// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Edinburgh?
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, scores 83.7% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #12 of 388 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
83.7%
Rank
#12 / 388
Criteria present
66 / 86
Evidence coverage
90.7%
Edinburgh's smart city score by area
9 present · 2 partial · 0 absent · 4 not assessed
9 present · 3 partial · 0 absent
12 present · 1 partial · 0 absent
6 present · 4 partial · 1 absent
12 present · 0 partial · 1 absent
8 present · 0 partial · 0 absent
10 present · 2 partial · 1 absent · 1 not assessed
Where Edinburgh is strong
- ▸Digital Government Services
- ▸Public Transport & Real-Time Information
- ▸Air Quality & Monitoring
- ▸Climate Action & Emissions
- ▸Green Space & Biodiversity
Where the gaps are
- ▸Solid Waste & Circular Economy
- ▸Climate Adaptation & Heat
- ▸Public Safety & Emergency
Evidence highlights
Open Data & Transparency · Official open data portal
The City of Edinburgh Council maintains a GitHub repository specifically for 'Open Data for Edinburgh', which serves as a platform for publishing datasets.
https://github.com/edinburghcouncil/datasetsOpen Data & Transparency · High-value datasets published
The City of Edinburgh Council publishes budget data for download, including audited annual accounts and key facts and figures booklets. Its Open Spatial Data Portal provides access to and allows download of geospatial datasets, with key themes including tra…
https://cityofedinburghtransport.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/city-of-edinburgh-council-open-spatial-data-portal-search-api/aboutDigital Government Services · Unified online services portal
The City of Edinburgh Council website provides a central hub with links to 'All online services', including options to 'Click to pay', 'Click to report', and 'Click to request'. A 'New Council App' is also available for easy access to digital services.
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/Digital Government Services · Digital identity / single sign-on
Residents can use 'myaccount', a single username and password system run by the Improvement Service for local councils in Scotland, to sign in to multiple online public services, including those in Edinburgh.
https://www.mygov.scot/myaccountFunding Edinburgh can bid for
120 open calls — grants, tenders and innovation competitions Edinburgh 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 120 — see them all in the explorer.
About this assessment
Edinburgh 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.