New funding programme targets European transport inequality
14 October 2026
by William Thorpe
A new European initiative will provide funding and technical support to up to five cities to tackle persistent transport challenges, with a focus on accessibility, inclusion and solutions that can be replicated elsewhere.
Three to five Champion Cities will be selected to develop and implement solutions addressing challenges such as transport poverty, inadequate public transport coverage and accessibility barriers. The Toyota Mobility Foundation will provide funding and technical support, although the total investment and individual city allocations have yet to be confirmed.
Three to five Champion Cities will be selected to develop and implement solutions addressing challenges such as transport poverty, inadequate public transport coverage and accessibility barriers.
Cláudia Ribeiro-Vervaeck, Projects & Proposals Lead at POLIS, told Cities Today that funding allocations have yet to be determined and will depend on the ambition and requirements of individual projects.
“The Challenge is focused first and foremost on identifying innovative solutions that can deliver meaningful improvements in accessibility and inclusion,” she said. “The scale of investment required can vary considerably depending on the solution, and significant impact does not necessarily require major infrastructure investment.”
Potential projects include improving public transport frequency in underserved neighbourhoods, creating safer walking and cycling networks, and introducing non-digital payment options for shared mobility users without smartphones or bank accounts.
Other possibilities include personalised travel assistance for people with disabilities and using disaggregated road safety data to identify inequalities.
Measuring impact
Ribeiro-Vervaeck said participating cities must establish measurable objectives, key performance indicators and baseline data to assess progress.
“Once Champion cities are selected, the Challenge Secretariat will assist them in further developing the evaluation and monitoring framework,” she said.
Beyond the initial projects, POLIS will organise peer-learning activities, technical exchanges and capacity-building programmes to help other municipalities replicate successful approaches.
Karen Vancluysen, Secretary-General of POLIS, said the programme would also address a persistent funding gap facing local authorities.
“Cities hold many of the keys when it comes to making mobility more sustainable and contributing to both local and European goals in this respect,” she said. “Unfortunately, this is not sufficiently reflected in adequate funding for suitable solutions. The Cities Challenge will help to overcome this funding gap, thus accelerating local change and supporting the replication of scalable solutions for more inclusive mobility to other cities with similar challenges.”
Eligible applicants include POLIS member cities and regions, alongside municipalities with existing relationships with the Toyota Mobility Foundation. They must generally serve populations of between 100,000 and one million across the EU, UK, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland.
Applications close on 11 December 2026, with shortlisted applicants expected to be notified in February 2027. Selected cities will receive funding, expert assistance and implementation support for projects lasting up to four years.
Main image: Grejak | Dreamstime.com
