San Cristóbal de La Laguna City Council has launched a European Funds Attraction and Management Programme as a lever to transform the municipality from a sustainable urban development perspective. In a context of high regulatory complexity and strong competition for European resources, the council is committed to strengthening its internal capacity to plan and deliver strategic projects that generate real impact on citizens’ lives.
The challenge
The challenge is not only to access European funding, but to turn it into well-defined, viable projects aligned with municipal priorities. The City Council needs to strengthen its technical capacity to design competitive proposals, manage funds rigorously and ensure that every euro captured translates into tangible improvements in key areas such as the environment, water management, mobility and housing.
Cumbre’s support
Over the next four years, Cumbre 8 Islas supports La Laguna City Council through a specialised technical assistance service for the attraction, design and management of European funds. Our work focuses on strengthening municipal capabilities throughout the entire project cycle, from strategic definition and application preparation to support during management processes, with an integrated vision that connects funding, planning, execution and justification.
The approach
The programme is articulated from a strategic local development logic, in which European funds are understood as a tool to drive structural transformations rather than isolated actions. Initiatives are aligned with a more sustainable and resilient city model, integrating social, environmental and urban criteria into public decision-making and prioritising projects with high return for citizens.
Early results and impact
As a result of the joint work, La Laguna City Council has already obtained the largest FEDER grant awarded in the Canary Islands, with an allocation of €12.14 million for an Integrated Action Plan that includes eight sustainable urban development projects, mainly in areas such as Taco and La Cuesta. This is complemented by municipal co-funding, raising the total investment above €14 million, as well as additional applications exceeding €20 million for new projects linked to water management, environment, mobility and housing. These achievements consolidate La Laguna as a regional benchmark in the attraction and management of European funds.
Contributing to a better future for the Canary Islands
This programme contributes to a better future for the Canary Islands by showing that European funding can become a real tool for local transformation when there is public capacity, strategic vision and sound management. Supporting La Laguna City Council in this process means helping to build a way of working that puts resources at the service of people and the territory, with impact beyond the municipal level.
