Eligibility requirements
All cities from EU countries and Single Market Programme countries (Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine) are eligible to apply.
For this competition, a ‘city’ is defined as an administrative unit governed by a city council or another democratically elected body.
Cities must meet the following population requirements
- small cities: 5 000 – 50 000 inhabitants
- medium cities: 50 000 – 250 000 inhabitants
- large cities: More than 250 000 inhabitants
Population figures should be based on the most recent census or official population statistics.
Selection process
To be considered for the European Capital of Small Retail title, cities must demonstrate excellence and exemplary measures implemented across 4 key criteria of a thriving small retail ecosystem.
- Sustainability: Green initiatives, sustainable supply chains, and environmental policies that support small retailers.
- Entrepreneurship Support and Community Engagement: Programmes that foster small business growth and community involvement.
- Digitalisation: Digital infrastructure, training, and support that help small retailers embrace technology.
- City Attractiveness and Vitality: Urban planning and initiatives that create vibrant retail environments.
In each criterion, each application will be assessed on strategic alignment, innovation, clarity of implementation, and measurable impact. For more detailed information about the evaluation criteria, please download our guide in the 'resources for applicants' section below.
Applications undergo a 3-stage evaluation process.
- Eligibility check: Verification that all submission requirements are met and all necessary documents are provided.
- Expert panel evaluation: Assessment of all eligible applications against the criteria. The 3 highest-scoring applications in each category (9 applications in total) will be shortlisted and invited to present their proposals to the European jury.
- European Jury decision: Following presentations at the awards ceremony in Brussels, the European jury will select 1 winning city per category. The jury will base their decision on both the city's achievements in 4 evaluation criteria and its proposed programme of activities for the title year.
Applications open: First week of July 2025
Application deadline: 9 October 2025 at 14:00 CET
Applications must be submitted through the official online application portal – EU Survey. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- commence at least one month before the deadline
- form a dedicated cross-departmental team
- establish internal deadlines
- schedule regular coordination meetings within your team
Applications should preferably be submitted in English, but can also be submitted in any official EU language or SMP language (Albanian, Armenian, Bosnian, Icelandic, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Norwegian, Serbian, Turkish, and Ukrainian). All applications must be submitted by the city administration and include an Endorsement signed by the Mayor or the highest city representative.
Download the guide for applicants from the 'resources for applications' section below.
