1.CITIES@HEART – City-Based Strategies to Improve Cardiovascular Health in Europe
Budget Line: Horizon Europe – Joint Undertaking Innovative Health Initiative (HORIZON-JU-IHI-2024-08-01-two-stage): Evidence-based Practical Guidance on the Use of Real-World Data for Sponsors
Applicant: University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands)
Project Partners: The consortium includes 28 hospitals, universities, research institutes, and municipalities from across Europe. Participating cities include Izmir (Türkiye), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Łódź (Poland), Udine (Italy), Cork (Ireland), Birmingham (United Kingdom), and Utrecht (Netherlands).
Project Purpose: The project focuses on the awareness, early diagnosis, prevention, and management of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) at the urban level. Its primary objective is to prevent CVDs and reduce health inequalities among populations in cities, particularly among individuals who face barriers in accessing healthcare services. By targeting major risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, CITIES@HEART develops innovative approaches for early detection and effective treatment of cardiovascular conditions.
IMM’s Role: IMM plays an active role in implementing multi-stakeholder health strategies to reduce the local burden of cardiovascular diseases. In collaboration with Ege University, the Municipality will contribute to mapping local health inequalities, identifying community needs, and adapting project strategies to the city’s dynamics. Within the project, Izmir will implement several initiatives focusing on disadvantaged groups—such as home healthcare services, community health education programmes, “Healthy Villages and Parks” projects, and awareness workshops addressing key CVD risk factors including obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, and physical inactivity.
Total Budget: € 15,749,999
Grant Amount (IMM): € 75,000
Project Duration: 60 months
Implementation Unit: Department of Health Affairs – Directorate of Healthy Living and Public Health Projects
 
2.SHIFT2SUSTAIN – Behavioural Change Towards Sustainable Mobility
Budget Line: Horizon Europe (Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities)
Applicant: TIS PT – Transport, Innovation and Systems Consulting Company (Portugal)
Project Purpose: The project aims to address urban mobility challenges under four main objectives. Firstly, it will map and analyse existing “Mobility Management” plans across Europe, evaluating their effectiveness, target groups, and encountered challenges. Secondly, it will pilot innovative approaches—such as gamification, awareness campaigns, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions—to promote behavioural change. Thirdly, it seeks to enhance inter-city learning among participating municipalities by sharing best practices and cooperating with broader European initiatives. Finally, based on pilot outcomes, it will develop policy recommendations, implementation toolkits, and capacity-building activities to support cities in achieving sustainable mobility goals.
Project Partners: The consortium consists of 17 partners from Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia, Estonia, Croatia, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, and Türkiye.
Total Budget: € 4,999,238.75
Grant Amount (IMM): € 169,375
IMM’s Role: As one of the pilot cities, IMM will implement activities aligned with its local transport priorities within the framework of “Mobility Management Measures” and “Mobility Management Plans.” Four focus areas are identified: congestion charging systems, park-and-ride systems, parking management, and cargo bike applications.
Implementation Unit: Department of Transportation – Directorate of Transportation Planning
 
