International Smart Cities Guidance Program
A structured program led by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye to support countries and cities in strengthening institutional capacity, sharing policy experience, and developing smart city strategies and action plan frameworks.
The Program is implemented through phased technical guidance, capacity building, and cooperation. It is not a grant or direct financial support mechanism.
A structured and institution-led framework for international smart city cooperation
The Program has been designed as a phased technical cooperation mechanism. It builds on Türkiye’s policy experience in smart cities and supports participating countries and cities through guidance, training, and structured engagement.
The International Smart Cities Guidance Program complements the previously shared introduction document and provides a more detailed framework on implementation stages, participation logic, and application procedures.
The Program is aligned with people-centered smart city approaches, sustainable urban development objectives, data-informed decision-making, interoperability, and institutional coordination principles.
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye leads the Program and coordinates the overall policy and implementation approach.
What the Program is designed to support
- Institutional capacity building in the field of smart cities
- Sharing of policy experience, methodologies, and implementation know-how
- Development of smart city strategy and action plan frameworks
- Structured dialogue and cooperation between public institutions and relevant stakeholders
A phased model built around preparation, training, and collaborative development
The Program proceeds through a structured sequence. Participation begins with Level 1. Progression to Level 2 and Level 3 depends on mutual evaluation, agreement, and the clarification of organizational and financial arrangements where relevant.
Level 1
Level 1 serves as the introductory phase of the Program and establishes an initial interaction and common understanding between the Ministry and the participating country, city, or institution.
- An online preparatory and coordination meeting may be organized at the beginning of the level.
- Introductory content may cover smart city fundamentals, policies, governance, management, interoperability, strategy methodologies, finance, selected case studies, and United Nations smart city approaches.
- A short Training Needs Analysis (TNA) may be conducted and may also be carried out online in a flexible manner.
- Participants may receive introductory information on Türkiye’s Smart City Maturity Assessment Model and Smart City Index experience.
Level 2
Level 2 may be launched after Level 1, subject to mutual evaluation and the acceptance of organizational and financial arrangements relating to physical participation by the participating country or institution.
- An online preparatory and coordination meeting may be organized at the beginning of the level.
- Advanced training sessions and presentations may be delivered with the physical participation of Ministry experts and relevant academics.
- The level is intended to strengthen institutional capacity, establish a shared conceptual and methodological basis, and support preparation for later-stage cooperation.
- Training modules may include Smart City 101, Smart City Policies, Components, Interoperability, Finance, Governance, Management, Strategy Methodologies, and United Nations smart city approaches.
- Participants may also receive information on the methodology, scope, and implementation framework of the International Smart Cities Maturity Assessment Model and the international smart city index approach.
Level 3
Level 3 may be implemented in line with progress achieved in previous stages and subject to mutual agreement, together with the fulfillment of organizational and financial conditions relating to physical participation.
- An online preparatory and coordination meeting may be organized at the beginning of the level.
- This level supports work related to the development of a smart city strategy and action plan framework for the requesting country, municipality, or institution.
- Workshops, panels, expos, or similar joint events may be organized by mutual agreement as part of the strategy and action plan development process.
- Such activities may bring together Ministry representatives, municipal representatives, academics, selected entrepreneurs from Türkiye’s smart city ecosystem, and relevant solution or service providers.
- Activities may include city-to-city experience sharing, technical sessions, innovation-focused sessions, and project or implementation matchmaking meetings.
The Program is primarily addressed to authorized public institutions
The official applicant is expected to be a competent public institution or formal coordination unit authorized to represent the relevant country or city.
Primary Institutional Counterparts
- Ministries and other national public institutions
- National coordination units and agencies
- Metropolitan municipalities and municipalities
- Smart city coordination bodies at national or city level
Supporting Stakeholders
- Relevant technical teams
- Academic institutions
- Other relevant stakeholders where appropriate
Supporting stakeholders may contribute to the process where relevant, but the official application should be submitted by the authorized public institution or formal coordination unit.
A clear and document-based participation process
The participation process should proceed through official channels and on the basis of the detailed program document and annexes.
Review the Program Documents
The detailed program document should be reviewed first. The annexes are intended to be completed in light of that document.
Prepare the Annexes
The application form, focal point form, authorization text, and current situation summary should be prepared in a concise, clear, and institutional manner.
Submit the Official Application
The application should be submitted by an authorized public institution or formal coordination unit representing the country or city.
Proceed Through Mutual Evaluation
After submission, the process may proceed through Level 1 and, where appropriate, to later levels subject to mutual evaluation, agreement, and relevant arrangements.
Core documents for participation and reference
The website should guide users to the correct set of documents. Please replace the placeholder links with your official URLs before publication.
Detailed Program Document
The main reference text explaining the program framework, implementation stages, and participation logic.
Add official file link →Application Annexes
The annex package including the application form, focal point notification form, authorization section, and current situation summary.
Add official file link →Introduction Document
The previously shared introduction document presenting the overall program rationale and general framework.
Add official file link →Submission Information
You may also add an official page or downloadable note indicating where and how the application package should be submitted.
Add official file link →Key points that should remain clear throughout the website
This section is critical for preventing misunderstandings and aligning the website with the current program documents.
- The Program is not a grant or direct financial support mechanism. It is implemented through technical guidance, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and cooperation.
- Participation begins with Level 1. Progression to Level 2 or Level 3 is not automatic and depends on mutual evaluation and agreement.
- Physical participation, logistical arrangements, and related organizational costs under Level 2 and Level 3 are expected to be covered by the participating country, municipality, or institution.
- The Ministry is the main institutional counterpart and coordinator. Other actors may contribute under Ministry coordination depending on the scope and level of engagement.
- Assessment and index-related elements should be understood as part of the program’s methodological background and phased engagement, not as an automatic or mandatory component for every applicant.
Contact the Program Team
Republic of Türkiye
Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change
Directorate General of Geographic Information Systems – Smart Cities Department
Use the official contact point below for program-related communication, institutional coordination, and application-related inquiries.
Before contacting the team
- Review the detailed program document.
- Check whether the applying institution is the authorized public counterpart.
- Prepare the annexes in a concise and institutional format.
- Use official communication channels for formal submission.