Bidding for World Design Capital 2028 is now open!

In their bids, cities must clearly define what they hope to achieve if selected. They must also provide a detailed account of the city’s contribution to design from an economic, social, cultural, and environmental point of view. Particular attention should be given to the requirements for government support, prior to submitting the final bid. An applicant city must specify how, during the WDC calendar year, it intends to:

• Express the specific relevance of design for quality of life in the city
• Ensure the mobilization and participation of large sections of the population
• Promote dialogue between the design community and other sectors of society, such as industry, academia and youth

The submission phase is then followed by evaluation, shortlist, city visits, final selection and announcement. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply.

For more information, please contact: Eric Lauwers, WDO Programmes Manager at wdc@wdo.org.

Bidding

Can WDO share bids from previous WDC cycles?
WDO is not at liberty to share bids submitted in previous cycles. That said, previous bidding cities are welcome to share whatever they like relating to their application. For example, Taipei has information on the creative aspects of their bid book on their website, as well as a video they produced to support their bid.

Is government support required for a World Design Capital bid?
As World Design Capital is a city designation, support from the relevant level(s) of government is required.

What should be included in a bid video?
WDO requires all applicant cities to submit a video as part of their bid. It should be no more than 2:30 minutes in length and highlight places and spaces important to the city’s design heritage, information relating to the theme of the bid and what the city hopes to achieve as WDC.

Can the WDC logo be used in the application process?
The WDC logo cannot be used by any bidding city in their application or on any other related documentation or promotion. The logo and all of its usage guidelines are provided to the city once the final selection has been made.

Can we include other tourism information and supplementary documents from our partners with our bid document?
To ensure that all applications are evaluated equally, only the material as it relates to the application questions will be submitted to the Selection Committee for review.

Can two cities from the same country apply?
Two cities from the same country may apply for the designation in the same cycle. However, some countries have regulations that prevent two cities from competing with each other for the same designation. Check guidelines for bidding in your own country before submitting an application.

The Shortlist

How many cities are shortlisted to move on to the final selection process?
A maximum of three cities can be shortlisted. This decision is made based on the relevance and calibre of the bids received as they relate to the selection criteria. The Selection Committee first identifies the applicant cities that meet the selection criteria and, based on the information submitted, have demonstrated how they plan to mobilize their community and financial support to realistically deliver a successful programme during the designated WDC year.

Who attends the city visits?
Independent from the WDC Selection Committee, 2-3 representatives from the WDC Organizing Committee conduct the visits to the shortlisted cities.

Designation and WDC planning

What is the role of the Organizing Lead and its Organizing Liaison? Should he/she already be appointed at the application stage?
The Organizing Lead is the independent management team in the designated city responsible for the WDC year’s planning, implementation and promotion. The Organizing Liaison is the head of the Organizing Lead. We recommend that the Organizing Liaison be designated at least two years prior to the designated WDC year, immediately following the official designation accepted by the city. It is mandatory that an Organizing Liaison be identified within 30 days of being named WDC.

What does WDO do to help the designated city?
A professional team from WDO works closely with the designated city as soon as the city is designated WDC. They share the methodology for all the signature events, introduce the city to past World Design Capitals, and handle contract management, international sponsorships and partnerships, overall WDC programming, promotion and brand management.

Are WDC Signature Events obligatory?
WDC Signature Events are a mandatory requirement. They form the backbone of a designated city’s international programme and offer continuity from one WDC city to another. They are required and planned in collaboration with the WDC team at the WDO Secretariat.

How much money should a bidding city budget?
There is no magic number that a city should budget. Proposed budgets submitted as part of a WDC bid should include operating and programming costs, as well as an overview of the financial support that will be contributed to the project by various levels of government.