Mayors Challenge

Inspiring bold, replicable innovations developed by cities

Cities are uniquely positioned to foster creative solutions to our most pressing social and economic issues and to meet the challenges of tomorrow in areas from education to public safety. But the process requires enormous creativity, the formation of energetic partnerships, and the judicious use of data. Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge is a competition designed to spark innovative, replicable ideas for improving cities, and the lives of people living in them, by encouraging leaders to think outside the box about how to confront their most difficult challenges.

The sixth Challenge, launched at Bloomberg CityLab 2024 in Mexico City, calls on mayors to work with residents and entrepreneurs to radically reimagine their most essential municipal services, from public transportation to waste management, to housing and shelter, to emergency response, and more.

Cities from anywhere in the world with 100,000 residents or more can apply through December 20, 2024. Fifty finalists, to be unveiled in March 2025, will receive $50,000 and participate in an Ideas Camp to hone, model, and test their concepts. In October 2025, the 25 cities with the most inventive ideas will each be awarded $1 million and operational assistance to bring their proposals to life. This Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge will distribute more funds and assist more cities than the previous five Challenges which each selected between five to 15 winners and gave them technical support and $1 million apiece.