Encore
Ask the evidenceThe ArchiveAbout Encore
Sign in
Encore by Whitelabel, with Culture NextCities in the network: sign in for your workspace

The ECoC evidence base

The Archive

Forty years of European Capitals of Culture in their own words: what cities promised, what they did, and what the evaluations found.

documents
472

documents

cities
190

cities

evaluations
53

evaluations

bid books
182

bid books

1985–2031

title years covered

All shelvesEvaluations 53Monitoring and progress reports 1Bid books 182Selection and monitoring reports 111EU framework and official documents 27Strategies and action plans 5Research, guides and frameworks 33Shared by cities 1Sent in by members 59Published by cities 12
TypeBid book (pre-selection) 4Bid book (final selection) 1Ex-post evaluation 16Strategy 3Action plan 1Research 2Other 5 Any type

10 documents of type strategy or research or other for “Economic impact”

Clear
Ask Encore: “Economic impact”An answer from across the Archive, every claim cited to its document.

Found inside the documents

  • A case study of Salamanca 2002
What the document types mean
Bid book (pre-selection)
A city's first application for the title, judged by the selection panel to make the shortlist.
Evidence of intent: what a city promised, not what it delivered.
Bid book (final selection)
A shortlisted city's full, final application for the title, with its programme, budget and plans.
Evidence of intent: what a city promised, not what it delivered.
Selection panel report
The EU expert panel's assessment of the bids in one competition, with its reasons and its recommendation.
Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Monitoring panel report
The EU expert panel's report on a designated city's preparations before its title year, with its advice.
Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Ex-post evaluation
An assessment, written after the title year or a programme, of what it actually achieved, usually by independent evaluators.
Evidence of outcome: what actually happened.
Monitoring or progress report
A city's own report on how its programme is going, written while it runs, with the figures it has tracked.
Evidence of outcome: what actually happened.
Strategy
A city's long-term plan or policy for culture, including legacy strategies and council decisions.
A plan: how a city meant to deliver and keep going.
Action plan
A concrete plan of what a city or organisation will do, by when and with what resources.
A plan: how a city meant to deliver and keep going.
Guide or toolkit
Practical how-to material that others can reuse: guides, toolkits, handbooks and templates.
Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Research
Studies, frameworks and papers across one or more cities, written by researchers rather than by a city.
Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Other
Anything else: news, memos, programme brochures and documents that fit no type above.
Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Salamanca · 2002

…approach of this type of study is to estimate the size of the spending flows which give rise to the cultural sector and to measure its overall impact.

  • Impact assessment accompanying COM(2012) 407, SWD(2012) 226
    2012

    Economic impacts The “no action” option would constitute a lost opportunity for the positive economic impacts described in the baseline scenario, such as the contribution to economic growth generated by the increased number of cultural…

  • DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL renewing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2034 to 2047 and repealing Decision No 445/2014/EU
    Cluj-Napoca. Contributed by Cluj-Napoca and published to everyone.Cluj-Napoca · 2026

    Expected result(s) and impact Specify the effects which the proposal/initiative should have on the beneficiaries/groups targeted. The proposed revision of the ECoC’s legal basis is expected to have a positive social, economic…

  • How Will We Know If LOV2030 Makes a Real Difference?

    Leuven

    Context

    How Will We Know If LOV2030 Makes a Real Difference?
    Leuven. Contributed by Leuven and published to everyone.Leuven

    Together, they explored how existing knowledge, data and expertise could contribute to understanding the cultural, social, economic and ecological impact of LOV2030.

  • Culture and Creative Industries Strategy 2026–2035
    Brno. Contributed by Brno and published to everyone.Brno · 2026
  • OK Analyza brnenske kulturni sceny ENG 2025_WEB
    Brno. Contributed by Brno and published to everyone.Brno

    …and creative festivals not only play a key role in promoting and raising the profile of the CCI, but are also important in terms of their economic contribution to the area, tourism and community building.

  • Strategy in Practice in Brno: Culture Accessible to All

    Brno

    Plan

    Strategy in Practice in Brno: Culture Accessible to All
    Brno. Contributed by Brno and published to everyone.Brno

    When the word 'strategy' is mentioned, many people simply roll their eyes and assume it amounts to empty words with no real impact. But this is not true in our case, and you can see for yourself in the first article of the Strategy in…

  • Financial Support for Brno’s Independent Cultural Scene

    Brno

    2026 · Context

    Financial Support for Brno’s Independent Cultural Scene
    Brno. Contributed by Brno and published to everyone.Brno · 2026

    Application numbers also spike whenever a special grant programme is launched – for example in 2018, when the RE:PUBLIKA programme tied to the anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia was announced.

  • Grant Programmes in the Field of Culture (2026)
    Brno. Contributed by Brno and published to everyone.Brno · 2026

    13 Contracts for the provision of grants in the amount of over CZK 50,000, including any amend- ments, will be published in the Register of Contracts in a manner allowing remote access in accordance with Act No.

  • Strategy in Practice in Brno: Grants Powering Cultural and Creative Fields

    Brno

    Plan

    Strategy in Practice in Brno: Grants Powering Cultural and Creative Fields
    Brno. Contributed by Brno and published to everyone.Brno

    We regularly talk through its format not just with specialist evaluators of grant applications, but directly with support applicants too. Every two years, we run an evaluation of the grant system – usually through an online survey of…