The European City of Science (ECoS) is an annual title awarded by EuroScience with the goal of fostering the inclusion of academic and scientific institutions and activities in the urban life and urban development strategy of a European city.
Each year, a new European city is given the opportunity to showcase its innovative ideas, activities and projects and to raise its profile in the European research landscape. By encouraging the active participation of both citizens and the research community in a dynamic and collaborative programme throughout an entire year, the ECoS title is designed to spark curiosity and strengthen trust in science among all citizens and residents.
The ECoS title celebrates the richness and diversity of the European scientific landscape by identifying the awarded city as a lighthouse and ambassador for its local, regional and national scientific culture and tradition. The title also serves to incentivise investments in research and innovation in the city and region and to increase visibility and attractiveness for gaining and retaining talents.
Applicant cities, together with local scientific and higher-education faculties and research institutions, are invited to present an innovative, multifaceted programme that highlights their specific approach to creating broader and deeper inclusion of scientific activity and knowledge creation within all facets of urban development.
How to apply – Timeline
The call for applications for the title ECoS 2026 is scheduled to open on 6 October 2023, and the selection process will follow the timeline outlined below:
1st Application Round: Submission of a First-Round Application Questionnaire
Applicant cities are invited to complete and submit the First-Round Application Questionnaire, setting out their vision for ECoS 2026. The questionnaire provides a guide for the presentation of the vision of the city for ECoS as well as its motivation to apply. Through its response to the questionnaire, the applicant city outlines a proposal of the key challenges to be tackled during the ECoS year, along with a programme of activities designed to address those challenges by building upon the city’s past experience in similar or related areas and activities. The response should clearly outline the involvement of both scientists and citizens in the process, and should include a proposed governance structure, potential opportunities for financial support and perspectives for the longer-term legacy and impact of the ECoS year. The First-Round Application Questionnaire is available here. Information and exchange on best practice and experience from former ECoS cities will be provided during an ECoS Webinar (see below).
Deadline: The application form and annexes must be completed entirely, in English, and sent to ecos@euroscience.org before 31 December 2023, 23:59 CET. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applications should be submitted both in PDF and editable formats with the document title “1st Application ECoS 2026 [Applicant city]“. Together with the application, a scan of the legal terms and conditions signed by an authorised representative of the applicant city must be submitted as well.
Fee: All applications require payment of the first-round application fee of 500 €, to be remitted by bank transfer before the first-round application deadline (31 December 2023, 23:59 CET). Details for payment (including the IBAN and BIC for EuroScience) are provided in the First-Round Application Questionnaire (*1)
and proof of payment of the first-round application fee must be provided as a mandatory annex to the first-round application.
Webinar: EuroScience will organise an online webinar for information to applicant cities interested in applying to become ECoS 2026. The webinar will provide an overview of the application process as well as time for questions and exchange. The webinar is scheduled to be held on 15 November 2023 (click
here
to register).
Assessment: EuroScience will compose and convene a Selection Committee (as detailed below) to assess all applications for ECoS 2026. The Selection Committee will short-list up to five applicant cities whose initial responses to the First-Round Application Questionnaire best fulfil the aims of the ECoS title. Applicant cities retained in the short-list will then progress to round two of the competition, where they will be invited to submit a longer, more detailed application bid. All short-listed applicants will be notified and receive feedback from the Selection Committee on the strengths of their applications and areas for improvement prior to the second round. Notification will be sent to the short-listed applicant cities on or before 28 February 2024.
2nd Application Round: Submission of a detailed bid
The short-listed applicant cities will be invited to provide additional detail regarding the content of their initial proposal and to respond to the feedback from the Selection Committee regarding strengths and areas for improvement following the first application round. The second-round application should be presented as an application for ECoS 2026, based on the response to the questionnaire of the first-round call. The second-round application must not exceed 20 pages in Calibri font, font size 11.
Deadline: The second-round application form and annexes must be completed entirely, in English, and sent to ecos@euroscience.org before the application deadline of 31 May 2024, 23:59 CET. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applications should be submitted both in PDF and editable formats with the document title “2nd Application ECoS 2026 [Applicant city]”.
Fee: All applications require payment of the second-round application fee of 1000 €, to be remitted by bank transfer before the second-round application deadline (31 May 2024, 23:59 CET). Details for payment (including the IBAN and BIC for EuroScience) are provided in the First-Round Application Questionnaire (*2) and proof of payment of the second-round application fee must be provided as a mandatory annex to the second-round application.
