URBACT

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URBACT

The URBACT programme helps cities across Europe work together to find practical, integrated solutions to shared urban challenges, from climate action and social inclusion to mobility and housing.

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URBACT at a Glance

URBACT is aimed at cities, local authorities, city districts or boroughs, and metropolitan authorities

Funding is available for cities and municipalities to develop networks to share best practices and create action plans

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Aims & Objectives

URBACT aims to build the skills and capacity of cities to design and deliver Sustainable Urban Development strategies. It works closely with the European Urban Initiative and supports the EU Cohesion Policy’s Objective 5 - A Europe Closer to Citizens - by fostering sustainable, integrated, and locally driven development.

URBACT’s mission is to:

connect cities so they can share ideas, experiences, and good practices
help cities design better policies and projects for their residents
strengthen the impact of EU cohesion funding in urban areas

The programme takes a “bottom-up” approach, meaning cities define their own priorities while staying aligned with the wider EU policy framework.

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What does it support?

URBACT funds exchange and learning networks where cities work together over 30 months on a specific theme or challenge.

There are three main types of networks:

Action Planning Networks - Develop new local action plans.
Transfer Networks - Adapt and reuse successful ideas from other cities.
Innovation Transfer Mechanism Networks - Transfer and scale innovative solutions tested in other EU programmes.

Outputs often include the production of a Local Action Plan created with local stakeholders, case studies and thematic reports, or practical tools.

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Who can apply?

Eligible city partners:

Cities, towns, municipalities
City districts or boroughs
Metropolitan authorities
Local agencies (public or semi-public bodies)

Other eligible partners:

Regional, provincial, and national authorities (on urban issues)
Universities and research centres (on urban issues)

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Budget

The total programme budget is €79.77 million for 2021-2027.

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Project Example

UR-IMPACT

Longford County Council is a partner in the URBACT-funded project “UR-IMPACT.” Delivered by 10 partners in 10 EU countries, the UR-IMPACT project seeks to address the promotion and measurement of the impact of social inclusion and community development in urban regeneration projects. Visit the project’s website to learn more.

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