What has Bradford got that Liverpool, Canterbury or Bristol hasn't? Why should we be chosen above Norwich, Cardiff or Birmingham to represent Britain as a culture capital?

These are questions the Government will ask when it decides which British city will become European Capital of Culture 2008.

Bradford is competing against 13 other cities for the title - and there is some tough competition.

All bids must be submitted to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by March 31. A shortlist of between three and six cities will be drawn up in September 2002 and an outright winner will be chosen by the Government in March 2003. The designation European Capital of Culture 2008 will be formally approved by the European Council of Ministers later in 2003.

In 1999 the City of Culture was re-named Capital of Culture and is now funded through the EU Culture 2000 Programme. The new structure hailed a new selection procedure, which meant the country hosting the scheme is chosen ahead of each year, and cities from that country bid to their governments. A British city will hold the title in 2008.

The bidders have been asked to reply to the following questions:

What is your concept of "culture" for your city?

How does this fit within a European context?

What are your themes and objectives?

What organisation will be involved?

How will you ensure local commitment and participation, particularly among traditionally under-represented groups?

How will you involve people from other parts of the UK, Europe and the wider world?

What is the scale of your budget and how will resources be provided?

What is the nature of the city's cultural, transport and tourist infrastructure and how would these be utilised or developed in the delivery of the programme?

How will the event utilise the potential of the historic heritage, urban architecture and quality of life in the city?

What innovative/imaginative means would you employ to increase dissemination of various events?

What do you envisage as the long-term outcome of the event?

Bradford, along with Liverpool, Birmingham, Belfast and Newcastle, is seen as a front-runner.

Each of the bidding cities hopes to repeat the success of Glasgow, which was European City of Culture 2008. Like Glasgow, Bradford is not an obvious choice - but it's underdog image could be to its advantage.

Director of Bradford's Capital of Culture Partnership Board, Paul Brookes, said: "There are far more cities bidding than ever before and the competition is tough.

"But Bradford has a quality bid. It can travel a distance, which is to its advantage. Some cities don't need the same level of investment.

"Everyone thought Glasgow was a dump and when it became City of Culture it turned those perceptions around. Bradford can do that."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "Culture year marked a major step in the city renewing itself. It helped transform Glasgow from a declining manufacturing city to a centre for tourism and conferences.

"Glasgow is now the third most visited city in Britain behind London and Edinburgh."

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell said: "To be European Capital of Culture is an outstanding honour. As a showcase for the cultural wealth of a city and a representative of the nation as a whole, it is second to none."

We take a look at the cities competing for the coveted title.

Bristol

Home to historic architecture and engineering designs. Thriving arts scene, including International Balloon Festival, and produces critically acclaimed modern music - including Massive Attack and Portishead. Home to Nick Park's Aardman Animations, responsible for Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films.

Our definition of culture is all embracing, including urban design, the arts, sports, green space, and cuisine - Bristol 2008 director Andrew Kelly

Birmingham

Thriving multi-cultural city, popular for the balti and innovative Asian music scene. Home to Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham NEC.

Bid centred around developing framework of ideas that everyone can be involved in. Bid document describes it as having world-leading cultural scene and well-established European connections.

We are not planning a year-long arts festival. Our bid is about the real lives of people and how they are affected by their environment, work and education - project director Stephen Hetherington

Belfast

Vibrant, lively city with range of historic buildings and cultural attractions. Home to Ulster Museum, which incorporates Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Grand Opera House and famous Lyric Theatre. The Odyssey is Ireland's largest visitor attraction.

The history of the city is all about its cultural diversity, but that has never been packaged positively. The turbulent history has resulted in creative tensions. Some of the other cities have had to manufacture cultures, ours is there already - Shirley McCay, company secretary of Imagining Belfast 2008

Brighton and Hove

One of the "millennium cities" granted city status in 2000, its Where Else campaign is a year-long celebration of the area's arts, culture and creative industries. Series of high profile events planned for 2002, starting with opening of Brighton Dome, following a £30m facelift, in spring.

We have a tremendous track record of staging major cultural events. There's no question we have the talent and by 2008 we'll have some outstanding new facilities - bidding group chairman Jackie Lythell

Canterbury

Medieval city dominated by famous cathedral. Attractions include heritage museums, including Canterbury Tales Experience, based on Chaucer's tales, Marlowe Theatre, and Theatre in Park festival. Bid is based around helping to create an aspirational, successful and strong east Kent, celebrating the richness of Canterbury's past.

