A UNDP-led initiative bringing cities together in Europe and Central Asia to experiment, adapt, and innovate for greener, smarter, and more resilient urban transformation.
About the City Experiment Fund
The City Experiment Fund (CEF) is a UNDP-led initiative that collaborates with cities across Europe and Central Asia to tackle complex urban challenges through strategic innovation and experimentation. CEF provides technical and financial support to develop innovation portfolios that drive sustainable urban transformation.
By applying systems thinking, we help cities explore, reimagine, and finance more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban futures – and co-create practical, scalable solutions that address real-world problems.
Our current CEF cohort focuses on the Twin Transition – integrating digital and green innovations to transform urban infrastructure, governance, and services, ensuring cities are future-ready and adaptive.
CEF is made possible with the financial support of the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic.
The portfolio approach: How we work
What’s the portfolio approach?
CEF uses systems thinking to design portfolios for urban transformation. UNDP takes cities and partners on a journey to create portfolios of solutions, which includes analyzing problems from different perspectives, designing a variety of interventions that align with a clear vision, and dynamically managing the portfolio. Instead of focusing on isolated, one-off projects, this method creates interlinked interventions that evolve over time.
Why Portfolios?
- Holistic problem-solving – Tackles interrelated urban challenges from multiple angles, especially in times of uncertainty.
- Dynamic adaptation – Continuously refines solutions based on learning.
- Informed decision-making – Uses feedback loops & data-driven insights to improve urban policies.
Meet the 2025 City Cohort
The 2025 City Cohort brings together 10 cities selected to embark on the next phase of urban transformation through the Twin Transition. Some of these cities are newcomers, eager to explore innovative solutions for digital and green challenges, while others are continuing from the previous cohort, building on previous experience with CEF. Together, they will experiment with new approaches and exchange knowledge to shape more sustainable and resilient urban futures.
Thematic focus areas
Urban challenges are interconnected and require comprehensive, systemic solutions. CEF focuses on five key areas that enable cities to transition toward greener, smarter, and more resilient urban systems. By applying a portfolio approach, we help cities address sustainability, digitalization, and governance challenges in a way that is adaptive, inclusive, and scalable.
Timeline
CEF is a multi-year initiative designed to support cities in experimenting, adapting, and scaling urban innovations through a structured portfolio approach. Over the next four years, CEF will guide cities through strategic innovation cycles, helping them test green and digital solutions, refine interventions, and integrate lessons into long-term policies.
Each phase builds on continuous learning and collaboration, ensuring that cities not only respond to current urban challenges but also shape future-ready communities.
Donors and partners
CEF is made possible through the financial support of the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, as part of the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF). By investing in systems thinking, innovative financing, and portfolio approaches, this partnership empowers municipalities to drive green and digital transformation, test new urban solutions, and scale impact across the region.
