Call for host city
Cities Forum 2027
The Cities Forum, co-organised by EUI and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), is the European Commission’s flagship event focusing on the urban dimension of EU Cohesion Policy and EU level initiatives supporting sustainable urban development. EUI is reaching out to EU cities interested in hosting the 2027 edition. The application form should be considered as the offer of the host city.
Cities Forum 2027
The 7th edition of the Cities Forum is planned to take place between mid-April and mid-June 2027 and aims to welcome around 800 onsite participants for a green, grounded and interactive event lasting 1.5 to 2 days. The weeks for consideration are those starting on 19 April, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May and 7 June, with no possibility to organise the event on a Monday. When proposing concrete dates, all national bank holidays and major calendar constraints will need to be carefully taken into account.
The Cities Forum 2027 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
Any EU city or urban authority located within the European Union, with the capacity to host a major event, is eligible to apply. There are no geographical restrictions for this call. However, special attention will be given to locations that were not featured in previous editions of the event, which were hosted by cities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, and Poland. While we value the diversity of past event locations, the goal is to enhance geographical balance across the entire spectrum of Member States.
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 12 January 2026. Applicants are invited to fill in the Application Form.
While the call is open, potential applicants can contact the EUI Permanent Secretariat to get more information about the call.
The call for applications closes on 17 February 2026 at 14:00 CET.
The EUI Permanent Secretariat will carefully assess the applications, on the basis of the selection criteria.
The results of the assessment will be shared to the European Commission, which will present a list of shortlisted candidate cities to the Meeting of Directors-General on Urban Matters (DGUM) for the final decision on 15 April 2026.
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.
- Urban Contact Points: Contact your national contact point to get support in your native language.
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.
The deadline for the submission of the application form is 17 February 2026, 14:00 CET.