TÜBİTAK opens DUT 2026 call for international urban projects

What happened

TÜBİTAK has launched the 2026 call of the Horizon Europe Driving Urban Transitions partnership. It will support multinational research and innovation proposals addressing urban challenges, including climate-neutral, circular, accessible and positive-energy cities.

Each consortium must comprise at least three institutions based in three different countries participating in the programme. An international panel will assess proposals. National funding bodies will then finance selected participants under their respective rules.

Turkish researchers and organisations in successful projects will be supported through TÜBİTAK’s 1071 programme, which covers participation in international research funding and R&D cooperation.

Why it matters

The call offers Turkish organisations a route into cross-border urban research and innovation projects under Horizon Europe. Applicants need to meet both the partnership’s international requirements and TÜBİTAK’s national procedures. Funding is not available to Turkish partners in proposals that do not receive a positive result at the second international assessment stage.

Applicants should review the national rules and prepare the required documents for TÜBİTAK’s Project Application System. The international application form is required at both Turkish application stages. The national application and budget justification forms are required only at the second stage.

What's next

• The international coordinator must submit the first-stage proposal by 17 November 2026, 13:00 CET.
• Turkish institutions must submit their national pre-application by 20 November 2026, 23:59 Türkiye time.
• Electronic signatures for that pre-application must be completed by 24 November 2026, 23:59 Türkiye time.
• The international second-stage deadline is 15 April 2027, 13:00 CEST.

TÜBİTAK will hold a Turkish-language information day on 17 September 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 Türkiye time. Applicants can consult the TÜBİTAK announcement and use the Project Application System for the national process.