The Twinning Learning Programme guides Twin Cities in their learning and replication efforts from Pilot Cities, with a practical focus on implementing the systemic transformation methodologies and innovative approaches demonstrated by the Pilot activities, on the journey to climate neutrality.

The Twinning Learning Programme is a 20-month programme for knowledge sharing and transfer of good practices between upcoming selected Twin Cities, and the Pilot Cities in Cohort 2 that were selected to join the NetZeroCities’ Pilot Cities Programme. The programme is based on a practical knowledge sharing approach from Pilot Cities to Twin Cities, while also enabling a peer learning framework, allowing Pilot Cities to also learn from Twin Cities’ experiences. 

In September 2023, the first cohort of cities were selected to join the Twinning Learning Programme, the 40 Twin Cities have now embarked upon an important journey of shared learning, best practices, and much more. Now a second Call for Twin Cities is open until the 31 May 2024. Read the Press Release below to learn more!

INFORMATION SESSION

Join NetZeroCities’ information webinar on Thursday 18 April to receive guidance and support for the Call as well as ask all questions to the Twin Cities team regarding the Cohort 2 Open Call.

18 April 2024, 14:00 – 15:15 CEST

CALL DOCUMENTS AND SUBMISSION

Call Guidelines

Pilot Cities to be paired with

Application Submission

TIMELINE

The Twinning Learning Programme is made up of three modules, namely Getting started, Co-creating and Capitalising.

The goal of these modules is to provide a framework for participating cities to enable the best possible knowledge transfer between cities. The framework is built around dedicated outputs and a facilitated process while leaving enough room for flexibility for cities to shape the learning journey.

To ensure that Twin City participants gain the most from the in-person exchanges, travel costs will be reimbursed up to a certain amount. Further information will be made available to successful Twin City applicants upon successful selection.

8 April 2024

Opening of the Call for Twins

31 May 2024

Closing of the Call for Twins

September 2024

Results of the Call for Twins, Cohort 2

Twin Cities, Cohort 2

A call for Twin Cities, opening on 8 April, will select a second Cohort of cities that are not already engaged with the Cities Mission or with Pilot Cities, fostering collaboration and driving systemic change towards climate neutrality.

The Call for Twin Cities will be open to any city within EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries who are not currently part of the Twinning Learning Programme, Pilot Cities Programme, or the Cities Mission and are committed to reaching climate neutrality before or by 2050.

Applications will be accepted until 31 May 2024, at 23.59 CEST. Successful Twin Cities will be announced in September, with the learning programme set to commence by late September 2024.

Twin Cities, Cohort 1

Pilot Cities and Twin Cities matching is based on finding similar challenges and common interests in the different emissions domains and levers of change, allowing innovative actions through systemic transformation. A range of activities, such as tailored online meetings, workshops and inspiring site visits, are organised to advance learning, experience sharing and co-creation of solutions on the road to climate neutrality.

Twin Cities receive hands-on support from NetZeroCities partners to advance their objectives, and have access to the set of tools and resources provided by the NetZeroCities portal.

In September 2023, the first Cohort of Twin Cities was selected. Forty cities, coming from across Europe, were matched with a Pilot City or cluster of cities already innovating and piloting decarbonisation activities as part of the Cities Mission.

3 May 2023

Opening of the Call for Twins

30 June 2023

Closing of the Call for Twins

September 2023

Results of the Call for Twins, Cohort 1

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – Cohort 2 (2024)

The Twinning Learning Programme is a 20-month programme for knowledge sharing and transfer of good practices between selected Cohort 2 Twin Cities, and cities selected to join the NetZeroCities’ Pilot Cities Programme Cohort 2 in January 2024. This structured and expert-facilitated city-to-city learning programme aims to enable a two-way knowledge transfer between Pilot and Twin Cities, focusing on climate-neutrality ambitions and activities tackling multiple emission domains and systemic barriers.

The Twin City Cohort 2 Call is open to cities based within EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, who are not part of the Cities Mission (i.e. non-Mission City) and not already a Twin or Pilot City, and who have committed to achieve climate neutrality before or by 2050.

The Call is open from 08 April until 31 May (CEST 23:59).

The Twin City call is addressed to individual Twin City applications rather than to a group of cities applying together. One Twin City will be paired with one Pilot Activity to maximise knowledge sharing and learning.

Only one application may be submitted by an eligible local authority, and it should be submitted by a city representative (external consultants are advised to refrain from submitting applications on behalf of the city they work with). If several applications are received by the same local authority, the Twin City Team will select the first one submitted.

The Twinning Learning Programme is designed for cities, as stated in the Twin City Cohort 2 Call Guidelines dated 08 April 2024 (section 4.1 Who Can Apply, page 8): “This Call is open to local authorities based in EU Member states or Horizon Europe Associated Countries”
Therefore, cities are the only beneficiaries for this call and the ones to embed the learnings from the exchanges with the Pilot Activities. However, this will not prevent Twin Cities from being supported by third parties on their own.

The Catalogue of Pilot Cities Cohort 2 can be found here.

There are three eligibility criteria:
– Local authority must based within an EU Member State or an approved Horizon Europe Associated Country, at the point of the submission deadline.
– Non-Mission Cities, i.e. cities who are not part of the 100 EU Cities Mission, who are not already part of the Twinning and Pilot Cities Programmes.
– Climate neutrality commitment before or by 2050.

Call Guidelines can be found here.

The Twinning Learning Programme covers travel costs of selected Twin Cities to their paired Pilot City (for up to two Twin City representatives per selected Twin City to attend a site-visit to respective Pilot City), and hosting costs when hosting the site visits of the Pilot City/ies. The reimbursement of travel and hosting costs is the only area where budget is foreseen for Twin Cities. These site visits enable Twin Cities to gain an in-depth understanding of the pilot activity/es, while enabling the completion of the Twin City Action Plan.

Twin Cities should ensure adequate human resources and time (a minimum of 12 hours per month) to engage in the 20-months Twinning Learning Programme and assign between 1-2 (recommended) city representatives per Twin City, with at least a proficiency level of B2 English. Twin City representatives should be city practitioners or experts who can use the knowledge gained to institutionalise the learnings within the municipalities in their local contexts. To ensure that Twin City participants gain the most from the in-person exchanges, travel costs will be reimbursed up to a certain amount. Further information will be made available to successfully selected Twin City applicants.

Cities of all sizes can apply as long as they comply with the eligibility criteria.

While completing the Twin City application form, applicant cities are requested to rank up to five pilot activities from Cohort 2, in order of preference, based on their city learning priorities. Please note that your selection will serve NetZeroCities consortium partners as a guidance in the matching process, but this will not guarantee that you will be paired with one of the selected options.

This Call is for non-Mission Cities only, i.e. cities who are not part of the 100 Mission Cities, and who are not already part of the Twinning and Pilot Cities Programmes.

If you have any questions about the Twinning Learning Programme, you can reach out to us via email!