3.SUN4Ukraine – The Sustainable Urban Net Zero Network for Ukraine
Budget Line: SUN4Ukraine Partnership Programme
Applicant: European Cities Network
Project Purpose: The programme aims to support Ukrainian cities in their reconstruction processes towards climate neutrality. Under the initiative, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has been selected as a mission city and paired with the City of Kharkiv due to their similar economic and energy profiles. The Municipality will appoint a responsible representative, conduct at least four online meetings with Kharkiv authorities on climate-neutral topics, host a two-day study visit in Izmir, and participate in two in-person international events organised under the programme.
Project Partners: Izmir (Türkiye), Kharkiv (Ukraine), Munich, Oslo, Leipzig, Dijon, Manheim, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Parma, Barcelona and Rzesow. Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Dnipro, Kalush, Kharkiv, Konotop, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Novovolynsk, Pervomaisk, Vinnytsia, and Zviahel as Ukrainian cities.
Grant Amount (IMM): No financial grant is allocated to the Municipality; no financial contribution is required.
IMM’s Role: IMM will provide technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, and host exchanges to strengthen urban climate-neutral strategies.
Implementation Unit: Department of Climate Change and Zero Waste – Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
4.NBS4MED – Nature-Based Solutions for Climate-Resilient Mediterranean Cities
Budget Line: INTERREG NEXT MED
Applicant: Hellenic Association for Research and Development Methodologies (PROMEA), Greece
Project Purpose: The project aims to foster climate adaptation in the Mediterranean by developing shared frameworks, methodologies, and solutions to enhance risk prevention and urban resilience through nature-based solutions.
Project Partners: Seven partners from Tunisia, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Greece, and Türkiye, including Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
Total Budget: € 2,365,887.20
Grant Amount (IMM): € 347,692.00
IMM’s Role: IMM will actively participate in all project activities and implement a pilot project. The pilot will transform the rooftop of Yeşilyurt Mustafa Necati Cultural Center into a climate-resilient “green roof” designed with permaculture principles, local plant species, and integrated rainwater harvesting and composting systems, creating a platform for awareness and community engagement.
Implementation Unit: Department of Climate Change and Zero Waste – Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
5.RESWATER – Non-Conventional Water Resources for Resilient Urban Water Management
Budget Line: INTERREG NEXT MED
Applicant: Malta Energy and Water Agency
Project Purpose: The project aims to address increasing water demand in urban coastal areas caused by climate and demographic changes by promoting the use of alternative and non-conventional water resources without increasing dependence on freshwater reserves. Pilot sites will explore small-scale, decentralised systems such as greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting to ensure sustainable urban water management.
Project Partners: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (Türkiye), Water Research and Technologies Center (Tunisia), University of Cagliari (Italy), Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (Egypt), Mediterranean Information Office / Global Water Partnership Foundation (Greece), and General Directorate of Water (Murcia Region, Spain).
Total Budget: € 2,953,100
Grant Amount (IMM): € 478,800
IMM’s Role: IMM will lead the pilot implementation in Izmir. The pilot site—located at the main exhibition building in Kültürpark—will integrate greywater treatment and rainwater harvesting systems. Treated greywater will be reused for cleaning and landscape irrigation, monitored digitally for water quantity and quality indicators to assess feasibility and environmental benefits.
Implementation Unit: Department of Climate Change and Zero Waste – Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
6.CLI-MET – Implementing the Climate Agenda in Metropolitan Areas
Budget Line: Erasmus+ KA220 – Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education
Applicant: University of Palermo
Project Purpose: The project seeks to strengthen the strategic role of metropolitan governance in implementing the climate agenda by improving policymaking processes and closing the gap between knowledge and action. It also aims to promote mutual learning and best practice exchange among universities and metropolitan authorities across Europe.
Project Partners: University of Palermo (Italy), Technical University of Dortmund (Germany), Technical University of Madrid (Spain), Metropolitan City of Milan (Italy), Network of European Metropolitan Regions and Areas (METREX), and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (Türkiye).
Total Budget: € 400,000
Grant Amount (IMM): € 33,000
IMM’s Role: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality will host the first stakeholder workshop between 1 April and 30 September 2026, providing logistical and spatial support and ensuring the participation of local stakeholders, academics, and experts. The event will include scientific seminars, focus groups, field visits, and presentations of IMM’s local climate adaptation efforts.
Implementation Unit: Department of Climate Change and Zero Waste – Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
7.Reducing Pollution in Izmir Bay through Bioremediation
Budget Line: Izmir Development Agency (İZKA)
Applicant: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
Project Purpose: The project aims to develop an ecologically based, sustainable, and holistic model to reduce marine pollution in İzmir Bay while contributing to ecosystem restoration. It also seeks to protect regional biodiversity, support small-scale coastal fisheries, promote regenerative macroalgae harvesting for the blue economy, and raise environmental awareness among local communities.
Project Partners: Mavişehir Fisheries Cooperative (Partner) and İZSU (Associate).
Total Budget: ₺ 3,799,646.46
Grant Amount (IMM): ₺ 2,849,734.84 (75%) funded by İZKA; ₺ 949,911.62 (25%) co-funded by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
IMM’s Role: The Municipality will carry out bioremediation and phytoremediation activities to improve marine water quality. Ecosystem-compatible macroalgae will be introduced into polluted areas, and changes in water quality will be monitored and analysed scientifically to evaluate environmental improvements.
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Agricultural Training, R&D and Coordination
 
8.Digital Solutions for Electricity Decarbonization by GCCIzmir
Budget Line: NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme, Cohort 3 (2024)
Applicant: İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi
Project Purpose: The project addresses the critical issue of electricity consumption in buildings, facilities and infrastructure, which accounts for a significant share of carbon emissions. The development of the GCC-SYNERGY digital platform will provide real-time monitoring, analysis and actionable information for selected pilot projects. This will revolutionize the management of electricity consumption.
Project Partners: Ege University (Solar Energy Institute), İZENERJİ., GDZ Electricity Distribution Co., Energy Industrialists and Business People Association (ENSIA), Aegean Forest Foundation (EOV).
Duration: 24 months
Total Budget: € 598.062,50
Grant Amount (IMM): € 261.750,00
Implementation Unit: Department of Information Processing
 
