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The European Urban Initiative (EUI) has decided to give EU cities the opportunity to submit applications for City-to-City Exchanges on an ongoing basis.

The Call for applications is now open without interruption (initially it was scheduled to expire on November 17).

City-to-City Exchanges represent one of EUI’s main activities in support of cities’ capacity-building on sustainable urban development. A city-to-city exchange involves an applicant city that faces a specific challenge related to sustainable urban development and another urban authority (peer city) from a different EU state which expertise can help tackling this challenge. The aim is to improve the capacity of the requesting 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), lasting 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, a second peer city may also be included.

The Call is expressly addressed to urban authorities of EU Member States, i.e. local administrative units classified as cities, towns or suburbs (codes 1 or 2 of the DEGURBA classification) or associations/groupings of urban authorities with the legal status of organised agglomerations composed of local administrative units. Only urban authorities can apply. However, if justified, relevant stakeholders may also participate in the exchange (together with the applicant city or peer city).

These entities can be public bodies, public law bodies or private entities (e.g. regional development agencies, innovation agencies, waste management companies, associations of functional urban areas, universities, etc.). All applicants must demonstrate their interest in integrated and local approaches to sustainable urban development or their commitment to the implementation of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies. Priority will be given to applications submitted by urban authorities located in less developed and transition regions, or with less than 500,000 inhabitants or which have not yet benefited from an exchange between cities or which resubmit a previously rejected exchange application.

Official documents available here

Deadline for submission: 2027

Written by: Margherita Genua