Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) is a pivotal initiative by the European Union that empowers urban areas across Europe to tackle pressing urban challenges through innovative pilot projects. With a substantial ERDF budget of EUR 372 million allocated for the 2014-2020 period, UIA supports urban authorities in testing new solutions for issues such as employment, migration, and environmental sustainability. This initiative focuses on cities, towns, and suburbs that collectively house around 359 million people, representing 72% of the EU population.

UIA encourages urban authorities with populations exceeding 50,000 to propose bold, experimental projects that involve key stakeholders, including agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, ensuring comprehensive expertise in project execution. UIA not only provides significant funding—co-financing up to 80% of project costs—but also emphasizes the importance of capturing and sharing knowledge gained from these projects. With a commitment to fostering innovative, transferable solutions, UIA aims to create sustainable urban development models that can inspire other European cities.