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International Call for Proposals on District Heating and District Cooling 28 February 2026
In context
This call is open to universities, research institutions and non-profits and 4 others, at idea and R&D stage and prototype and pilot stage. Funding is a grant. Coverage is read from the notice itself: Sweden, the European Union and any country.
This is an international collaborative research call funding projects on district heating and cooling systems, including low-temperature integration, waste heat utilization, digitalization, sector coupling, and policy implementation across 17 IEA member countries for 2026–2029. Eligible applicants are research institutions, universities, and organizations from participating countries that can contribute to one or more of eight thematic areas within the IEA DHC Annex XV programme.
About this grant
This is an international call for proposals managed by IEA DHC (International Energy Agency's District Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme) in which Sweden participates through Energimyndigheten. The call funds international research projects within Annex XV of the IEA DHC programme for the period 2026-2029. The programme brings together knowledge and resources from 17 participating countries to conduct collaborative research that individual member countries might not be able to undertake independently. The call covers eight thematic areas: integration of low-temperature district heating systems, utilization of waste heat, digitalization and smart control, sector coupling and strategic energy planning, new business opportunities in DHC, asset management of thermal networks, policy and incentives for implementation, and district cooling. Projects may run for a maximum of 30 months during the period May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2029.
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Eligibility
The call is open to all Swedish actors, but is of clearly academic character. Applicants must apply directly to the IEA DHC programme office. The call is designed for research institutions and academic organizations conducting collaborative international research on district heating and cooling technologies.
How it's scored
The application process occurs in two stages. In the first stage, project outlines of maximum two pages are evaluated. Selected projects from the outline stage are then invited to submit full applications. The evaluation criteria are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but the process suggests assessment of project quality, relevance to the eight thematic areas, and collaborative value within the international context.
Key requirements
- ✓Project must align with one or more of eight thematic areas: low-temperature district heating, waste heat utilization, digitalization and smart control, sector coupling, business opportunities, asset management, policy and incentives, or district cooling
- ✓Maximum project duration of 30 months within the period May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2029
- ✓International collaboration involving participants from IEA DHC member countries (17 participating nations including Sweden)
Funder contact
The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.
Relevant sectors
About this sector
Heating and cooling funding supports heat pumps, district heating, thermal networks, efficient cooling and the removal of fossil boilers. It arrives through national support schemes, local authority programmes and procurement for heat networks. Applicants typically need heat demand assessments, a connection plan and an operator for the system.
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