ULI Europe is calling for innovators from across the built environment and technology to submit groundbreaking solutions to tackle the dual crises of housing affordability and decarbonization of the built environment, in the ULI PropTech Innovation Challenge (PIC) 2025.
PIC is a ULI Young Leaders-led initiative with a remit to foster innovation across the built environment. This year’s challenge, which reflects ULI’s mission priorities and the core pillars of the C Change program, focuses on finding the innovative, scalable solutions needed to decarbonize affordable housing, from construction through to operation, across the value chain.
All proposed cutting-edge solutions should embrace both affordability and decarbonization, and address one or more of the key use cases identified by ULI. The Use Cases include unlocking cost-effective, scalable pathways to integrating low-carbon construction materials and methods in affordable housing development, including circular economy principles if possible; enhancing cost-efficient operational efficiency in energy and utility use for tenants through hardware and/or software solutions; and developing new financing structures or financial incentives to improve the attractiveness of affordable housing and carbon reduction solutions to developers, investors, homeowners, and policymakers.
Innovations submitted to PIC can comprise both high and low-tech solutions, and include hardware, software and business models. Entries are assessed by the jury according to three criteria: potential impact, innovation and likelihood of adoption.
Lisette van Doorn, CEO, ULI Europe, says, “Adequate and affordable housing is fundamental to a city’s competitiveness, citizens’ quality of life, and to ensure vibrant, inclusive and diverse places. Trying to achieve this while respecting our planetary boundaries, provides additional challenges with decarbonization potentially enlarging an already existing social divide.”
“This year’s PIC presents an important and much needed opportunity for us to identify innovative, imaginative, and out-of-the-box solutions, enabling the industry to collectively accelerate the provision and upgrade of affordable housing within planetary boundaries.”
PIC runs in two phases, beginning with eight regional competitions incorporating CEE (Poland and Czech Republic), France, Germany, Greece and Cyprus (new for 2025), Iberia (Spain and Portugal), Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway), Switzerland, and the UK and Ireland. Shortlisted finalists will be invited to present to their national ULI PIC Jury Committee. The entry deadline for each regional competition varies and is available on the official website.
Each of the regional winners will then be eligible to enter the pan European Grand Final of PIC in Autumn 2025, where the national/regional winners will present to the European jury, and the overall winner subsequently announced at the C Change Summit which will take place in Paris in November 2025.
All PIC finalists will receive a one-year associate ULI membership. The overall European winner will also receive a full ULI membership including access to exclusive engagement and leadership opportunities.
Previous PIC winners include Switzerland’s Optiml, which uses AI to support building decarbonization, and Spain’s EFFIC, a specialist in energy-efficient residential refurbishment.
This year’s PIC lead is Jorden Korte, vice president private alternatives, AllianceBernstein, with Oumniya Bouhdoud, vice president at BGO, and Simon Abboud, program director at Hines Europe, supporting the delivery of this year’s program. All three are members of the Young Leaders Executive Committee, bringing their expertise and leadership to shape this year’s initiative.
Korte comments, “As we commence this third PIC, I am looking forward to building on the great legacy already achieved by our Young Leaders and all contributors in putting this annual competition on the map. This year, we’re expecting an even larger number of great applications from creative, inspiring innovators who are passionate about improving the built environment and tackling some of the biggest challenges our industry faces.”
Lisette van Doorn concludes, “PIC provides such an important platform for the industry to share and learn about innovative solutions to help overcome some of the industry and society’s biggest challenges and work together to improve and scale them. In only three year’s PIC has become a huge success with significant impact, thanks to the endless energy and contribution from our Young Leaders and wider membership.”
The competition is open for entries from 19 March. Submissions are welcome from both ULI members and non-members, and organisations can include not-for-profit, for profit and academic/research labs operating in applicable European markets. To enter, and for further information, visit the ULI Europe website.
