The Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy invites applications for its call for proposals under the URBACT III programme.

This is an opportunity to be part of a local authority consortium.

This aims to enable cities to work together and develop integrated solutions to common urban challenges, by networking, learning from one another’s experiences, drawing lessons and identifying good practices to improve urban policies.

• The specific objectives of the call are to improve the capacities of cities to manage sustainable urban policies and practices in an integrated and participative way;
• to improve the design and implementation of sustainable urban strategies and action plans in cities;
• to ensure that practitioners and decision-makers at all levels have increased access to URBACT thematic knowledge and share know-how on sustainable urban development.

Proposals must address one of the following thematic objectives:

• strengthening research, technological development and innovation;
• enhancing access to and use and quality of ICT;
• enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs;
• supporting the shift towards a low carbon economy in all sectors;
• promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management;
• protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency;
• promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures;
• promoting employment and supporting labour mobility;
• promoting social inclusion and combating poverty;
• investing in education, skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure.

Proposals must address all the three following challenges:

• fostering the integrated approach;
• involving local stakeholders;
• measuring impact.

Proposals must also address at least one of the following optional challenges:

• building the project pipeline;
• organising decision-making for delivery;
• moving from strategy to operational action-plan;
• developing public-private partnerships;
• setting up smart public procurement;
• enhancing funding of urban development policies through financial innovation.

Projects are divided into two phases: phase 1, a six-month phase dedicated to network development, and phase 2, a 24-month phase dedicated to the implementation of network activities.

Cities, municipalities, towns, infra-municipal tiers of government, metropolitan authorities and organised agglomerations from the EU member states, Norway or Switzerland may apply.

Consortia must include a minimum of seven and a maximum of nine cities from at least three member or partner states. They must include a minimum of four cities from less developed regions where the total number of partner cities is eight or nine, and a minimum of three cities from less developed regions where the total number of partner cities is seven partners.

Funding ranges from €600,000 and €750,000 per project. The budget for phase 1 must not exceed €150,000. The co-financing rate is calculated at network level on the basis of the different co-financing rates for each partner.

http://urbact.eu/open-calls-networks

Closing date June 22nd 2016