Urban Doers Community: Round 2
Building on the success of our pilot in 2023-2024, which attracted over 190 applications from 24 countries, we are launching a second round to continue strengthening the voices and expertise of local innovators across Europe. The first cohort of 20 initiatives spent a year collaborating, learning, and contributing their invaluable insights to European urban policy. Their collective work came together in a joint policy paper that offers concrete recommendations for supporting community-led urban transformation. You can meet four of them in this video.
What is the Urban Doers Community?
The 13-month programme (May 2026 - June 2027) will bring together 12 to 15 hyperlocal initiatives from across DUT countries for a journey of capacity building, networking, and knowledge exchange. Selected urban doers will receive €9,000 as compensation for their contributions, plus up to €3,000 in travel reimbursement to participate in events throughout Europe.
In return, participants will produce a case study report documenting their local approach and lessons learned, contribute to a collaborative policy paper with actionable recommendations for policymakers, and actively engage with the broader DUT community through workshops, conferences, and monthly check-ins. This exchange will build knowledge, connections, and confidence to engage in future European programmes, while ensuring that ground-level insights directly shape European urban policy.
Who can apply?
This opportunity is aimed at associations, NGOs, cooperatives, cultural organisations, or micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. Eligible organisations work on urban transformation at the community level and have not previously participated as partners in EU-funded research and innovation projects. Urban doers are boundary-spanners who connect sectors, disciplines, and policy areas, contributing directly to local capacity-building and innovation in ways that larger institutions often cannot.
Full application details and eligibility criteria will be published on this page at the end of January 2026, when the tender is officially launched.