9.Climate-Ready Izmir: Enhancing Resilience Strategies (CRIZ-ERS)
Budget Line: Horizon Europe Programme Climate Adaptation Mission ‘CLIMAte Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Framework and ToolboX’, (CLIMAAX)
Applicant: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
Project Purpose: With the project, existing climate risk and vulnerability will be examined in higher detail and at the neighborhood scale with the CLIMAAX tool and technical support, and climate adaptation recommendations will be developed.
Duration: 22 months
Budget: € 145.000
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
10.Izmir Citizen Assembly for Climate Project
Budget Line: EU UNDP Civic Engagement Grant Programme
Applicant: Yuva Association
Project Purpose: The project aims to implement for the first time in Türkiye the ‘Climate Assembly’ as an innovative methodology of participation and democracy, which is rapidly spreading in Europe and America.
Project Partners: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
Duration: 12 months
Budget: 100.000 USD
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
11.Territoires cultivés – (Cultivated Territories)
Budget Line: Delegation for External Action of Regional Authorities (DAECT) of the French Ministry of European and External Relations
Applicant: AVITEM (The Agency for Sustainable Mediterranean Cities and Regions)
Project Purpose: To establish a network of Mediterranean metropolises to make culture a driver of development through projects that combine ecological transformation of the region, urban planning and cultural policies. Within the scope of the project, work will be carried out on 5 Main Themes; 1) Culture connecting the regions from local to Mediterranean, 2) Life at the center of culture, 3) Culture as an act of resilience in the fight against global warming, 4) Culture as a driver of employability and 5) Multi-stakeholder cultural governance as a guarantee of sector resilience.
Project Partners: Ville de Vitrolles, Ville de Nice, Collective de Corse, Nice Conde Art School, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
IMM’s Role: Participating in all activities that will take place within the scope of the project: Participation in round tables in three French cities, preparation of booklets on the five main themes together with AVITEM. In addition, contributing to the first sample studies of the project together with Nice Condé Art School, organizing Izmir Culture Symposium in Izmir, preparing, signing and announcing the joint Mediterranean Cities of Culture and Creativity Manifesto with the contributions of AVITEM.
Total Budget: € 345.000
Grant Amount (IMM): € 56.100
Duration: 24 months
Implementation Unit: Department of Culture and Arts
 
12.INHERIT- Next Generation Solutions for Sustainable, Inclusive, Resource-efficient and Resilient Cultural Heritage
Budget Line: Horizon Europe (Efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use)
Applicant: Greece (SINGULARLOGIC ANONYMI ETAIREIA PLIROFORIAKON SYSTIMATON KAI EFARMOGONPLIROFORIKIS)
Project Purpose: The overall objective of INHERIT is to establish a systematic methodology for sustainable, inclusive and efficient cultural heritage solutions, accompanied by leading Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and (big) data analytics and related social/behavioral practices. INHERIT will enable socially innovative and economically viable interventions at different urban levels (buildings, city/neighborhood) and will cover all relevant aspects of the life cycle of the heritage built environment, namely: (1) Design and renovation; (2) Monitoring, operation and management; (3) Protection and maintenance.
Project Partners: The project has 17 partners including the coordinator and 2 associates. Project partners include International Organizations, universities and companies.
Total Budget: € 5.447.193
Grant Amount (IMM): € 97.625
IMM’s Role: The innovative solutions and policies to be tested in the project will be tested in 8 cultural heritage sites, and in Izmir, Ahmet Piriştina City Archive Building will be used as a demonstration site. In this context, the public function of the building will be enhanced to make it more attractive, accessible and usable. In addition to the implementation of renewable energy and sustainable solutions, the building will be renovated while preserving its architectural features.
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Historical Sites and Cultural Assets
 
13.Cool Noons
Budget Line: European Union Mediterranean Regional Development Program (Interreg EuroMED)
Applicant: AVITEM (The Agency of Sustainable Mediterranean Cities and Regions)
Project Purpose: Testing innovative solutions, including nature-based solutions, in Mediterranean cities; Enhancing the competitiveness of Mediterranean cities by tackling the risks posed by climate change in the urban tourism sector; Engage stakeholders, professionals and citizens to increase the resilience of urban areas to the risks of excessive tourist pressure and improve the quality of life in areas dependent on the tourism sector.
Project Partners: AVITEM, Municipality of Marseille (France), Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal), Bologna Metropolis (İtaly), Imola Faenza Tourism Company (İtaly), Dubrovnik Development Agency (Croatia), Municipality of Budva (Montenegro), REBUS (Albania) and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (associated)
IMM’s Role: The Municipality will have an end-user, consultant or observer role in the Project. In this context, our Municipality is expected to actively participate in the institutional dialogues to be established.
Implementation Unit: Department of Foreign Relations and Tourism 
 
