About

The Finance & Funding Helpdesk offers support to UTM cities in connecting with the right financing sources for their projects, improve quality of plans and offer information along stages of financing. The Helpdesk actively scans for financing and funding opportunities tailored to the needs of UTM cities for climate infrastructure projects and actively pursue partnerships for research & innovation projects.

Assistance Criteria

To access the F&F Helpdesks, cities should join the UTM city cohort and fulfill the following characteristics:

• Have at least 50,000 inhabitants
• Be a GCoM signatory or plan to be within three months of engaging with the Mission.
• Have a climate action plan covering the whole city.
• Commit to engage and to allocate appropriate resources to the roll-out of the Urban Transition Mission.

Any city part of the UTM cohort can start a query to the Finance & Funding Helpdesk. Queries should be project-specific or relate to existing financing or funding opportunities.

Examples of queries are as follows:

– My city is willing to know more about the Call for Pilot Projects XYZ from institution XYZ which we have found on the UTMC Funding Watch. We are particularly interested in developing a project idea to apply for the opportunity, and to team up with fellow UTM cities and/or other UTM stakeholders via your support.

– My city is willing to develop a wastewater treatment plant, for which we have developed a project and we have positively completed a feasibility study. We would like to get Helpdesk support in connecting us with the International Financial Institution XYZ, as we are in need of financing, and we believe they can be the right institution to support us.

– My city has the idea to develop a one-stop-shop that can serve its citizens to undertake energy renovations and increase efficiency. We would like to receive support for developing the idea via a Project Preparation Facility; we aim to proceed with a feasibility study in the shortest possible time, but we are lacking capacity.

Countries

Support

The Finance & Funding Helpdesk does not have any direct financial resources available to fund your project. The Helpdesk works as a one-stop-shop for UTM cities to get further support in accessing third-party funding opportunities and financing sources.

Application Process

Cities that have joined the UTM cohort can apply to the UTM F&F Helpdesk by starting a query in the dedicated section of the UTM Centre.

For any questions, please contact utm-finance@globalcovenantofmayors.org.