2025 Global Mayors Challenge

Core city services, reimagined

In this increasingly urbanized world, municipal governments ensure for the world’s well-being—providing access to millions of units of affordable housing, maintaining nearly half a million public libraries, managing more than a billion tons of waste, distributing hundreds of millions of vaccines, and providing public safety, reliable internet, and civic amenities for billions every day. While city leaders must always focus on delivering reliable, public services, many mayors aspire to use their time in office to shake things up, in order to produce far better results for their residents. They recognize that their residents deserve more than incremental improvements.

That’s why the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025 Global Mayors Challenge is inviting cities from anywhere in the world with populations of 100,000+ residents to reimagine the most essential service they deliver to residents. These are the services that people depend on every day. They represent areas ripe for ambitious public innovation. They are where great opportunities for resident impact lie.

The 25 winning ideas will come from city leaders who aim to raise expectations, of residents and civil servants alike, around what’s possible. They will showcase the future of municipal service delivery—today. And they will remind the world that it is through local governments that we inspire trust, improve lives, and move the world forward from the bottom up.

Each winning city will receive $1 million, dedicated project staff, and multiyear support from Bloomberg Philanthropies to help bring their ideas to life.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025 Global Mayors Challenge calls on mayors to work with residents and entrepreneurs to radically reimagine their most essential municipal services, from public transportation to waste management, housing and shelter, emergency response, and more.

Find out more about the competition.