Canterbury is uniquely placed as the first European city in the UK. We can offer a combination of heritage, historical connections and cultural links with the rest of Europe which none of the other cities in the race can compete with. - Colin Carmichael, chief executive of Canterbury City Council

Cardiff

Historic city, with track record of hosting international events. Attractions include Cardiff Castle and established sport events, including Rugby World Cup. Cardiff's bid aims to show that Cardiff reflects cultural ambitions and activity of Wales as a whole.

Cardiff has two great advantages over its competitors. It is a capital city that has grown enormously in status and presence in the last ten years, and is a capital city of a bilingual nation - Lord Mayor Russell Goodway

Liverpool

World famous for music scene, from Merseybeat sound of the 60s to Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Has the highest collection of national museums and galleries outside London.

Liverpool's bid, led by Liverpool Capital of Culture Company, is billed as a "unique blend of Liverpool's history, current projects and plans for the future."

Hundreds of millions of pounds are being invested in cultural projects. Liverpool's heritage and cultural wealth is already world famous - chief executive Sir Bob Scott

Newcastle and Gateshead

Bid promotes the powerful partnership between Newcastle and Gateshead as a combined European cultural capital of sport, music, film and architecture.

Attractions include the Angel of the North and Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Next to emerge will be the £46m Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the £62m Music Centre Gateshead.

The world's biggest half marathon, the live broadcast of Proms in the Park, a new elite athletes' race, the premiere of a unique music commission, a community festival and the opening of Gateshead's Millennium Bridge - that was just a glimpse of what Newcastle Gateshead will deliver as Britain's chosen city in 2008 - Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, chairman of Newcastle Gateshead Initiative

Norwich

Ancient city steeped in history. Dominated by the cathedral and castle, it has more medieval churches than any other city in western Europe and is said to have a church for every week and a pub for every day of the year!

Cultural events include Theatre in the Parks Festival, Festival of Norfolk Visual Arts, and Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

The bid would bring people together around a shared vision for the city, attract more visitors, and encourage young people to come to live and work in Norwich - spokesman Andy Newman

Oxford

Oxford's famous Dreaming Spires and riverside setting, and its tradition as a seat of learning for over 800 years, have made it world famous. Apart from its historic architecture, attractions include a covered market, traditional pubs once frequented by the likes of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, and some of the world's finest bookshops. Drama, dance, ballet, opera and music is performed by leading national and international companies.

Oxford is a centre of innovation and discovery. The bid will also reveal the ethnic and cultural diversity of Oxford's east side - bid co-ordinator Joe Simpson

Inverness and the Highlands

The Highlands of Scotland is the most rural area of mainland Scotland, with the highest mountains and deepest and longest inland waters in Britain. Inverness is the regional capital and one of the fastest growing communities in the UK. Tourism is the main employer.

What we have in the Highlands is Scotland's best kept secret, in terms of the quality of the natural environment but also the cultural product. It is something that doesn't exist anywhere else - a mix between indigenous Gaelic, Scots and incoming cultures. Our bid covers an area half the size of Belgium - Alan Jones, director of cultural and leisure services at Highland Council

Southampton

Modern commercial waterfront city, regional centre for the South coast. Attractions include the Mayflower theatre, maritime events, and a national diving centre at the Quays Centre. The largest urban area south of London, the city has been at the cutting edge in creating cultural community programmes - from oral history projects to helping mothers in tower blocks create inventive playrooms for toddlers.

The city is aiming for key results by 2003, 2008 and 2020. These include recognising it as a major player in influencing national and regional policy for arts, heritage and sports - City Council spokesman Craig Kendall

Milton Keynes

Created in the 1960s from a visionary urban blueprint, Milton Keynes is probably best known for its concrete cows. It is a thriving base for a range of arts and sports projects, with a major rock stadium, prize-winning Milton Keynes Theatre and Gallery, and Europe's largest indoor ski slope, Xscape.

Our distinctive and innovative approach provides a rich platform for cultural life in the city - a future European "cultural portal" for innovation - Arts and Museums manager Pauline Scott-Garrett