Connect NEB — for citizen-generated solutions and initiatives to advance sustainability, beauty, and inclusivity

The EIT Community invites applicants to develop and submit applications aligned with the New European Bauhaus initiative (hereinafter NEB) focused on developing long-term solutions in collaboration with citizens to deliver transformation that matches the needs and demands of a wider community.

The overall purpose of this Connect NEB Call for Proposals is to activate citizen-generated solutions and initiatives to resolve challenges facing European cities, rural and peri-urban areas to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between people whilst addressing sustainability, quality of experience and inclusiveness.

Who can apply?

This a mono-beneficiary Call for Proposals open to legal entities (private or public, KIC partners or not) established in Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), and/or in Third Countries associated to Horizon Europe.  Consortia are not allowed.

Applications from RIS countries are encouraged to participate. 

For further eligibility information, please check Chapter 2.2 of the Call document.

Supported activities: The grant will award for the co-design and co-stewardship of public realm, and social activation and educational activities addressing at least one of the EIT Community NEB Challenges based on four thematic axes of the New European Bauhaus:

• Reconnecting with nature
• Regaining a sense of belonging
• Prioritising the places and people that need it the most
• The need for long-term, life-cycle thinking in the industrial ecosystem

In terms of citizen activation and engagement strategy, the projects must comply with at least one of the expected outcome targets: 

• Outcome A: Activate citizen-generated solutions and initiatives to advance sustainability, beauty and inclusivity in alignment with existing local strategies.
• Outcome B: Collect and prioritise citizens’ and end-users’ most pressing challenges and empower them to co-design well-founded solutions that match the needs of a wider community.
• Outcome C: Strengthen transdisciplinary, intergenerational and intersectoral collaboration by convening diverse stakeholder groups through citizen-engagement activities in line with NEB initiative and existing local strategies.

For further information on outputs and impacts, including examples of specific types of activities, please carefully read Section 3.4 of the Call Manual document.

EIT funding allocation: The funding rate is 80% up to €15.000 for each project, leaving the remaining 20% to be co-funded by the applicant. Overall, 8 selected projects (ideally a minimum of 1 proposal per EIT Community NEB Challenge) can be implemented in six regions/cities located in the European Union Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries from February 2024 to November 2024.