Download the PDF of the agenda here.
Welcoming words from Danijela Dolenec, Deputy Mayor of Zagreb
Keynote Speech: The State of Social Services in Central & Eastern European Cities – Overview of current challenges and opportunities
An interactive opening to help participants connect, share their backgrounds, and exchange expectations for the event. Through a short icebreaker and group discussion, we will identify common challenges and learning goals to guide the discussions over the next two days.
Cities face tough choices when competing priorities strain municipal budgets. This panel will explore how local leaders can influence budget decisions, mobilise external funding from EU programmes, foundations and national budgets, and spend limited resources more effectively. Speakers will share practical ways to make the case for social investment and strengthen partnerships that sustain inclusive social policies.
These sessions offer an opportunity to learn from and build on the lessons and experiences from other city initiatives. Each workshop features good practices from one of our members, after which, participants will discuss the building blocks of the approach and how to transfer it to other urban contexts. Cities interested to present a best practice can apply by sending this form to henriett.horvath@eurocities.eu and olivia.grenier@eurocities.eu by 30 October.
Participants can choose to attend one of the parallel workshops.
This workshop shall explore how collaboration across sectors (regional and national authorities, NGOs, multiple municipal departments, etc.) shapes social service delivery. Zagreb will share experiences of cooperation in their cities, its impact on budgets, project design, and community services. The discussion will focus on strengthening services that rely on multiple systems and identifying concrete ways to improve collaboration between them.
This workshop is open for applications for cities.
Resilient cities need resilient social services. This workshop shall examine how municipalities can and should prepare for and respond to crises (e.g., health, economic, environmental, migration-related). The workshop host should present good practices on protocols for emergency action among service providers or a certain case when ad hoc collaboration was effective and what it took to make it effective. Where gaps exist, the group will draft recommendations for strengthening preparedness and resilience.
This workshop is open for applications for cities.
This workshop shall address the human dimension of social services. The workshop host should showcase a programme/project/implementation of action plan or strategy aimed at supporting social service professionals through training, capacity building, improved working conditions, reducing burnout, and ensuring adequate staffing to maintain effective services. The workshop may also cover a good practice on addressing staff shortages, talent attraction for municipal services, etc. This can include the exploration of employing migrant workers in municipal services (essential, social or other), examining the challenges and opportunities of their integration (e.g., language, training, cultural adaptation, legal barriers).
Interactive session designed to equip city officials with practical skills, new insights, and actionable strategies to tackle urban challenges. These sessions provide a collaborative space where participants can exchange ideas, explore best practices, and engage with experts on key policy areas and offer a hands-on approach to understanding and applying innovative solutions in city governance. Participants can choose to attend one of the parallel Learning Labs.
Participants can choose to attend one of the parallel workshops.
This workshop will explore how cities can ensure that essential services – such as housing, care, and community support – remain financially accessible for all residents. Participants will discuss approaches to socially just pricing models, balancing affordability with sustainability (e.g. progressive fees, targeted subsidies, or income-based contributions).
This session will focus on improving equitable access to social services for all citizens, regardless of income, location, or background. Participants will exchange experiences on how cities can enhance outreach and visibility of services – including the use of digital tools, communication campaigns, and local community networks. The discussion will also cover removing practical barriers to access, such as mobility challenges, administrative complexity, or limited awareness, and explore how cross-departmental coordination and user-friendly service design can make support easier to reach and navigate.
Mali dom Zagreb is a day care centre that provides highly specialised and comprehensive services to children with visual impairments and multiple disabilities in a stimulating and positive environment. The centre aims to encourage each child to develop their potential fully, achieve greater independence, and build a sense of self-realisation. Around one hundred children with visual impairments and additional developmental difficulties take part in Mali dom’s regular programmes and activities, while a further 300 children participate annually in the institution’s transdisciplinary assessment and counselling programme.
The Luka Ritz Centre is a social welfare institution founded by the City of Zagreb in 2017 to provide comprehensive support for children and young people at risk or with behavioural difficulties. The centre works closely with schools, families, and other community actors to help children overcome challenges and develop responsibility towards themselves and others. Its mission is to prevent violence and risky behaviour, strengthen social and parenting skills, and promote the healthy development and inclusion of young people.
Co-creation workshops offer participants the opportunity to work on solutions to real life complex social challenges presented by selected cities. The workshops will consist of guided interactive step-by-step process aiming at creating targeted solutions to a specific case study, representative of issues faced by many cities.
Cities interested to present a co-creation challenge can apply by sending this form to henriett.horvath@eurocities.eu and olivia.grenier@eurocities.eu by 30 October.
Participants can choose to attend one of the parallel workshops.
This workshop is open for applications for cities.
The policy challenge can be related to:
- Supporting social housing tenants and preventing evictions.
- Administering welfare benefits and financial aid.
- Providing debt management or financial counselling.
- Ensuring food and basic material assistance for low-income households.
- Delivering employment support.
This workshop is open for applications for cities.
Possible areas include:
- Home care and personal assistance services.
- Assisted living and flexible housing/care solutions.
- Combating social isolation and promoting community participation.
- Building coordinated care models with municipalities, NGOs, families, and service providers.
Reflections, take aways
Closing remarks by Lora Vidovic, Head of the Office for Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, Zagreb