Future Cities of South East Europe: Phase 2
Overview
In Phase 2 (2021–2022) of Future Cities of South East Europe, an initiative co-funded by the EU through EIT Climate-KIC, SmartUp was the lead project partner, coordinating the work of the city teams in Skopje, Križevci, Maribor, and Niš, with Sarajevo taking part in 2021, and handling monitoring and reporting.
In Skopje, our goal was to make the work lasting: to give the YES Team a permanent home, finish the impact investment portfolio, and turn its ideas into funded projects. By the end of 2022, the Skopje Development Institute foundation was in place and new funding was secured.
The challenge
A turbulent year
Covid-19, budget cuts, and a change in city leadership shifted priorities. After elections, it took 3–6 months to get projects back on track.
Too little data and project capacity
Missing data made it hard to build strong proposals, and city capacity to run EU-level projects was limited.
Funding transformative projects
Complex, systemic projects need blended finance and new financing models, and many funding applications were rejected.
Activities and methods
In Skopje we worked in four areas:
- A lasting home for the YES Team – through two catalyser sessions and five working meetings with the City, the National University, and experts, we designed the structure of the Skopje Development Institute, a foundation registered in October 2021.
- The impact investment portfolio – we completed and prioritised the portfolio with about 50 stakeholders through workshops and meetings with seven city departments, and published a handbook on impact investing for local governments.
- Funding for projects – we submitted six funding applications in 2021 and, in 2022, promoted the portfolio to investors, donors, and partners.
- Digital city services – we helped build a platform for city funding applications, a registry of civil society organisations, a redesigned “Correct address” service, and an e-government support centre.
- Green cadastre – a workshop with 30 participants from all ten city municipalities produced a model for developing and maintaining a city green cadastre.
- Climate education and youth – we set up a Science Learning Network with UNICEF, contributed to a national climate change communication strategy, and engaged 190 young people in national and local gatherings.
In 2022, we also worked with the municipalities of Ilinden, Zelenikovo, and Pehčevo and the City of Prilep to design climate projects on renewable energy, waste, and fire prevention, and with partners to offer a joint Green Acceleration Programme.
Impact and learning
The results of Phase 2 in Skopje:
- A permanent organisation – the Skopje Development Institute, co-funded by the City of Skopje and the National University
- Almost EUR 800,000 – attracted for a circular system for construction and demolition waste through the IPA II “Re-Construct” project
- A completed impact investment portfolio and a handbook for municipalities, presented to about 60 experts, decision-makers, and investors
- Projects moving to implementation – a SECAP 2030 plan, and preparation of a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Skopje
- New municipal partners – two successful project applications from Ilinden and Pehčevo
What we learned: stakeholders engage when they see clear benefits and results, not only strategies; online engagement can work as well as in-person if well designed; a change of leadership slows projects, so partnerships must outlast election cycles; and open data and digital services are the base for evidence-based decisions.
Gallery
Outputs
Future Cities of South East Europe: How far we have come
Our summary of what the initiative achieved and what comes next.
View BlogCity funding applications platform
The digital platform for submitting applications for city funding and subsidies (in Macedonian).
View PlatformRelated Projects
Planning similar work?
SmartUp can support research, co-creation, facilitation, digital tools, implementation, or learning documentation for related programmes.