// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Ely?
Ely, United Kingdom, scores 73.8% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #49 of 388 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
73.8%
Rank
#49 / 388
Criteria present
54 / 86
Evidence coverage
82.6%
Ely's smart city score by area
12 present · 2 partial · 0 absent · 1 not assessed
8 present · 0 partial · 4 absent
8 present · 4 partial · 0 absent · 1 not assessed
6 present · 3 partial · 0 absent · 2 not assessed
9 present · 0 partial · 1 absent · 3 not assessed
4 present · 3 partial · 1 absent
7 present · 5 partial · 0 absent · 2 not assessed
Where Ely is strong
- ▸Digital Government Services
- ▸Public Transport & Real-Time Information
- ▸Air Quality & Monitoring
- ▸Housing & Urban Planning
- ▸Health & Digital Health
Where the gaps are
- ▸Active & Shared Mobility
- ▸Solid Waste & Circular Economy
- ▸Culture, Tourism & Recreation
- ▸Inclusion & Civic Participation
- ▸Smart Traffic & Electric Vehicles
Evidence highlights
Digital Government Services · Unified online services portal
The East Cambridgeshire District Council website serves as a portal for various municipal services relevant to Ely residents, including information on council tax, benefits, business rates, licensing, permits, planning applications, and reporting waste and …
https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/Digital Government Services · Digital identity / single sign-on
Residents of Ely can create a self-service account and log in to the East Cambridgeshire District Council's online portal to access services, pre-fill forms, and track requests.
https://self.eastcambs.gov.uk/Digital Government Services · Online payments for taxes & fees
The East Cambridgeshire District Council's self-service portal allows residents to make payments online for council services.
https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/Digital Government Services · Citizen reporting / 311 channel
Cambridgeshire County Council, which covers Ely, provides an online 'Report It' portal for citizens to report highway problems, pinpoint issues on a map, provide details, and check the progress or status of reported faults.
https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/Funding Ely can bid for
121 open calls — grants, tenders and innovation competitions Ely 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 121 — see them all in the explorer.
About this assessment
Ely 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.