
Develop strategies to address polarisation and misinformation in urban mobility debates by understanding opposition drivers, countering false narratives, and fostering inclusive, participatory policymaking for broadly supported mobility transitions.
Priorities
▶️ Develop tools and strategies to help policymakers counter misinformation, navigate polarised debates, and reinforce transparent, inclusive communication around contested urban mobility policies.
▶️ Promote participatory policymaking by empowering underrepresented groups, strengthening partnerships, and co-designing mobility measures that foster compromise, empathy, and constructive dialogue.
▶️ Analyse misinformation-driven contestation, understand root causes and cultural drivers, and provide guidance to differentiate legitimate concerns from disinformation to improve public trust and policy implementation.
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 (see Annex A for more details) :
- Proposals are typically submitted by small to medium-sized consortia (involving 3–5 Funding Agencies), though larger consortia are allowed if well-justified.
- Consortia must ensure balanced country representation and budget distribution; no single entity may exceed 50% of total person-months.
- Inclusion of at least one partner from business, consumer, or civil society sectors is strongly encouraged, in line with national/regional eligibility.
Consortium composition
▶️ Main Applicant: Leads the project, liaises with DUT Secretariat, ensures implementation and administration.
▶️ Co-applicants: Eligible for funding; multiple allowed per country; may need to nominate a National Contact Point.
▶️ Cooperation Partners: Not funded; can join if self-financed; require Letter of Intent; don’t count toward eligibility minimum.
At least two of the eligible Applicants must be from different EU Member States (MS) or Associated Country (AC).
Eligible activities
- Comprehensive analysis of spread, impact and counters to misinformation and radical contestation in urban mobility policymaking.
- Practical tools, guidelines and training programmes to equip policymakers with strategies to understand underlying needs and drivers of contestation and support in countering misinformation.
- Methodologies and effective communication strategies to build trust, increase acceptance and tailor messaging to different target audiences.
- Mobility scenarios and storytelling to illustrate real-life impact of mobility policies on urban quality of life.
- Innovative participatory tools to strengthen engagement and partnerships with key stakeholders.
- Good practices and frameworks for co-designing urban mobility policies that foster open dialogue and mitigate polarisation.
