Online session highlights EU funding opportunities for IURC cities and regions

IURC Asia and Australasia hosts in-depth online training on EU funding opportunities

The IURC programme organised a dedicated online session on relevant European Union funding opportunities, bringing together around 50 participants from IURC partner cities and regions. The event aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of key EU programmes and to support cities in identifying concrete opportunities aligned with their Communities of Practice (CoPs). The meeting opened with the IURC team explaining that the programme does not provide resources for proposal elaboration. Still, it provides general information on relevant European funding frameworks and practical details on the typical lifecycle of European projects, including proposal development timelines, partnership requirements, and long-term commitments.

Experts from aconium – a Berlin-based consulting and project development company – brought extensive hands-on experience to the session. The company supports cities, regions, research organisations, and companies across the full project lifecycle, from identifying suitable EU calls and shaping project ideas to consortium building and proposal development. The aconium team has extensive expertise in a wide range of EU programmes, including Horizon Europe, LIFE, Interreg, and URBACT, and regularly advises public authorities on participation strategies, budgeting, and compliance with EU funding requirements..

A significant part of the discussion focused on funding opportunities for non-EU cities and regions. While non-EU partners cannot usually receive direct EU funding, the speakers explained how they can still participate as observers or through arrangements within European partners’ activities. Specific guidance was provided on how non-EU cities can add value to consortia through pilot activities, testing, and knowledge exchange.

Participants received detailed insights into:

• LIFE Programme, including its four thematic priorities (nature and biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and clean energy transition), funding rates, eligible costs and practical examples of ongoing projects;
• URBACT, with a focus on sustainable urban development, participatory governance and capacity building, and information on the upcoming call expected to open in March with a June deadline;
• Digital Europe Programme, highlighting forthcoming calls planned for autumn 2026, covering areas such as advanced digital skills, artificial intelligence deployment, cybersecurity and digital transformation of public services;
• Horizon Europe, including Clean Industrial Deal (net-zero technologies/industry decarbonisation) and Hydrogen Cities calls, as well as examples of successful city participation and lessons learned from previous projects.

The session also included interactive exchanges, with participants sharing experiences from existing EU projects and raising questions related to their own contributions, consortium building and internal coordination within city/region administrations. Particular attention was given to the importance of early preparation, internal alignment with local universities and stakeholders, and selecting calls that closely match the CoP priorities and local capacities.

The meeting concluded with clear next steps. IURC cities and regions were encouraged to review the presented programmes and identify relevant calls for their CoPs. Aconium confirmed their availability for bilateral follow-ups with interested cities to discuss programme fit, proposal development and potential partnership arrangements.

This training marked an important step in supporting IURC partners to engage with EU funding opportunities and to develop strong, collaborative project ideas aligned with European and local priorities.

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