Access City Award (ACA)

About the Access City Award

Cities are key actors to ensure urban life is accessible for persons with disabilities, so they take the lead of their lives, live independently and fully participate in the community.

A city is accessible when persons with disabilities can, for instance:

• go around the streets and enjoy public areas, such as parks and playgrounds.
• get in public buildings like hospitals, town halls, libraries, and sports halls.
• get the bus, tram and metro to go to work or meet friends.
• communicate with the local administration in person, by phone or online.
• get information in ways that they can read and understand.

Access City Award 2027

Does this sound like your city? Then apply for the Access City Award 2027 edition until 4 September 2026 12:00 PM CEST (midday)!

Apply now

Finalist cities will be invited to the award ceremony on 4 December 2026 in Brussels, during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference.

The winner and runners-up will receive a monetary prize of EUR 150 000 (1^st place), EUR 120 000 (2^nd place), and EUR 80 000 (3^rd place).

Special Mentions may also be awarded to cities demonstrating exceptional accessibility achievements in specific areas or through innovative initiatives.

How to apply?

1. Fill the online form at https://access-city-award.ec.europa.eu/ with the help of the Guidance Note and the Rules of contest
2. Upload the supporting documents
   1. Mayoral Declaration
   2. Declaration of honour
   3. Legal entity form
   4. Financial identification form
   5. (optional) 10-slide Power Point Presentation to highlight key aspects of your application

Access City Award 2027 - Contest Documents

Who can apply?

The Access City Award is open to

• all EU cities of over 50 000 inhabitants
• urban areas composed of two or more towns with a combined population of over 50 000 inhabitants, if they are in EU countries with fewer than 2 cities with over 50 000 inhabitants.

Prizes

The winner and runners-up will receive a monetary prize:

• 1^st place: EUR 150 000
• 2^nd place: EUR 120 000
• 3^rd place: EUR 80 000

Special Mentions

As part of its wider efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities can live with dignity and participate fully in society and economy of cities, the Commission also intends to award a Special Mention for ‘Accessible Community-Based Services’ in the 2027 edition.

This award will be given to a city that supports independent living and the transition from institutional care to community-based living through accessible, locally delivered services that support persons with disabilities in their daily activities preventing them from living in institutions, segregated from the city life.

Other Special Mentions may be awarded to  cities  demonstrating exceptional accessibility achievements in specific areas (for example, on public services or accessible communications), or innovative initiatives (for example, on smart city solutions, access to cultural heritage, or accessibility for persons with intellectual disabilities).

Evaluation and award process

The selection process is divided into two phases: a pre-selection at national level, and final selection at European level.

The national juries in each country shortlist a maximum of two cities. Out of the pre-selected candidates, the European Jury selects the winners.

The juries consider accessibility measures taken and planned in the following areas:

• built environment and public spaces
• transport and related infrastructure
• information and communication, including new information and communication technologies
• public facilities and services
• accessible community-based services - to be assessed only to award the Special Mention for Accessible Community-Based Services

Get inspired by previous winners

Access City Award 2026 winners

Meet the cities that are leading on accessibility at the EU!

Salzburg (Austria), Piacenza (Italy), Valencia (Spain) - Special Mentions on accessible housing, information and communication technologies, and emergency preparedness.

Access City Award Network

The Access City Award Network is composed by EU cities previously awarded at the Access City Award.

Those cities have demonstrated to be leaders in accessibility of urban life. We bring them together to stimulate mutual learning, knowledge-sharing with other cities that are not as advanced in their accessibility efforts, an improve collaboration with disability organisations. Some of their actions are:

• Meeting annually around the award ceremony, hosted during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference.
• Roundtables with the European Commission, like the one organised to celebrate the award's 15th anniversary.
• Study visits to other ACA winner cities, such as the ones hosted by Lyon (France) and Breda (The Netherlands).
• National meetings with other awarded cities, like the one hosted by Córdoba (Spain).
• Seminars on accessibility, with the support of the AccessibleEU and other cities' networks.
• Colaboration with & support to other cities on accessibility.

Best accessibility practices

Every edition we compile the best accessibility practices that made the winner cities stand out in their editions. Check the last edition winner cities.

Access City Award 2026 winners

Newsletter

Stay informed about the Access City Award and help us spread the word on social media with the hashtag #EUAccessCity.

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Why an Access City Award?

There are around 90 million persons with disabilities in the EU. Ensuring access to their fundamental rights and freedoms is a priority, in line with the Enhanced Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Moreover, Europe is now essentially an urban society, with seven out of ten EU citizens living in towns and cities. This award remains a key example of the Commission working hand in hand with other government levels to turn this commitment with citizens with disabilities a reality across the EU.

The Access City Award is an EU initiative that

• recognizes efforts by cities to become accessible for persons with disabilities.
• promotes equal access to urban life for persons with disabilities.
• allows local authorities to promote and share their best practices.

Over the past 16 years, 77 cities have been awarded, including 16 1^st prize winners among them. Zaragoza (Spain) received the prestigious 1st prize award in last year's edition of the Access City Award.