European Coalition of Cities against Racism - ECCAR

What European Coalition of Cities against Racism - ECCAR does

The European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR) is a German-registered non-profit association (e.V., registered at Mannheim Local Court, VR 703050) founded on December 10, 2004 and headquartered at the City of Heidelberg's Office for Equal Opportunities. ECCAR is a membership coalition of over 150 European municipalities united around a shared methodology for combating racism at the local level, operating under a peer-to-peer and event-driven go-to-market model. Cities join voluntarily, participate in Working Groups and Steering Committee meetings, and align their local anti-racism plans with ECCAR's 10-Point Plan of Action.

ECCAR's core product surface is a portfolio of interconnected programs and resources rather than a unified software product. The Online City Reporting Tool is a web-based platform where member cities submit structured data on local anti-racism initiatives (36 cities reported in 2025), feeding the annual Global Report. The Toolkit for Equality, updated in 2023 and translated into five languages in 2024, codifies the 10-Point Plan of Action as practical implementation guidance. Thematic Working Groups cover Anti-Muslim Racism, Anti-Black Racism, Antisemitism, Equality Data, Small Cities & Rural Areas, Roma Equality, and Artificial Intelligence. The Peer-to-Peer Consultations (launched 2026), the annual ECCAR Award (running since at least 2020), and the Environmental Justice City Lab (2026, with the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance) extend the offering. Technology stack is intentionally lightweight — Matomo for web analytics, a custom Drupal-based website, and the Online City Reporting Tool — with no disclosed AI/ML components.

ECCAR's revenue model is project-based grant funding rather than commercial pricing. Primary streams are European Union co-funding (e.g., the concluded ACTION project) and national government grants (German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth via the 'Demokratie Leben!' programme for 'Kommunen für alle?'). Membership fees are not publicly disclosed and do not appear material. The organization operates as a community of municipal governments with commercial operations limited to training and process support to municipalities as referenced in its legal notice. Leadership comprises President Benedetto Zacchiroli (Bologna), five Vice-Presidents representing member cities, Managing Director Evein Obulor, and a small permanent staff of approximately 6 employees.

Name

European Coalition of Cities against Racism - ECCAR

Legal name

European Coalition of Cities against Racism e.V.

Website

https://eccar.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ECCAR is a German-registered non-profit coalition of 150+ European municipalities, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Heidelberg, providing a 10-Point Plan of Action methodology, reporting tool, working groups, and capacity building to support local anti-racism work, funded by EU and German federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Anti-Racism Policy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Municipal anti-racism programs
• City equality networks
• Human rights cities
• Local racial justice policy
• Coalition of municipalities

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Project Funding: ECCAR receives co-funding from the European Union for specific projects such as ACTION (local action plans against racism), Kommunen für alle (racism-critical administrative practice in Germany), and other initiatives.
2. Membership Organization Operations: ECCAR e.V. operates as a registered association (c/o Amt für Chancengleichheit, Stadt Heidelberg) providing training and process support to municipalities as part of its commercial operations alongside member services.
3. National Government Grants: Projects like 'Kommunen für alle?' are funded by the German Federal Programme 'Demokratie Leben!' through the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ECCAR is a coalition of more than 150 European municipalities united to combat racism at the local level. It provides member cities with a 10-Point Plan of Action methodology, a Toolkit for Equality, thematic Working Groups, an Online City Reporting Tool, peer-to-peer consultations, capacity building and consulting through EU-funded projects such as ACTION, and an annual ECCAR Award recognizing outstanding municipal anti-racism initiatives.

