Call for host city
Cities Forum 2025
The Cities Forum is a key European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) event focusing on the urban dimension of the EU Cohesion Policy. On behalf of the European Commission – DG REGIO, EUI is reaching out to EU cities interested in hosting the 2025 edition. The application form should be considered as the offer of the host city.
Cities Forum 2025
The 6th edition of the Cities Forum is set to take place tentatively in June 2025 (first three weeks of June are targeted) and aims to welcome around 800 onsite participants for a green, grounded, and interactive 2 to 3 days event. The event will be taking place in English. Interpretation might be provided.
The Cities Forum 2025 is designed to bring together a diverse group of Cohesion policy stakeholders and beneficiaries, urban policymakers, and practitioners to debate on sustainable urban development in Europe. The event will target:
- Cities of all sizes
- Cohesion policy stakeholders
- Urban policymakers and practitioners
- Urban Agenda for the EU partners
It will be the right moment to contribute to the urban dimension of EU cohesion policy and provide a platform for dialogue, learning and policy recommendations.
Any EU city with the capacity of hosting a major event can apply. There is no geographical restriction for this call.
Key requirements
Candidate cities must meet comprehensive requirements and are encouraged to articulate a vision for the event, showcasing their city's potential and capability to serve as a great location for the event. The requirements are described in the background document for applicants available on this page. The event will be organised and financially covered by EUI but contribution from the host city is expected.
Call timeline
The call for host city opens on 4 April 2024. Applicants are invited to fill in the Application Form.
While the call is open, potential applicants can contact the EUI Permanenet Secretariat communication@urban-initiative.eu to get more information about the call.
The third call for applications closes on 13 May 2024 at 12:00 CEST.
The EUI PS will provide the results of assessment to the European Commission.
The final agreement on the host city for the Cities Forum will officially take place at the occasion of the Directors Generals on Urban Matters meeting of 26 June 2024, on the basis of the European Commission shortlist of candidate cities.
Get support
The EUI Permanent Secretariat supports applicants. This support is provided via:
- Application pack: read the Background document and courtesy application form.
- Email support: contact us with your queries via communication@urban-initiative.eu
Frequently asked questions
Budget of the event
What do you mean by “contribution” of the city? What costs are on the side of the host-city and what are covered by the EUI Secretariat budget?
The budget of the event is covered by the EUI permanent secretariat, but a contribution from the host city is expected. The form of this contribution is yet to be defined in your application. It can be through the venue renting for example or a contribution to the catering etc. We don't want to limit/define the type of contribution that your city can provide but note that as indicated in the background document of the call "the contribution of the host city to the event is an important factor in its selection, with cities evaluated on their level of involvement and the range of services they can offer or support. A city's commitment to offering the venue, organising comprehensive site visits, including arrangements for transportation, or the engagement of local experts and community members, will be highly valued." As for the other services not offered by the host city they will be fully covered by EUI
Application form
Is it possible to save a draft of my application and come back to it later?
Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to save the form online as a draft. Our developers are working on it. In the meantime, you might want to work first locally with the courtesy document that is available on the call page in the Application pack section. Once you are done with the draft you can start filling the online form and submit everything in one go.
Is there a limited number of characters in the online application form? A limited number of annexes we can send?
There is no limited number of characters in the online application form.
Exhibition area
Could you please precise how many square meters would be needed for the exhibition area ?
The exhibition is not yet very defined, we foresee a small exhibition, between 10-20 small stands. We will also adapt to the selected venue’s capacity
Letter of intent and signatures
Who is the addressee of the letter of intent? EUI Secretariate? DG Regio?
You can address the letter of intent to ‘the representatives of the EUI Entrusted Entity and the European Commission – DG Regio’
How do we sign the application? Is there an electronic signature for the Mayor?
There is a specific field to fill in with the name of the authorized representative, as signature
What do you mean by “contribution” of the city? What costs are on the side of the host-city and what are covered by the EUI Secretariat budget?
The budget of the event is covered by the EUI permanent secretariat, but a contribution from the host city is expected. The form of this contribution is yet to be defined in your application. It can be through the venue renting for example or a contribution to the catering etc. We don't want to limit/define the type of contribution that your city can provide but note that as indicated in the background document of the call "the contribution of the host city to the event is an important factor in its selection, with cities evaluated on their level of involvement and the range of services they can offer or support. A city's commitment to offering the venue, organising comprehensive site visits, including arrangements for transportation, or the engagement of local experts and community members, will be highly valued." As for the other services not offered by the host city they will be fully covered by EUI
Is it possible to save a draft of my application and come back to it later?
Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to save the form online as a draft. Our developers are working on it. In the meantime, you might want to work first locally with the courtesy document that is available on the call page in the Application pack section. Once you are done with the draft you can start filling the online form and submit everything in one go.
Is there a limited number of characters in the online application form? A limited number of annexes we can send?
There is no limited number of characters in the online application form.
Could you please precise how many square meters would be needed for the exhibition area ?
The exhibition is not yet very defined, we foresee a small exhibition, between 10-20 small stands. We will also adapt to the selected venue’s capacity
Who is the addressee of the letter of intent? EUI Secretariate? DG Regio?
You can address the letter of intent to ‘the representatives of the EUI Entrusted Entity and the European Commission – DG Regio’
How do we sign the application? Is there an electronic signature for the Mayor?
There is a specific field to fill in with the name of the authorized representative, as signature
Apply for the Call
The submission of the application form is 100% paperless and is done via the EUI website. The 8-step application requires a connection to your EUI account. If you do not have an account, please create one using via this link. The application must be submitted in the English language.
We strongly invite you to create your application form early in the process. Going through its different sections and reading the questions and required information will help you to submit a better application.
The deadline for the submission of the application form is 14 May 2024, 14:00 CET.