This case study examines Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second-largest city and home to Europe’s largest seaport. Despite its economic importance, Rotterdam faces socio-economic disparities, particularly in the southern districts, with higher unemployment, lower education levels, and poor housing.

Rotterdam is unique in EU Cohesion Policy as Managing Authority of the West Netherlands ERDF programme and Intermediate Body for the Just Transition Fund. These roles give the city direct influence over programme design and implementation, supporting targeted interventions in neighbourhoods like Rotterdam South.

The city combines EU funding with long-term municipal strategies such as the Environmental Vision and the National Programme Rotterdam South. Innovations include community-led development through CLLD and the Social Impact Fund Rotterdam, supporting social entrepreneurship and neighbourhood empowerment.

Challenges remain, including fragmented EU programmes, administrative complexity, and limited local visibility of EU contributions within national recovery plans. Rotterdam demonstrates that strong institutional capacity, strategic alignment, and local innovation enable cities to effectively integrate EU funds into urban development, promoting inclusion, sustainability, and long-term transformation.