Innovate Cities & Infrastructure: ETH Zurich Grants Open to Ukrainian Partners

ETH Zurich, jointly with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), has opened the call under the Innovate Cities & Infrastructure programme. The programme funds interdisciplinary applied research that pairs research groups from ETH-Domain institutions with practice partners in order to develop evidence-based solutions for sustainable urban development, resilient infrastructure and effective local governance.

The call provides for two grant types: Urban Research Grants of up to CHF 350,000 and Urban Pilot Grants of up to CHF 30,000. The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 November 2026. Ukraine is included among the 25 eligible countries, and for the Ukrainian context the thematic scope has been extended to reflect post-war recovery priorities.

A decisive constraint concerns the applicant. The main applicant must be a professor or research group leader from an ETH-Domain institution. Ukrainian institutions do not submit proposals independently; they participate within a consortium in the capacity of practice partner. Accordingly, the task on the Ukrainian side is not proposal writing but ensuring visibility to a prospective Swiss applicant before the deadline.

Parameters of the two funding instruments

The pilot instrument constitutes the more appropriate entry point for new partnerships. It requires no matching funds and has a shorter implementation horizon, which reduces risk for both parties during an initial collaboration. The research grant, by contrast, requires half of the requested amount to be covered through cash or in-kind contributions from consortium members.

Requirements for consortium composition

Practice partner status may be held by public institutions, private companies and civil society organisations from eligible countries. Local academic institutions may also join the consortium, provided that at least one non-academic practice partner is included in its composition.

For Ukrainian institutions this defines a fairly broad field of participants. It comprises local self-government bodies and municipal utilities, oblast military administrations, design and engineering organisations, infrastructure operators, think tanks and non-governmental organisations working on recovery. A higher education institution may participate in the consortium, yet it does not substitute for a practice partner.

The list of eligible countries covers 25 states: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Hungary, Indonesia, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Morocco, North Macedonia, Peru, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Thematic priorities for Ukraine

The general thematic scope of the programme covers spatial planning, mobility, energy, infrastructure financing mechanisms and governance. Given the specifics of the Ukrainian context, the list of eligible topics has been supplemented with the following areas:

• resilient public infrastructure and modernisation of public services;
• humanitarian response, demining and reintegration;
• economic recovery, innovation and private sector development;
• development of skills and expertise for rebuilding Ukraine.

Procedure for a Ukrainian institution

1. Verify whether the institution appears in the list of potential practice partners published by SECO. SECO partner list.
2. Absence from the list does not preclude participation. Partners not included in the list who meet the country and thematic criteria remain eligible.
3. Prepare a concise profile in English of no more than one page: the institution, the urban or infrastructure problem identified, available data and site access, and the intended contribution to the project.
4. Initiate contact with the ETH4D programme office or directly with the relevant ETH chairs whose research corresponds to the identified problem.
5. Agree the role and contribution before the Swiss party begins drafting the proposal, since a letter of support from the practice partner forms part of the mandatory documentation.

The actual time available is shorter than it appears. By 15 November the main applicant must not only identify a partner but also agree the budget, the workplan and the letter of support. Contact should therefore be established during September 2026.

Information events

The organisers are holding two information webinars: on 31 August 2026 from 14:00 to 15:30 and on 3 September 2026 from 10:00 to 11:30 CEST. Registration takes place on the registration page.

A clarification regarding the target audience. The webinars are addressed to researchers from ETH-Domain institutions. For institutions considering participation as practice partners, the more productive step is registering interest through the designated form and contacting the programme office directly.

Key dates and primary sources

The terms and deadlines of ETH4D programmes are subject to revision. Requirements should be verified against the official programme page before documents are prepared.