Product overview

The European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR) is a network of over 150 municipalities across Europe dedicated to combating racism at the local level. ECCAR does not offer a unified software product but rather a portfolio of interconnected programs and resources: the Online City Reporting Tool enables member cities to report and track anti-racism initiatives; the Toolkit for Equality provides practical guidance for implementing the 10-Point Plan of Action; Working Groups facilitate peer exchange on specific themes (Anti-Muslim Racism, Anti-Black Racism, Antisemitism, Equality Data, Roma Equality, Small Cities, AI); the Peer-to-Peer Consultations platform enables confidential knowledge sharing among municipal staff; the ECCAR Award recognizes outstanding city initiatives; and the Environmental Justice City Lab addresses intersectional environmental and anti-racism policy. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive support ecosystem for municipal anti-racism work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online City Reporting Tool Web-based reporting platform enabling ECCAR member cities to submit data on their local anti-racism activities, used to compile annual Global Reports.
• Toolkit for Equality (TKE) Practical guidance document with detailed implementation guidance on establishing a 10-Point Plan of Action for counteracting racism at the local level using a human rights-based approach.
• ECCAR Award Annual award program recognizing ECCAR member cities for outstanding commitment to combating racism and strengthening inclusive local communities.
• Working Groups Thematic working groups on Anti-Muslim Racism, Anti-Black Racism, Antisemitism, Equality Data, Small Cities & Rural Areas, Roma Equality, and Artificial Intelligence enabling peer exchange and policy development.
• Peer-to-Peer Consultations Exchange platform for representatives of ECCAR member cities providing a safe space for administrative staff to discuss concrete cases and challenging situations related to anti-racism work.
• 10-Point Plan of Action (10-PPA) Foundational framework guiding member cities in developing comprehensive local action plans against racism, covering areas from vigilance to hate crimes management.
• Environmental Justice City Lab Collaborative project with Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance exploring connections between anti-racism, social inclusion, and environmental/climate policy at the local level.
• ACTION Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 member cities reported through the Online City Reporting Tool in 2025, expanding data on local anti-racism work
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNESCO / ICCAR (International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECCAR is part of the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR) coordinated by UNESCO. The partnership enables global knowledge exchange on municipal anti-racism work and alignment with international human rights frameworks.
• Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECCAR and CNCA jointly launched the Environmental Justice City Lab, a project exploring how cities can better connect anti-racism, social inclusion, and environmental/climate policy at the local level.
• Facing Facts (CEJI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerECCAR co-organized capacity building workshops with Facing Facts (a CEJI project) on hate speech, anti-Muslim racism, and antisemitism. The partnership provides training programs for municipal employees on identifying and addressing hate speech.
• ETC Graz (European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerETC Graz serves as a key implementation partner, coordinating the Toolkit for Equality translations, capacity building, and direct consulting for the ACTION project.
• CEJI - A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECCAR collaborates with CEJI on combating antisemitism, including participation in the European Days of Jewish Culture 2025 and civil society forums.
• AEPJ (European Association for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECCAR works with AEPJ on the European Days of Jewish Culture initiative, inviting member cities to participate in cultural events celebrating Jewish heritage.
• German Federal Anti-Discrimination AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe agency funds and supports capacity building programs for municipal anti-discrimination offices in Germany, in which ECCAR participates as a key facilitator.
• German Federal Commissioner for Anti-RacismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECCAR Managing Director Evein Obulor participated in the panel discussion for the publication of the Working Definition of Racism, emphasizing the role of cities in combating institutional racism.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CEJI - A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe: Brussels-based NGO that delivers anti-discrimination training, the Facing Facts programme on hate speech, and Jewish heritage advocacy in Europe. Directly comparable as a partner that co-organizes ECCAR's capacity-building workshops and operates overlapping programmes on antisemitism and hate-speech monitoring.
• Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA): Global network of cities advancing climate action; co-launched ECCAR's Environmental Justice City Lab in 2026. Directly comparable as a city-network peer and a partner in the emerging intersection of climate and equity policy.
• Facing Facts (CEJI project): CEJI-led initiative providing training and tools on hate speech and hate crime data collection for municipalities and civil society. A close operational peer to ECCAR's Working Groups on Antisemitism, Anti-Muslim Racism, and Equality Data, with overlapping methodology and shared training delivery.
• European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC Graz): University of Graz-affiliated centre that coordinates ECCAR's Toolkit for Equality translations, capacity building and ACTION consulting. Functions as a direct delivery peer for ECCAR's methodology work and human rights training in European municipalities.

Broad incumbents

• Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR): Europe-wide association of national local-government associations covering more than 100,000 municipalities. Comparable as a high-level European municipal advocacy and capacity-building body; operates broader governance mandates but engages on inclusion and human rights at the municipal level.
• EUROCITIES: Large Brussels-based network of 200+ major European cities working on a wide range of urban policy themes including inclusion, migration and integration. Directly comparable as a pan-European city membership network, though EUROCITIES operates a broader policy portfolio rather than specializing in anti-racism.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of 2,500+ local and regional governments committed to sustainability. Comparable as a long-established city-network peer that also convenes municipalities on thematic programmes and could partner or compete with ECCAR's Environmental Justice City Lab.
• UNESCO International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR): Global UN-led coalition of cities against discrimination, of which ECCAR is itself the European chapter. ICCAR is a direct strategic peer: it sets the same anti-racism/anti-discrimination standards, convenes city governments, and houses the same 10-Point Plan methodology at a global scale.

Emerging players

• Equinet - European Network of Equality Bodies: Brussels-based membership network of national equality bodies working on discrimination, including race and ethnic origin. A peer operating at the national equality body level (vs. ECCAR's municipal focus) but addressing overlapping anti-discrimination mandates with shared methodology on equality data and policy.
• European Association for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage (AEPJ): European network promoting Jewish heritage through cultural programming and the European Days of Jewish Culture. A partnership peer of ECCAR that overlaps on the Antisemitism Working Group and engages the same municipal membership base on cultural-inclusion programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECCAR_Network
• Facebookfacebook.com/131009977030195
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-coalition-of-cities-against-racism-eccar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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