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The Call for Applications for city-to-city exchanges opened on 4 April 2023 and will close on 17 November 2023 at 12:00 CET.

A city-to-city exchange brings together an urban authority (‘the applicant’) facing a specific implementation challenge related to Sustainable Urban Development and another urban authority from a different EU Member State with expertise which could help tackle this challenge (‘the peer’) for a short-term visit. A city-to-city exchange is a bottom-up, on-demand activity. 

The content, timing and format of the exchange are defined by the applicant according to their specific needs related to the design and implementation of Sustainable Urban Development. The peers must be identified by the applicant.

The aim is to improve the capacity of the applicant authority to address the identified challenge through a peer learning process and sharing of skills, experience and knowledge.

The exchange will consist of visits between the cities involved (up to 3 visits over 5 months), for a duration between 2 and 5 days for each visit. As a rule, exchanges are bilateral and involve two cities (applicant city and one peer city). However, in duly justified cases, it may be that a second Peer City can also be included.

Eligible applicants 

Only urban authorities from EU Member States are eligible to apply. There is no minimum population requirement for the city, town, functional urban area or suburb. Relevant stakeholders may also participate in the exchange alongside the urban authority if justified in the application.

Applications are encouraged from cities with less than 500,000 inhabitants and from less developed regions and transition regions.

All applicants are required to demonstrate their interest in integrated, place-based approaches to Sustainable Urban Development, or their involvement in the implementation of Sustainable Urban Development strategies.

Official documents to submit the application are available here

Written by: Margherita Genua