The European Commission launched the tenth edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital).

Who can apply

• The candidate towns and cities must be located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe.
• For the category of European Capital of Innovation, the candidate city must have a minimum population of 250 000 inhabitants. In countries where there are no such cities, the city coming closest to 250 000 inhabitants is eligible if it has a minimum population of 50 000 inhabitants.
• The candidate towns and cities for the European Rising Innovative City category must have a population of 50 000 and up to 249 999 inhabitants.

Applications must relate to activities in an EU Member State or an Associated Country to Horizon Europe.

Awards

The contest will award a total of 6 prizes for the 2 categories:

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

2. 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.

Deadline: 18 June 2024, 17.00 CET (Brussels)

Read more here.