European Capital of Innovation Awards 2024 is now open for applications!

The European Commission has launched the tenth edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital). The prize is awarded to European cities that are front-runners of innovations that benefit their citizens.

The contest will award a total of six prizes for two categories: the European Capital of Innovation and the Rising Innovative City.

The city winning the 2024 European Capital of Innovation title will receive €1 million. Moreover, the first two runners-up in this category will be rewarded with €100,000 each.

In the Rising Innovative City category, the winner will be rewarded with €500,000 accompanied by two runners-up that will receive €50,000 each.

All winners and runners-up will be invited to join the EIC Prizes Alumni network, a prestigious group of previous iCapital winners, to share their knowledge, discuss common challenges, and work together to find solutions.

The competition is open to cities with a minimum of 50,000 inhabitants from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, including Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova.

The contest is open until 18 June 2024 (17:00 CET). Find out more about the rules of the contest and information about the call and the background here.

An online info session for potential applicants is scheduled on 9 April, you can register on the dedicated webpage.