Opportunity for USA, Canada, and International Cities to Address Mobility Issues and Build Capacity

Sustainable Cities Challenge

Agency

Corporation

GrantWatch ID#

210003

Funding Source

Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF)

Geographic Focus

All USA
USA Territories: American Samoa (USA); Guam (USA); Puerto Rico (USA); Virgin Islands (USA); Northern Mariana Islands (USA);
USA Compact Free Associations:The Federated States of Micronesia (USA) Marshall Islands (USA) Republic of Palau (USA)
International, Israel and Canada.

Important Dates

Deadline: 09/18/23 4:00 PM UTC

Grant Description

Opportunity for USA, Canada, and International cities to address mobility challenges in a capacity-building program. Proposals must focus on the themes of advancing low-carbon mobility, strengthening mobility systems, or overcoming mobility barriers. Cities that are selected will have the opportunity to unlock innovation funding to address local mobility issues and access capacity building. Toyota will work closely with the three Selected Cities to design and launch their local City Challenges for innovators.

Cities are constantly evolving and adapting to an ever-changing world. As cities grow and develop, the need for innovative, responsive, and resilient mobility solutions has never been more essential, and the opportunities have never been greater.

This global Challenge will act as a catalyst. It will bring cities and innovators together to enable safe, inclusive, and sustainable mobility solutions fit for the future. Toyota aims to transform the lives of millions of people around the world.

The Sustainable Cities Challenge is open to cities that wish to address local mobility issues relating to one of three interrelated themes.

Challenge Themes:

Overcoming Mobility Barriers: Cites offer freedom and opportunity: access to jobs and education, the ability to connect with people, and discover new experiences. But many city residents face barriers in accessing transport, public services, and amenities in their everyday lives.
Strengthening Mobility Systems: All city residents want reliable and well-maintained mobility systems, especially in times of crisis.
Advancing Low Carbon Mobility: Sustainable mobility systems offer benefits to current and future generations of city residents, improving air quality and supporting cities to reduce carbon emissions.

Toyota seeks cities with:

Mobility issues unsolved through current pathways and processes but potentially addressed through a range of innovators using different approaches
This includes the potential to explore the transferability or scalability of solutions after the City Challenge has ended.
Capacity to partner on delivering City Challenges. This includes evidence of commitment from local government and other relevant stakeholders, alignment with local plans and strategies, and availability of resources such as staff and facilities to support the Challenge if selected.

The Sustainable Cities Challenge will be delivered over two stages:

Stage 1: Call to Cities: Toyota is seeking cities that wish to host City Challenges. Ten shortlisted cities will be selected that will receive a range of capacity-building support to understand the issue they want to solve and attract innovators to provide solutions. Three of the ten Shortlisted Cities will be selected to host City Challenges to attract innovators.
Stage 2: Call to Innovators via 3 City Challenges: Toyota will work closely with the Selected Cities to design and launch three local City Challenges with funding available for innovators. Selected Cities will call for entries from innovators via their City Challenge with the support of the Sustainable Cities Challenge team. Together, they will then select their finalists to test their solutions.

For more information about the Challenge, see: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/challenge.

For details about expectations for selected cities: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/how-cities-enter.

For more information on challenge themes: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/challenge#themes.

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

- A city or municipal government / local authority/council authority / local government
- A public sector agency for delivering transportation services for the city/region.- County authority/government
- Regional public agency
- National, state, or territorial government
- Private sector company or organization (including social enterprises)
- Nonprofit or charity organization

Entrants must identify a single city, an adjacent group of cities, or a neighborhood or district within a city as the focus of their submission. The focus of the entry must be a settled place with a concentration of people and infrastructure with a minimum population of 100,000.

Toyota expects entrant cities to:
- Agree to the Terms and Conditions
- Have commitment from leadership and support from appropriate senior officials in the local authority, city council, or similar entity

Ineligible

The Challenge is open to all cities globally. However, entries from cities relating to regions, entities, or individuals subject to economic sanctions by the UN, EU, USA, UK, or Japan will not be accepted. If in doubt about eligibility, contact Toyota.

Pre-Proposal Conference

Webinars:
Recording of webinar: see Pre-Application Information below.

Challenge Lab:
Toyota will offer a Challenge Lab to share more about open innovation and how to explore and address innovation needs in a city. Challenge Labs are open to all eligible entrants. Sign up to receive an invitation to attend.
A Challenge Labs will be held on 27th July 2023 at 10:00 UTC
Register at: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7347157/Register-Interest-in-Sustainable-Cities-Challenge

One-on-One Meetings:
- Applicants working on their entries can book a 15-minute chat with one of the Sustainable Cities Challenge team.
https://calendly.com/sustainablecitieschallenge/city-one-to-one

More information about webinars: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/support#webinar

Pre-Application Information

Timeline:
- Short Entry Form due: Monday, September 18, 4:00 PM UTC
- Ten cities shortlisted: October 2023
- City Challenge Development Period: October - December 11, 2023
- Capacity Building Academy: November 13-15, 2023 (Dallas, Texas USA)
- Final Selection of three cities: February 2024
- Challenge Activation: Early 2024
- City Challenge winners announced: Mid-Late 2025

Shortlisted Cities will need to submit a short Challenge Proposal by 11th December 2023. They will also participate in a virtual interview with the Final Selection Committee on 15th or 16th January 2024.

Cities are welcome to submit as many entries as they wish. Please note a maximum of one entry per city will be shortlisted.

Entries must be led by one of the following:
- City/municipal governments or local authorities
- Public sector agencies with responsibility for delivering transportation services for the city/region
- Any other local/regional public entities, such as a country, metropolitan planning organization, agglomeration community, or council of governments

Please note that, while not an eligibility requirement, due to the practicalities of hosting a local City Challenge, cities in countries or regions currently affected by conflict and/or war are unlikely to be successful in line with the assessment criteria.

Entrant Support: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/support
Terms and Conditions: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/challenge-terms
Press release: https://opportunitydesk.org/2023/07/14/toyota-mobility-foundation-sustainable-city-challenge-2023/
Timeline: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/timeline
Recording of Open call to Cities webinar: https://youtu.be/2tRAnAc1BjU
FAQs: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.org/faq

Number of Grants

10 Shortlisted Cities, 3 City Challenge Cities

Estimated Size of Grant

Ten shortlisted cities will receive:
- Invitation for two representatives to attend a capacity building academy in the US in November 2023. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the Challenge.
- Follow-up tailored challenge design and problem definition sessions for local teams.
- Communications and PR support to raise awareness of the city's involvement in the Challenge.
- Access to peer sharing with a cohort of nine other innovative city teams.

The three selected cities will receive:
-Up to $3 million in funding for innovators to address local mobility issues through a City Challenge.
- This includes a $100,000 stipend to support city participation in the Challenge and build staff capacity (where possible and in line with local laws and regulations).
- Additional tailored capacity-building support on challenge design and delivery, innovation, and urban mobility.
- Hands-on support from TMF, Challenge Works, and WRI to co-design an open innovation competition that will attract innovators to solve it.
- Communications and publicity to raise the profile of the city to attract innovators both locally and from across the globe.

Term of Contract

- Three years
- In 2026, funding will be available for winners in each Selected City to continue to implement and grow their solutions.

Contact Information

Online application: https://sustainablecitieschallenge.submittable.com/submit

For questions relating to the Challenge, please email: info@sustainablecitieschallenge.org
For technical help with application: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/?orgId=25127

Opportunity for USA, Canada, and International Cities to Address Mobility Issues and Build Capacity

Sustainable Cities Challenge

We have foundations for

We have grants for

Cookies