Hearing by the Selection Committee: A preliminary assessment of the second-round applications will be performed by the Selection Committee prior to a physical Selection Committee meeting scheduled to be held in June 2024. The short-listed applicant institutions will be invited to the physical meeting (date and venue to be announced) to present their application bid and respond to questions from the Selection Committee. Following the physical meeting, the Selection Committee will recommend one city for ECoS 2026 to the Governing Board of EuroScience for final decision.
Announcement of ECoS 2026 and hand-over ceremony: The Governing Board of EuroScience, at a meeting in July 2024, will take the final decision to award the title of ECoS 2026. The decision will take into account the recommendation of the Selection Committee. The ECoS awardee will be informed of the decision and the selection officially announced in a joint press conference. A hand-over ceremony to ECoS 2026 will take place in December 2024 in Katowice, Poland, awardee of the title of ECoS 2024.
Trademark License Agreement: The designated awardee for ECoS 2026 will sign a Trademark License Agreement with EuroScience setting out the terms and conditions of their relationship and cooperation regarding the respective ECoS year. The standard template for the Trademark License Agreement can be found here.
Important Dates
- First-round application deadline: 31 December 2023
- Invitation for second-round application: 28 February 2024
- Second-round application deadline: 31 May 2024
- Hearing by the Selection Committee: June 2024
- Decision and announcement of ECoS 2026: July 2024
Supporting documents
Key Criteria
All applications for ECoS 2026 will be assessed by the Selection Committee, composed of European and international experts representing important stakeholders in European science and urban development. The Selection Committee will be composed and convened by EuroScience. Please note that the names of the members of the Selection Committee will be made public only after the ECoS 2026 awardee has been chosen.
The Selection Committee will assess each application with respect to the following criteria:
Citizen involvement: Citizens and city residents, whether with or without scientific background and experience, should be at the heart of the proposed ECoS programme.
Co-creation, dialogue and mutual learning: The proposed ECoS programme should comprise a substantial number of attractive opportunities for dialogue, exchange and mutual learning involving both the scientific community and all other stakeholders of the urban ecosystem.
Innovation: The programme proposed should incorporate new and innovative concepts to the largest extent possible.
Both local and international: The ECoS is naturally a local event, based in the ECoS awardee city, but the ECoS programme should include specific elements dedicated to a European and international audience (e.g., scientific conferences, exhibitions, twin-city events, etc.).
Year-long: The ECoS title is awarded for a 12-month period from January to December, and the programme calendar should extend over the entire year of the ECoS award.
Sustainability and impact: The ECoS programme should have lasting impact beyond the ECoS year.
FAQ
1.Who can apply?
An application to become ECoS is open to any legally incorporated city, municipality, metropolis or urban community located geographically in a Member State of the Council of Europe. Scientific institutions as well as governmental and non-governmental funding agencies may act as partners in support of an application, but they are not eligible as applicants themselves.
If you are unsure about the eligibility of your city, please contact the EuroScience Secretariat (office@euroscience.org).
2. Is any specific funding associated with the selection as ECoS?
There is no direct funding provided by EuroScience to host the ECoS programme. Nevertheless, the ECoS awardee is free and encouraged to seek funding and partnerships in support of the actions and activities included in the ECoS programme.
3. What costs are involved for the ECoS awardee?
In addition to the application fees mentioned above for the first and second rounds of the selection process, and the costs of the ECoS programme itself, the successful applicant city must pay a trademark license fee of 200 000 € to EuroScience for the use of the trademark “European City of Science”. The trademark license fee is used to sustain the operation of the General Secretariat of the EuroScience Association. More details can be found in the collaboration agreement template.
4. What is the role of EuroScience?
EuroScience is an independent association of individual researchers, science professionals and interested citizens. It is the owner of the trademark of the European City of Science (ECoS) and organises the selection process openly and transparently. The association safeguards the values of the ECoS title and provides the ECoS awardee with its legitimacy and credibility.
In addition, EuroScience monitors the delivery of the ECoS programme for each edition, with the goal of constant improvement, and ensures the legacy of the ECoS title for future cities.
5. Will there be future calls for ECoS?
Yes, since the ECoS label is awarded annually, the call for ECoS 2027 will open in spring 2024. We encourage applicant cities who were not short-listed or selected for ECoS 2026, as well as any other cities interested in the opportunity, to apply for ECoS 2027 once the Call for ECoS 2027 has been released.
(*1)
The fee is used to cover the costs of the selection process.
(*2)
The fee is used to cover the costs of the selection process.