Bloomberg Philanthropies Names 50 Global Finalists in 2025 Mayors Challenge
Bloomberg Philanthropies has named eight African cities among the 50 global finalists in the 2025 Mayors Challenge, a competition designed to spur bold innovation in local government and improve the quality of life in cities around the world.
Selected from more than 630 applications, the African finalists join peers from 33 countries from the pool, working to tackle challenges such as waste management, water supply, sanitation, youth safety, service response, and infrastructure.
Each of the 50 cities will receive $50,000 to prototype their idea and participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Ideas Camp in July, where they will refine their proposals with guidance from experts and peers.
In January 2026, 25 cities will be selected to receive $1 million each and operational assistance to fully implement their ideas.
“Local government and mayors’ offices are the beating heart of innovation and change in our urban environments. It has been an honour to join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ advisory committee for the organization’s sixth Mayors Challenge, an initiative dedicated to empowering and supporting city makers around the world,” said Professor Lesley Lokko OBE, Founder and Chair of the African Futures Institute and 2025 Mayors Challenge advisory committee member.
“I look forward to working with these 50 finalists as they advance in this extraordinary competition—strengthening their ideas which each represent the inventiveness citizens everywhere should expect from their governments—and the future of what municipal delivery has the power and potential to be.”
This sixth round of the Mayors Challenge is Bloomberg Philanthropies’ most expansive yet, with more cities selected and more funding distributed than in any previous round.
Earlier editions of the Challenge named between five and 15 winning cities.
The program is known for spotlighting cities that propose the boldest ideas to bolster essential municipal services.
“For more than a decade, Bloomberg Philanthropies has provided unprecedented support to drive local government innovation in cities across the country and around the world,” said Admiral Michael G. Mullen, President & CEO of MGM Consulting and 2025 Mayors Challenge advisory committee member.
“The organization’s sixth Mayors Challenge will invest in the future of urban delivery from the ground floor of communities. I am thrilled to join its advisory committee and work with these finalist cities on accelerating their ideas – from safeguarding water supply to carving out community spaces to integrating AI to improve student routes, and more.”
Across all applications, key regional trends emerged.
Bloomberg Philanthropies notes that nearly half of the applicants from Africa proposed upgrades to waste collection and management, underlining one of the continent’s most urgent and shared urban challenges.
Globally, a third of U.S. and Canadian applicants focused on housing and shelter, while one out of five ideas from the Asia-Pacific region addressed cleaner water, air, and infrastructure.
The 50 finalist ideas were selected based on originality, potential for impact, and credible vision for delivery.
Some proposals feature artificial intelligence, such as South Bend, Indiana’s concept for a predictive 311 system to handle non-emergency city issues.
Others are focused on low-tech, community-based approaches—for example, Yonkers, New York’s plan to launch a civic brigade to support aging residents.
“Local government is where people meet policy—and where government improves lives and builds trust. That’s why municipal innovation isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about solving hard problems under pressure, often with imperfect tools and finite resources,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“These Mayors Challenge finalists stand out because they’re not just thinking creatively—they’re designing solutions that reckon with the complexity of implementation and the urgency of their residents’ needs. Their proposals reflect a new standard for public sector achievement: ambitious, yes, but also grounded, disciplined, and ripe for real impact.”
The Mayor’s Challenge builds on more than a decade of work by Bloomberg Philanthropies to discover, support, and scale innovation in cities.
In previous rounds, 38 winning cities received funding and technical assistance.
As successful ideas have been replicated, the Challenge’s impact has extended to 337 additional cities, reaching over 100 million residents globally.
African Finalists in the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge:
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Beira, Mozambique
- Benin City, Nigeria
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Choma, Zambia
- Ndola, Zambia
- Kanifing, Gambia
- Nouakchott, Mauritania
The full list of 50 finalist cities and more information about their proposals are available at: mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org
About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people.
The organization focuses on five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health.
Bloomberg Philanthropies includes all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving—foundation, corporate, and personal—as well as Bloomberg Associates, a consultancy that provides pro bono support to cities.
