The Urban Doers Community

20 initiatives have been included in the first edition of the Urban Doers Community.  The initiatives will start working with us in October. Read more about the initiatives here. 

 

© Colin Hattersley_Friends of the Earth Scotland

Are you a social innovator, activist group, or neighbourhood initiative with an innovative project that could improve urban areas? Do you want to shape your project, build partnerships and networks, and grow your impact? Then, take advantage of the Urban Doers Community!

With access to training, coaching, webinars, and networking events and additional financial support, the Urban Doers Community can help you take the next steps forward and explore how to cooperate with research and innovation to realise innovative ideas. Plus, the Community gives you a chance to share your knowledge and experiences with likeminded people across Europe and potentially inspire change on a European scale. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference in your community and beyond.

What is the Urban Doers Community?

The Urban Doers Community is an initiative of the DUT Partnership that aims at supporting urban initiatives to connect to research and innovation and help them share their knowledge and experiences across Europe to make their innovative ideas work in urban areas.

Involvement in the communtiy includes monetary support as well as access to trainings, coaching, networking events, webinars and other support activities to help the initiatives develop their ideas and build up know how to engage more strongly in related research and innovation activities. The goal is to help urban doers to prepare next steps towards wider outreach, and to encourage them to participate in future joint research and innovation calls by the DUT Partnership. The Urban Doers Community runs for 12 months and is designed to help initiatives shape their ideas, build partnerships and networks, and grow their knowhow and impact.

Who is considered an Urban Doer?

    • Social innovators
    • Urban community associations
    • NGOs
    • Micro enterprises (<10 employees)
    • Neighbourhood initiatives
    • Social entrepreneurs
    • Activist groups
    • Civil society organisations
    • Designers and other actors from the cultural and creative sectors

What we offer you:

As an Urban Doer, the Urban Doers Community offers you a unique opportunity to shape the future of our urban environments. Here are some of the ways we can support you:

    • Capacity Building: Gain access to trainings, coaching, and webinars specifically designed to help urban practitioners and actors to engage in research and innovation. These resources will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to engage in research and innovation projects and help you realise your innovative ideas.
    • Networking: Participate in a variety of networking events, including workshops, meetings, conferences, and AGORA activities. These events will connect you with like-minded individuals and organizations who share your passion for creating more liveable, sustainable cities and communities.
    • Dissemination: Share your knowledge and experiences with a wider audience through webinars and other dissemination activities. This is an opportunity to showcase your project and inspire others to take action in their own urban environments.
    • Financial Support: The Urban Doers Community provides monetary support up to €12,000 split across two categories: up to €9,000 excl. VAT for the development of a concept paper and up to €3,000 to cover travel costs associated with participation in on-site.

By applying for the Urban Doers Community, you’ll not only have the chance to get support for growing your initiative and build partnerships and networks, but also to enhance visibility of how you make a difference in the lives of urban dwellers across Europe. Make sure to read the UDC guidelines for all important information about the Community participation!

What do we expect from you:

As an Urban Doer, we expect you to:

    • Attend an obligatory on-site kick-off meeting and closure meeting with all other Urban Doers.
    • Develop a concept paper (5-10 pages) focused on the strategic development, upscaling options of your project/initiative, dissemination of good practices and lessons learned as well as opportunities for potential cooperation with other institutions in the frame of DUT transnational research and innovation calls.
    • Attend a minimum of three on-site events (including kick-off & closure) and a few additional online events during the Community period.

How to apply for the Urban Doers Community:

First, take a look at the UDC Guidelines that give you an overview of the formalities, what your application should include, eligibility criteria and all other details you need.
Then, submit an application (click on the link below)!

But fear not! Submitting an application will not take more than 30 minutes.

When is the deadline for submission?

The deadline for submitting your application is 14 June 2023 at 23:59 CET.

What are the criteria for selecting the applications?

After checking the eligibility criteria (see UDC guidelines), these criteria will be evaluated:

    • Contribution to urban transitions; relevance and link to DUT and DUT’s Transition Pathways
    • Potential to inspire / translate the applicants’ proposal to other urban contexts: Potential to synthesise the initiatives’ knowledge / experience and promote it on European scale
    • Ambition of the submission to build capacities and networks to connect to urban research and innovation and European policy

How long will your initiative be supported by the DUT Partnership?

Urban Doers will receive dedicated support by the DUT partners for 12 months.

Contact point:

If you have questions regarding the submission, please contact the Urban Doers Community Contact Point:

Elena Simion
elena.simion@uefiscdi.ro
Unitatea Executivă pentru Finanțarea Învățământului Superior, a Cercetării, Dezvoltării și Inovării (UEFISCDI)