// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Cambridge?
Cambridge, United Kingdom, scores 81.3% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #20 of 388 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
81.3%
Rank
#20 / 388
Criteria present
63 / 86
Evidence coverage
89.5%
Cambridge's smart city score by area
11 present · 0 partial · 4 absent
9 present · 2 partial · 0 absent · 1 not assessed
9 present · 4 partial · 0 absent
7 present · 3 partial · 1 absent
10 present · 2 partial · 1 absent
8 present · 0 partial · 0 absent
9 present · 3 partial · 1 absent · 1 not assessed
Where Cambridge is strong
- ▸Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin
- ▸Smart Traffic & Electric Vehicles
- ▸Green Space & Biodiversity
- ▸Housing & Urban Planning
- ▸Health & Digital Health
Where the gaps are
- ▸Critical Infrastructure Resilience
- ▸Digital Government Services
- ▸Solid Waste & Circular Economy
- ▸Inclusion & Civic Participation
- ▸Open Data & Transparency
Evidence highlights
Open Data & Transparency · Official open data portal
Cambridge City Council publishes datasets on its website, and there is an explicit 'Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Insight Open Data Portal' available.
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/open-data-transparency-in-local-governmentOpen Data & Transparency · Clear open licensing
Datasets published by Cambridge City Council are explicitly stated to be under the Open Government Licence.
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/open-data-transparency-in-local-governmentOpen Data & Transparency · High-value datasets published
Road traffic data, including counts of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, is published by Cambridgeshire County Council, and Cambridge City Council publishes employee and council structure data.
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/open-data-transparency-in-local-governmentDigital Government Services · Online payments for taxes & fees
Residents can manage and make secure payments for Council Tax and business rates online through the Cambridge City Council website, and pay water utility bills via the Cambridge Water website.
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/online-accountsFunding Cambridge can bid for
119 open calls — grants, tenders and innovation competitions Cambridge is eligible for, including UK-wide schemes any place can apply to. Every entry links to its source.
- NationalgrantCloses 15 Sept 2026Help The Homeless Grant Scheme
Help the Homeless
up to £5kApply → - NationalcompetitionCloses 16 Sept 2026Accelerating adoption of quantum enabled sensing and PNT
Innovate UK
up to £14.3m24 month projectEnds 30 Nov 2028 - NationalgrantCloses 16 Sept 2026Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure 2: Energy Efficiency
Innovate UK, Department for Transport (DfT)
- NationalgrantCloses 16 Sept 2026Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure 2: Electric Power
Innovate UK, Department for Transport
- Nationalinnovation-callCloses 16 Sept 2026Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure Two (ZEVI 2): Alternative Fuels
Innovate UK, Department for Transport
- Nationalinnovation-callCloses 16 Sept 2026Quantum computing applications for large scale impact: CR&D
Innovate UK
up to £13m - NationalgrantCloses 16 Sept 2026Healthy Heart Grants 2026
Heart Research UK
- NationalgrantCloses 17 Sept 2026Researcher Challenges Grants 2026
British Council
- NationalgrantCloses 18 Sept 2026Coastal Communities Fund Grant Scheme 2026
Moray Council
£10k–£50kApply → - NationalgrantCloses 18 Sept 2026Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant
Environment Agency
- NationalgrantCloses 18 Sept 2026Second Year Of Moray Coastal Community Fund Opens For Bids
Moray Council
£10k–£50kApply → - NationalgrantCloses 18 Sept 2026Moray Council’s Coastal Community Fund
Moray Council
£10k–£50k
Showing 12 of 119 — see them all in the explorer.
About this assessment
Cambridge was assessed against the 86 criteria of the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework on 2026-09-03 by AI agents gathering evidence from official public sources. Each criterion is marked present, partial or absent, and every finding links to where it was found. Scores refresh continuously as cities publish new evidence.