Phase 1: Application


In accordance with Rule 34 of the Olympic Charter, any city wishing to stage the Games of the Olympiad or the Olympic Winter Games must be proposed to the IOC by its National Olympic Committee (NOC), with a letter from the city concerned.


During this first phase, which lasts around 10 months, all cities are considered as "Applicant Cities".


Applicant Cities are required to answer a questionnaire contained in the IOC’s "Candidature Acceptance Procedure" which provides the IOC with an overview of each city's project to host the Olympic Games. Applications are then assessed by a working group which determines the cities' potential to organise successful Olympic Games in the year in question. This technical assessment includes a number of criteria such as government support, public opinion, general infrastructure, security, venues, accommodation and transport.


In concluding this first phase, the IOC Executive Board determines which cities are to be accepted as "Candidate Cities".

Phase 2: Candidature


Those cities accepted as "Candidate Cities" by the IOC Executive Board go through to a second phase, in which they are required to submit a candidature file to the IOC contained in the IOC’s Candidature Procedure and Questionnaire.


The candidature files are analysed by an Evaluation Commission, which also makes inspections of the Candidate Cities, before issuing its report. The IOC Executive Board then draws up the final list of Candidate Cities to be submitted for a vote by the IOC Session to elect the Host City.


The Evaluation Commission members include IOC members, representatives of the International Federations (IFs), the NOCs, the IOC Athletes' Commission and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), as well as other experts.


All IOC bid documents, including reports by the IOC Working Group and the IOC Evaluation Commission are made public and can be found on the IOC’s website.