Sustainable City Call
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About this call
General objective: the main objective of this call for proposals is to improve quality of life and safety in Polish cities.. Achieving this goal is possible thanks to identifying and supporting initiatives that foster integrated local development, with particular emphasis on sustainable development, striving to create more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable local communities. Common values and principles: Project Promoters, Partners and projects shall respect the values and principles governing the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, as referred to in Article 1.3.1 of the Regulation, i.e. human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Applicants shall describe how gender equality considerations are integrated into the project. The strategic role of cities and polycentrism: the call is aimed at towns, with the aim of strengthening their role as drivers of regional growth. By implementing comprehensive and forward-looking development projects that establish modern standards and ensure access to essential services, the Programme aims to secure a territorially balanced, polycentric model of national development. Thematic scope of projects: Projects should constitute a coherent response to development challenges and address key aspects related to local/ regional development. This call aims to identify and support initiatives that foster integrated local development, with a particular emphasis on sustainable development, striving to create more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities. Projects should address the following aspects, directly (or indirectly) connected with the goals of national midterm development strategy e.g.: economy, spatial policy, transport solutions, public services, integrated city management and institutional development. These projects are intended to empower above mentioned cities to serve as engines for regional growth and secure polycentric territorial development across Poland. Project promoters should design projects based on their role as urban functional areas. They may partner with surrounding local governments whose inhabitants use their infrastructure and services and with cities that are part of their influence area. Building institutional capacity: Projects shall strengthen the institutional capacity of local governments for sustainable development and management, including through targeted training that improves staff competences in modern development standards and ensure access to essential citizen-centred public services. Participation and inclusion: Projects shall ensure active participation of citizens and urban stakeholders in the design and implementation of sustainable solutions. Projects must include the mandatory: Institutional area (e.g.: improving efficiency «AI, cybersecurity», modernizing municipal buildings into resident service centers, and supporting civic engagement) and must combine activities from one, or more of the following thematic areas: Environmental: green infrastructure (e.g.: pocket parks, rain gardens), sustainable transport (e.g.: cycling routes), and climate change adaptation. Social: local senior policy, accessibility/universal design, and modernization of buildings for social activation and prevention of social exclusion of disadvantaged groups at risk of exclusion and effective social inclusion, integration, and social and professional re-integration. Economic: preparation of investment areas, economic promotion, and support for vocational education Minimum grant amount: 8 485 200 zł Maximum grant amount: 14 849 100 zł
Who can apply
Regional agglomerations and subregional cities. In the Recommendations for planning regional policy interventions in development strategies, adopted by the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy on July 2, 2026, the number of these cities is at the level of 79, which is identical with the list of cities numbered in draft National Development Strategy until 2035. To promote cities that are in a worse development situation we are excluding from the call cities that already have a unique opportunity to expand their institutional potential with the support of APC experts under the Development of Towns in the Swiss Polish Cooperation Programme, so that other cities can also benefit from similar support, what gives 68 potential applicants. List of eligible applicants: Bełchatów, Będzin, Biała Podlaska, Bolesławiec, Chełm, Chojnice, Cieszyn, Czeladź, Elbląg, Ełk, Głogów, Inowrocław, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Jaworzno, Jelenia Góra, Kalisz, Kołobrzeg, Konin, Kutno, Kwidzyn, Legnica, Leszno, Lubin, Łomża, Mielec, Mikołów, Mysłowice, Nowy Sącz, Nowy Targ, Nysa, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Oświęcim, Piekary Śląskie, Piła, Piotrków Trybunalski, Płock, Przemyśl, Puławy, Racibórz, Radlin, Radomsko, Radzionków, Rydułtowy, Sanok, Siedlce, Sieradz, Skarżysko-Kamienna, Skierniewice, Sopot, Stalowa Wola, Stargard, Starogard Gdański, Suwałki, Szczecinek, Świdnica, Świętochłowice, Świnoujście, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnowskie Góry, Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Wałbrzych, Wodzisław Śląski, Zakopane, Zamość, Zawiercie, Żory, Żyrardów.