The URBACT Call for Transfer Networks was officially launched on 1 April, with applications welcome through to 30 June 2025. These networks are designed to transfer an URBACT Good Practice to partner cities over a period of 30 months.
Why should you hop on the transfer train? It’s one thing to read through the terms and conditions for applying, but what if you could sit down with the people who already went through the URBACT Transfer Network journey?
During the 2025 URBACT City Festival we had the chance to do just that. Let’s hear from a few cities in Portugal, Hungary, Italy and across Europe to get an idea of what it means to transfer an URBACT Good Practice.
Tip #1 from Elena Giovannini, BeePathNet partner, Cesena (IT):CONNECT AND EXCHANGE WITH EUROPEAN PEERS
- An instant connection:
“Our city has many green areas which we wanted to boost with pollinators. BeePathNet came at the right time for us to try out some specific actions! The way the different European partners were taking aspects of the Ljubljana good practice and adapting them to their own context was really inspiring. We didn’t expect that a 30 months transfer project on urban beekeeping could turn out to be so much more!”
- A lasting impression:
“Our initial scepticism on whether beehives in public parks would be accepted in Cesena was blown away – now we have two beehives, a revised parks maintenance schedule to allow wildflowers to grow, planting melliferous plants throughout the city and education modules for local schoolchildren.”
Learn more about BeePathNet (2018-2021) here.
Tip #2 from Dávid Bartók, TechRevolution partner, Nyíregyháza (HU): SAVE TIME ON A DIME
- The pitch:
“My city had funds to redevelop a former military barracks, but didn’t have a clear vision of what to put in there! Through TechRevolution, we were able to develop our vision of a business support ecosystem: an enterprise and business hub based on the Digital Media Centre in Barnsley (UK).”
- The buy-in:
“Thanks to the demonstration of the Lead Partner, we had buy-in from our elected leader who could see the potential returns. We had some budget from URBACT to test things as we went along, saving us valuable time and resources in the long run.”
Find out more about TechRevolution (2018-2021) here.
Tip #3 from Paula Rodrigues, BioCanteens partner, Torres Vedras (PT): LEARN FROM THE BEST
- The cream of the crop:
“Our city had a strategy to bring organic food into the municipal canteens, so when we saw that the BioCanteens network was looking for one more partner, we jumped at the chance. Mouans-Sartoux (FR) is a reference in organic production for school meals and we knew we would learn a lot. It’s important to underline though, that the network is not just a one-way street – we could all share our own practices and learn from each other.”
- The exchange rate:
“We are not all doing the same thing; the local context and political priorities are different from one city to the next. So, while we can learn from the best, we also pick and choose what suits us.”
Tip #4: INVESTMENT PAYS OFF
An URBACT Transfer Network is a demanding process; many of the cities interviewed underscored this point. It calls for dedicated staff (at least one full-time person) and support from political leadership. Having a local champion, who will ground the transfer project into the everyday reality of the city is key to moving the transfer forward. It can be hard to mobilise local stakeholders, as ultimately you are trying to change mindsets and behaviour. The support from the Lead Expert and the URBACT Secretariat is invaluable to find the tools and methods that work for you.
Looking back at the experience of Torres Vedras in BioCanteens:
“Perhaps you might not finish the transfer of a Good Practice in two years, but you cansurely sow seeds for a new vision. The important thing is to start the journey, test ideas early and move in the right direction.”
Get the backstory on the BioCanteens (2018-2021) network here.
GET ON THE TRANSFER TRAIN, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR CITY
There you have it: Cities searching for solutions can partner up with cities that already have tested solutions through an URBACT Transfer Network. As the examples above show, each city came with its own goals and motivations, but all found unique value in joining the network.
Inspired to join an URBACT Transfer Network? Find everything you need on urbact.eu/get-involved, where you will also get the latest on upcoming webinars and national info sessions (hosted by the URBACT Secretariat, starting on 23 April).
Scan through the URBACT Good Practice Database for more tried-and-true local solutions in cities across Europe.