14.Supporting Local Fisheries for Food Security
Budget Line: The Turquoise Coast Environment Fund – Türkiye (TCEF), in cooperation with the Support Foundation for Civil Society (STDV)
Applicant: Sustainable Life Association (SUYADER)
Project Purpose: The project aims to enhance biodiversity and promote sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Foça Special Environmental Protection Area by supporting the use of economically underutilised fish species.
Project Partners: Foça District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Foça Municipality, Foça City Council, Foça Film Platform, Halim Foçalı Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, WWF Türkiye, and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (Associate).
Total Budget: ₺ 700,000
IMM’s Role: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality participates as an associate organisation, supporting coordination and awareness-raising actions that promote sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity protection in Foça.
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Agricultural Training, R&D and Coordination
 
15.DIALOGUE4NATURE
Budget Line: European Union Mediterranean Regional Development Program (Interreg EuroMED)
Applicant: Crete Region
Project Purpose: Increasing governance in the Mediterranean basin by developing institutional dialogue mechanisms in the region; to find common solutions and implement them at the scale of regions and cities; To ensure that the governance capacities of institutions are developed, especially in the themes of climate change and protection.
Project Partners: IUCN Mediterranean Cooperation Center, Crete Region (Leading partner), Plan Bleu, Sardinia Region, MedCities Network, Croatian Marine Institute and Montenegro Ministry of Ecology and Urban Planning, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (associate)
IMM’s Role: Disseminating the project outputs, ensuring active participation in the institutional dialogues to be formed, ensuring the adoption of the mainstream and potential results of the project.
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy
 
16.Re-Value (Re-Valuing Urban Quality & Climate Neutrality in European Waterfront Cities)
Budget Line: Horizon Europe “Urban planning and design for just, sustainable, resilient and climate-neutral cities by 2030”
Applicant: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Project Purpose: Contributing to climate-neutral investment for sustainable heritage and tourism management and urban development with more added value and less risk in Izmir Ålesund (Norway), Bruges (Belgium), Burgas (Bulgaria), Rimini (İtaly), Cascais (Portugal), Constanta (Romania), Písek (Czech Republic), Rijeka (Croatia); to prepare detailed roadmaps with investment and partnership models for pilot implementation on the coasts of these cities and to update the long-term Regional Transformation Plans for climate neutrality accordingly.
Project Partners: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Izmır Institute of Technology, Various institutions and organizations from Norway, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Slovakia, Romania and Switzerland
Duration: 48 months
IMM’s Role: Within the scope of the project, Izmir will expand its holistic design strategy to strengthen citizens' interaction with the sea and coastal areas will be renewed in parts of İzmir determined in accordance with nature and urban aesthetics; will carry out the necessary studies to connect the new city center, which is important for the heritage and tourism of the city, and the ancient settlement of Smyrna; It will strengthen blue-green infrastructures by testing the sponge zone concept to reduce the risk of urban flooding with performance-based digital ecosystem modeling solutions.
Total Budget: € 12.000.000
Grant Amount (IMM): € 126.900
Implementation Unit: Department of Studies and Projects 
 
17.CARDIMED (Climate Adaptation and Resilience Demonstrated In the MEDiterranean Region)
Budget Line: Research and Innovation actions in support of the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission
Applicant: National Technical University of Athens
Project Purpose: Developing resilience to the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean biogeographic region, Providing support to actors in the nature-based solutions value chain, increasing citizen participation and capacity building through digital infrastructure.
Project Partners: There are 51 project partners in total in the countries of Izdoga, Izmir Institute of Technology, Nature Society, IZSU, Greece, Netherlands, England, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia.
IMM’s Roles: It will create a model that includes nature-based solutions for the restoration of land and biodiversity and protection from climate change in the Gediz Delta. In this framework, nature-based solutions will be implemented to enrich the biodiversity of river delta wetlands and improve the well-being of local vulnerable communities.
Total Budget: € 19.971.411,2
Grant Amount (for IMM): €405.125,00
Implementation Unit: Directorate of Climate Change and Clean Energy