The project takes the form of cooperation between Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Engagement Global / Service Agency Communities in One World, and the German Association of Cities (Deutscher Städtetag). The proposed implementing partners include selected regional and national associations of cities in Africa, Asia, America and Europe and their member cities.

The first phase during which the cities platform will be financed by a BMZ commission, the range of services and the entire organisational setting of the cities platform as well as its business model will be established. This will include investigating options for possible supplementary funding by interested institutions. In the medium term the goal is to make the cities platform self-sustaining. In this way the project will take account of the sustainability aspect right from the outset.