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Frequently Asked Questions

Which cities can apply?

As the UCCN is a UNESCO international programme for cities, the Call for Applications is open to all cities of UNESCO Member States and Associate Members.

 

How do cities apply?

Cities are invited to apply during the Call for Applications dates announced on the website: http://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/. As aforementioned, applications must be submitted by email using the standard Application Form. Applications not submitted in this required format will be neither considered nor evaluated.

 

When is the application deadline?

The deadline for applications is announced on the UCCN website under the Call for Application section (http://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/content/call-applications). For the 2019 Call for Applications, the deadline will be 30 June 2019, midnight CET. Incomplete applications or those received after this date will not be evaluated.

 

In which languages should we submit the application?

Applications can only be submitted in English or French.

 

Which additional documents do we need to provide with our application?

A valid Application Form must be accompanied by all the document required in the Application Form. Please note that no other documents will be taken into account in the evaluation process.

 

How do we send our application?

The application must be submitted via one single email to ccnapplications@unesco.org, with the “subject”: 2019 Application of [name of the candidate city].

The total size of the email with all required attachments included must not exceed 20MB. Due to technical restrictions, emails that exceed this size limit may not reach UNESCO. The Organization is not responsible for any technical shortfall during the transmission of the application.

Please contact us at ccnapplications@unesco.org in case you encounter technical difficulties during the submission process.

 

How many cities per country can receive the endorsement of the National Commission for UNESCO concerned to submit their application? 

A formal letter of endorsement of the candidature from the National Commission for UNESCO of the country in which the applicant city is located is required. In order to streamline the designation procedure, a limitation on the total number of candidate cities per country endorsed by the National Commission concerned has been set up. Therefore, as of the 2019 Call for Applications, National Commissions can endorse a maximum of four applications per country.

 

How many cities per country may be eligible to the designation?

As of the 2019 Call, a maximum of two applications from the same country, and in two different creative fields, may be eligible to the designation.

 

When will we know if our city’s application is successful?

The announcement of the designation will be published on the UCCN website and through other UNESCO communication channels in November 2019 (the confirmed date will be announced on the UCCN website in due course). If your city is not included in the list of designated cities, you may assume that your application was not successful.

To allow for a considered and impartial evaluation of the applications, we kindly ask candidate cities to refrain from requesting information on their applications during this process.

 

Who evaluates the application?

The evaluation process is coordinated by UNESCO. The process foresees a technical pre-screening and an external independent evaluation by experts, also involving member cities of the Network. To protect the independence of the evaluators, no information on the identity of the authors of the evaluation is provided.

Candidate cities are required not to exert any influence or lobby during the evaluation process. The final decision on designation lies with the Director-General of UNESCO, following consultation with external advice provided by independent experts as well as by the member cities organised in the seven creative fields.

 

Whom can we contact if we encounter technical problems with our application?

It is advisable that you prepare your application as early as possible.  UNESCO Secretariat will only be able to provide technical assistance with your application should there be sufficient time available.

Moreover, it is not UNESCO’s responsibility to either follow up on the individual application process of the candidate cities, or give specific orientations or guidance for each case.

Please contact us at ccnapplications@unesco.org for any technical difficulties or general inquiries about the application process.

 

Do we need to specify a creative field in our application?

Yes, a creative field must be specified and the application must focus on that particular creative field. The creative fields covered by the Network are the following: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. Please note that a candidate city can choose only one of these seven creative fields.

 

Can a city apply for more than one creative field?

Each application must refer to only one creative field. This field should be considered as the focus of the application albeit such creative field may interact with other creative fields within the city.  Innovative and transversal approaches across various creative fields are encouraged.

 

Can we involve the adjacent areas of the city in the candidature?

While it is possible to involve the adjacent region in the application process and reflect its contribution to the proposed strategy and related action plan for the city applying. However, the candidate city must bear primary responsibility and accountability for the application and the proposed strategy and action plan put forward in the application. 

 

Does the size of a city matter?

Currently, there is no limitation to the number of inhabitants in a city applying for membership of the Network according to the Designation Procedure of the 2019 Call for Applications.

 

We have additional media items we would like to attach to our application, how could we provide these?

Submissions can only be made using the Application Form through email. Items in hard copy will not be accepted.

However, a maximum of three external links to websites can be inserted within the Application Form.

 

Can we attach images, charts or diagrams to our application?

It will not be possible to include images, charts or diagrams in the Application Form. However, in case of designation, a city can submit these additional materials with a view to reinforcing the communication towards the other member cities.

 

Which considerations should guide the proposed budget in the application?

There is no minimal or maximum amount foreseen for the provisional budget included in the application. The evaluators will assess the quality of the strategy and action plan and the consistency of the proposed budget with the planned activities. The budget proposed should fit a city’s size, resources and ambitions.