New calls for tender for research and demonstration projects in the areas of circular economy, production technologies and climate-neutral city
The Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the Climate and Energy Fund are promoting the implementation of forward-looking projects in Austria through two new calls for tender. With the programmes “Ressourcenwende 2025” (“Resource Transition 2025”) and “Mission Klimaneutrale Stadt – Technologien und Innovationen für die klimaneutrale Stadt 2025” (“Mission Climate-Neutral City – Technologies and Innovations for the Climate-Neutral City 2025”), more than EUR 44 million are available to support national and international projects in the areas of circular economy and urban climate neutrality.
Funding is generally available to companies of any legal form, research and knowledge dissemination institutions, and other non-economic institutions, although in some cases, only consortia consisting of at least 3 independent partners are eligible.
The amount of funding depends, among other factors, on the type of organisation, instrument and research category. Projects are supported by various funding or financing instruments. Maximum funding rates generally reach up to 85%.
The specific contents of the two calls for tender are:
I. Resource Transition 2025
The “Resource Transition 2025” funding programme focuses on circular economy and production technologies. Projects must concentrate on core areas such as material and product developments, process developments or data-driven innovations. To contribute to achieving the strategic objectives of the call, each funding project must address the following operational goals and meet at least three of the goals substantively:
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- Increasing productivity by optimising resource use through intelligent and regional utilisation and production of products and infrastructure
- Enhancing product utilisation by extending the lifespan of products, components and infrastructure
- Closing material loops through the recycling of materials
- Strengthening resilience through crisis-proof, robust and yet flexible companies
- Enhancing technological sovereignty of Austria/Europe by reducing dependencies on technology and resources
Within the scope of the funding programme, the following instruments are available:
| Instrument | Funding amount | Funding quota | Submission deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperative R&D project | max. EUR 1.5 million | max. 85% | 18/9/2025, 12 a.m. |
| Transnational cooperative R&D project | max. EUR 400k | max. 85% | 18/9/2025, 12 a.m. |
| R&D service | max. EUR 125k | Financing up to 100% | 18/9/2025, 12 a.m. |
| Lead project | min. EUR 2 million max. EUR 5 million | max. 85% | 27/11/2025, 12 a.m. |
The funding decision is expected to be made in December 2025 (in March 2026 for lead projects).
II. Mission Climate-Neutral City – Technologies and Innovations for the Climate-Neutral City 2025
The “Climate-Neutral City” mission as an interdisciplinary topic enables the development and implementation of solutions for the climate-neutral city. The call supports the development of innovative urban technologies and system innovations, as well as the demonstration of pilot districts in the so-called (pioneer) cities (currently 10 “pioneer major cities” and 37 “pioneer small and medium-sized cities”). Submissions can be made for the following focus areas of the call:
1. Urban technology developments
2. Urban system innovations
3. Urban pilot demonstrations
3.1 Demonstration of innovative building technologies and prototypes
3.2 Demonstration of districts
3.3 Local, urban district hubs for climate-neutral and climate-resilient district development in pioneer major cities
4. Mobilisation and interlinking for regenerative and lifecycle-based construction
5. R&D services
5.1 Comparative lifecycle accounting of future-oriented construction
5.2 Utilisation of excavated soil material in the construction industry in line with a circular economy approach
5.3 FIT4NEB – Planning foundations for implementing districts and parts of the city in line with NEB (New European Bauhaus)
5.4 Resilient city development – Strategies for sustainable climate change adaptation for cities that are fit for the future
Within the framework of the funding programme, the following instruments are available for the individual focus areas of the call:
| Instrument | Focus areas | Funding amountg | Funding quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploration (preliminary study for R&D project) | 1, 2 and 3 | max. EUR 300k | max. 80% |
| Cooperative R&D project – Industrial research | 1, 2 and 3 | max. EUR 600k | max. 85% |
| Cooperative R&D project – Experimental development | 1, 2 and 3 | max. EUR 1 million | max. 60% |
| Innovation lab (non-economic) | 3 | max. EUR 1.5 million | max. 85% |
| Mobilisation and interlinking | 4 | max. EUR 200k | max. 85% |
| R&D service | 5 | max. EUR 250k | Financing up to 100% |
The following submission deadlines apply for the call:
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- Submission deadline: 10 July 2025 (for focus areas: 1, 2, 3.1, 3.2, 4 and for R&D services 5.1, 5.2, 5.3)
- Submission deadline: 9 October 2025 (for focus areas: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and for R&D services: 5.4)
The funding decision is expected to be made in October 2025 for the first submission deadline and in December 2025 for the second submission deadline.
We are happy to provide you with further comprehensive information and advice on your submission. Do not hesitate to contact us for questions.
