Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purposeof thisreport isto provideMembers withan updateon theprogress ofthe Horizon EuropeCities@Heart projectwhich successfully secured funding through the Horizon Europe ‘Innovation Health Initiative’ programme.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee are asked to note the contents of this report including the intention to enter into a MOU with Belfast Healthy Cities in relation to their role in supporting the work required from a Belfast perspective, as set out at para 3.6 below, and the proportionate allocation of the €75,000 grant funding secured from Cities@Heart for administration.

3.0       Main report

            Background

3.1       Members will recall thatat its meeting onthe 21 November 2025, theCommittee was updated on the continued work of council officials with QUB and Belfast Healthy Cities colleagues to input to a joint funding submission to the Horizon Europe Innovative Health Initiative grant funding call. The intention was to develop and submit an overall €15million funding bid across seven cities (named Cities@Heart) to enable work to be undertaken with the WHO Healthy Cities Network and innovative technology with the aim of reducing recognised cardiovascular risk factors in order to more effectively manage risk and prevent future cardiovascular events.

3.2       The Cities@Heart proposal focuses on obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes as keydrivers ofcardiovascular diseaseand poorhealth. It seeks to improve awareness, prevention, detection and management of cardiovascular disease. Theintention isto identifyeffective public health activities which offer potential to scale-up. The project will also seek to develop and deploy strategies to leverage engagement and citizen empowerment, raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, effective prevention, early detection and optimal management to improve outcomes.

3.3       The bid involves a range of representatives including public sector, academia and industry expertsfrom acrossseven municipalitiesincluding Izmir(TR), Belfast(NI), ?ód?(PL), Cork(IE), Udine (IT), Birmingham (EN) and Utrecht (NL). Each have diverse communities and a commitment to deploy multi-disciplinary health strategies and specific interventions.

3.4       Members willbe awareof the significanthealth challenges,including cardiovasculardisease, impactingon peopleacross the city and will also be aware that addressing health inequalities has been identified as a key priority set out in the Belfast Agenda. Itis intendedthat theCities@Heart projectwould buildconnections andcapacity acrossa broad array of stakeholders, including citizens, patients, municipalities, healthcare providers, policymakers and industry experts, and support the next generation of health technology to addresscritical barriersin card

            Current position

3.5       In January 2026, confirmation was given that the Cities@Heart consortium submission was successful and the €15million funding bid secured. As part of the submission the Council and Belfast Healthy Cities has secured €75,000 for 3 years to assist with the overall administration and input into the emerging programme.  It is important to highlight however, that there will be future opportunities for Belfast to develop specific funding bids into the overall €15million programme to support specific Belfast based prototyping or demonstrator projects. Any such bids will be developed in liaison with the other city partners involved (e.g. Healthy Cities, QUB, BHSCT, Public Health Authority and importantly community stakeholders). Any proposed bids would be brought into SP&R Committee for consideration and input in advance of submission.

3.6       As previously highlighted to Members, the Council is working closely with Belfast Healthy Cities (BHC) in relation to their role in supporting the work required from a Belfast perspective including, but not limited to, ensuring all relevant city partners are engaged in the developmental work required, capturing and disseminating key information and data, ensuring effective communication and dissemination of key information (e.g. progress updates, key milestones, funding opportunities available to Belfast etc), as well as assisting with the administration, coordination and programme management of Belfast’s participation in the overall programme.  As Members will be aware the Council shall enter into a MOU with Belfast Healthy Cities to set out how both parties will work

            together on the project and how the initial €75,000 administration will be allocated.

            Financial & Resource Implications

3.7       €75,000 grant funding has been secured as part of the overall bid to support the administration of Belfast involvement in the project.  Future funding opportunities may become available as part of the implementation of the Cities@Heart programme and any associated Belfast focused bids which may be considered would remain subject to future Committee consideration in advance of submission.  

            Equality or Good Relations Implications / Rural Needs Assessment

3.8       There are no equality/ good relations or rural needs implications arising directly from this report.”

            The Committee noted the contents of the report including the intention to enter into a MOU with Belfast Healthy Cities in relation to its role in supporting the work required from a Belfast perspective, as set out at para 3.6 of the report, and the proportionate allocation of the €75,000 grant funding, over three years, secured from Cities@Heart for administration.