The NEB boost for small municipalities

Municipalities either in rural settings or with a population below 20.000 inhabitants will be the target of these awards. Check if your municipality is eligible here.

The NEB boost to small municipalities seeks to honour the vital contributions of smaller players in the New European Bauhaus, recognizing that their involvement is key to making the movement more inclusive and accessible. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on actions at the street and neighbourhood level, as even the smallest efforts can create meaningful change. The initiative highlights that countless small initiatives already exist, merely waiting to be amplified and supported for greater impact. 

The proposals should be aligned with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) values (sustainable, inclusive, beautiful) and working principles (participatory process, multi-level engagement, transdisciplinary approach).  

They must focus on the built environment - such as the construction, renovation, and adaptation of buildings and public spaces - through the lenses of circularity, carbon neutrality, cultural heritage preservation, affordable housing solutions, and regeneration of rural or urban spaces.   

Eligible projects should have achieved a sufficient level of maturity and demonstrate an emerging participatory approach. Applicants should emphasize the steps already undertaken to implement the project, securing political support, actively involve citizens, end-users and key stakeholders, but the project cannot yet be finalised at the time of submission of the application. Check the elegibility criteria here.

If the project is already completed, applicants are encouraged to apply under Strand A of the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2025 competition.