Call: Transfer Networks

URBACT acts as a European exchange and learning programme promoting sustainable urban development. It enables European cities to work together to develop solutions to urban challenges and share good practices, lessons and solutions with all stakeholders involved in urban policy throughout Europe. The Programme focuses on the following Specific Objectives (SO):

• SO1 - Capacity for Policy Delivery
• SO2 - Policy Design
• SO3 - Policy Implementation
• SO4 - Building and Sharing Knowledge

Europe’s cities often face similar challenges. Yet, although there are many good practices, transferring them between cities can be complex. The transfer process is not simply one of copy and paste, and the barriers include governance, cultural and financial constraints.
Transfer Networks will allow cities to work together on the adaptation and re-use of a good practice already implemented in a city. Transfer Networks are expected to support an organised process of exchange and learning among peers across Europe by fostering the transfer of good practice in the field of sustainable urban development.

All URBACT Networks are composed of a Lead Partner and Project Partners. In the case of Transfer Networks, the Lead Partner role belongs to the URBACT Good Practice City. Only those cities already awarded an URBACT Good Practice label can bid to lead a network.
Project Partners in a Transfer Network are cities interested in the transfer of the good practice in their own local context and are known as Transfer Cities. The partnership shall include the city where the Good Practice has been successfully implemented.
A Good Practice City may not be Lead Partner in more than one project at a time under the same
call. However, the labelled Good Practice Cities acting as Lead Partners are allowed to take part in
one other Transfer Network as a Transfer City.

Under URBACT III, the beneficiary “city” refers to the public local authority representing: 

• Cities, municipalities, towns; 
• Infra-municipal tiers of government such as city districts and boroughs in cases where they are represented by a politico-administrative institution having competences for policy-making and implementation in the policy area covered by the URBACT network concerned in which they are willing to get involved; 
• Metropolitan authorities and organized agglomerations in cases where they are represented by a politico-administrative institution having delegated competences for policy-making and implementation in the policy area covered by the URBACT network concerned.

In addition to city partners, Transfer Networks can also nclude a limited number of other
beneficiaries (non-city partners). In the case of Transfer Networks, only non-city partners as defined
below are eligible:
• Local agencies defined as public or semi-public organisations set up by a city, partially or fully
owned by the city authority, responsible for the design and implementation of specific
policies (economic development, energy supply, health services, transport, etc.)

In order to be eligible, non-city partners must be public authorities or Equivalent Public Bodies.
Only local agencies are considered eligible non-city partners.
The final partnership cannot include more than 2 non-city partners and shall include:
· a minimum of 2 partners from Less Developed regions where the total number of partner is 5;
· a minimum of 3 partners from Less Developed regions where the total number of partner is 6
to 7 partners.
· a minimum of 4 partners from Less Developed regions where the total number of partner is 8
partners.

Stage 1: 6 months

Stage 2: 24 months

• Less developed and transition regions shall receive up to 85% ERDF contribution
• More developed regions shall receive up to 70% ERDF contribution  

Budget: max. 600 000 € per network (phase 1 and 2). The initial budget for Phase 1 shall not exceed a total eligible cost of 80 000€.

The costs incurred for the first phase of work shall be considered eligible for refund regardless of the approval of the project into Phase 2.
The URBACT Programme provides to each approved Transfer Network an additional specific budget for the
appointment of experts. Experts support partners in implementing their transnational activities with
both thematic content and methods for exchange and learning. Each network shall have an allocation of  109 500 € maximum to cover the costs of expertise over the lifetime of the project. In phase 1 only one single expert may be appointed (max. 19 500 €).
Appointed experts to be funded from this dedicated envelope shall be selected from the pool of validated URBACT Experts.