Two calls for proposals – one goal: new climate partnerships for large, small and medium-sized towns A total of 11 million Euros for initiatives under the ‘Climate-Neutral City’ mission
With the launch of two calls for proposals, the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the Climate and Energy Fund are taking a further step towards accelerating the climate and energy policy transition in Austria’s cities.
For the first time, two initiatives are being launched in parallel as part of the “Climate-Neutral City” mission: one for large cities with 50,000 or more inhabitants, and one for small and medium-sized towns with between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants. The aim is to strengthen cities as drivers of the transition and to implement innovative solutions for climate neutrality, climate change adaptation and sustainable urban development. A total of 11 million Euros, funded by the BMIMI, is available for this purpose.
Peter Hanke, Minister for Innovation and Infrastructure: “Adapting to climate change and achieving climate neutrality are among the greatest challenges of our time. Our cities play a crucial role in this. Through these new partnerships, we are providing targeted support to large, small and medium-sized towns to help them implement innovative solutions and make the transition a tangible reality on the ground. After all, this transformation can only succeed if the federal government, cities and strong partners work closely together. With a total of 11 million euros, we are laying the foundations to ensure that local people benefit from better infrastructure, sustainable mobility and a higher quality of life.”
Bernd Vogl, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund: “For cities to shape a liveable and affordable future for their residents, they need innovative drive and consistent implementation. This is precisely where our new partnerships come in: we are helping cities to expand their capabilities in a targeted manner, to better coordinate measures and to get innovative projects off the ground more quickly. In this way, we are creating the conditions to drive forward climate protection, climate change adaptation and sustainable urban development effectively and visibly.”
Details of the initiatives
Pioneer City – Partnership for Future-Proof Cities
The call for proposals “Pioneer City – Partnership for Future-Proof Cities” is aimed at Austrian cities with a population of 50,000 or more that are able to enter into a partnership with the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the Climate and Energy Fund.
The call is aimed at both pioneer cities that are already part of the “Climate-Neutral City” mission and cities without an existing partnership.
Funding is provided for capacity and competence building to carry out innovation and implementation projects. These projects are intended to contribute to strengthening urban resilience, improving quality of life, designing attractive public spaces and promoting social participation. One of the objectives is to embed the issue of climate change adaptation sustainably within urban administration. To this end, a learning environment is to be established at (urban) regional, national and international levels. Up to €700,000 is available per city, with a total budget of around €8 million.
A consultation with the FFG (optionally in conjunction with the BMIMI and the Climate and Energy Fund) is mandatory by 8 September 2026.
Details of the call for proposals
The call for proposals “Pioneer City – Partnership for Future-Ready Cities” is now open and will remain so until 15 September 2026 (12:00 noon). Submissions must be made exclusively via eCall.
Pioneer City – Partnership for Sustainable Small and Medium-Sized Towns
This call for proposals is aimed at Austrian small and medium-sized towns with between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants that will enter into a partnership – a public-public cooperation (ÖÖK) – with the Climate and Energy Fund to accelerate the implementation of climate, energy and environmental goals.
The aim of the call for proposals is to support small and medium-sized towns through public-public cooperation in the accelerated implementation of climate neutrality, climate change adaptation and the circular economy. In collaboration with the Climate and Energy Fund, additional capacity and expertise will be specifically developed, and research, technology and innovation initiatives will be better coordinated and pooled. Both sides benefit from the partnership: towns gain implementation capacity, whilst the Climate and Energy Fund can tailor its support precisely to local needs.
The initiative is aimed at pioneering small and medium-sized towns that have already carried out preparatory work, such as drawing up a climate neutrality roadmap. In particular, the towns must demonstrate high ambitions in the areas of ‘research and implementation’, ‘governance’ and ‘learning environment’. Towns with existing cooperation agreements are not eligible to apply.
Funding is available for strategic and operational measures that facilitate an integrated and socially inclusive transformation. The maximum grant is 500,000 Euros per town, with a total budget of around 3 million Euros. The partnerships are intended to run for three years.
Details of the call for proposals
Here too, a consultation with the FFG and the Climate and Energy Fund is mandatory by 8 September 2026.
Project applications may only be submitted via eCall; the deadline for this is 15 September 2026 (12:00 noon). For small and medium-sized towns, a video is also required, demonstrating the town’s motivation and commitment.
Online information session on 5 May 2026
A free online information session for potential applicants will take place on 5 May 2026.