The transformative potential of co-governance in the green transition of neighbourhoods

Scope: Public participation in the governance of the green transition of neighbourhoods presents an opportunity to improving inhabitant’s quality of life while addressing climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges. For instance, co-governance may contribute to enhancin g representation, legitimacy, transparency and accountability, but also to balancing interests, flattening knowledge hierarchies, fostering inclusion and equity, and building a more balanced human-nature relationship. However, despite robust evidence, the connection between culture and democracy remains underused in co-governance approaches. As platforms for civic participation, cultural institutions and actors can have a key role in fostering engagement and cohesion among diverse participants and communities [1] . Digital tools (such as AI-supported participatory platforms, open data environments, and interactive modelling systems) can facilitate co-governance by enabling real-time feedback, broader engagement, and evidence-based decision making. This topic will investigate how co-governance can support a fair green transition in neighbourhoods while also provoking positive changes in society, culture, the arts, the natural environment as well as the public perception and reputation of those neighbourhoods. Proposals are expected to address all of the following: Refine and demonstrate co-governance approaches in at least ten neighbourhoods. The selected neighbourhoods are expected to be located in at least three different Member States and/or Associated Countries, as well as comprise a variety of contexts (i.e. urban, peri-urban and rural areas) and experiences (i.e. neighbourhoods with and without experience in public participation in governance of transition processes). Ensure that the co-governance approaches facilitate the inclusive, cultural, environmental and sustainable [1] development of neighbourhoods by: Giving nature a voice, using more-than-human approaches, and addressing climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges. Balancing interests, power and knowledge asymmetries among the different neighbourhood actors (e.g. inhabitants, real estate developers, cultural institutions, social economy actors, businesses, etc.). Empowering inhabitants (especially groups in a vulnerable situation and/or marginalised) to actively participate, in the green transition in their neighbourhood. Making use of digital technologies (such as civic tech, open data platforms, other participatory digital tools) for all neighbourhood actors to make participatory processes more inclusive, transparent, accessible and efficient. Engaging cultural actors and making use of informal and local [3] forms of knowledge systems (such as those embedded in cultural heritage, communities, etc.). Evaluate and compare the extent to which the demonstrated co-governance approaches effectively and measurably deliver on the aspects listed under the previous point. Based on the evidence collected, produce guidance and recommendations for policy makers and neighbourhood actors on co-governance (including on best practices; the benefits of co-governance for the green transition of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation and climate resilience, as well as for other levels of governance; administrative, legislative and regulatory changes to facilitate co-governance) To achieve this, project consortia may provide financial support to public administrations, SMEs, education or research institutions, and other relevant actors (such as not-for profit entities) in the form of Financial Support to Third Parties. Given the type of action and its level of ambition, the amount to be granted to each third party may be a maximum of EUR 150 000 to allow for the demonstration of the co-governance approaches in neighbourhoods. Proposals are expected to follow a participatory [1] and transdisciplinary [1] approach through the integration of different actors and disciplines. This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) [1] disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities. Proposals are expected to allocate at least 0.8% of their budget for engaging with the Horizon Europe-funded 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' to share their intermediate and final results, findings and learning, as well as to contribute to impact assessment. [1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [2] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [5] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [6] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [7] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [8] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [9] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [10] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [11] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

Eligibility and submission conditions

"> General conditions 1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide . 3. Other Eligible Conditions described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual . 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 150 000 to allow for the experimental work on public participation in governance of transition processes. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme] Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)   Guidance HE Programme Guide   Model Grant Agreements (MGA) HE MGA   Call-specific instructions   Information on financial support to third parties (HE)   Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB) HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Programme Guide HE Framework Programme 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual   Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions   Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Programme context

This Destination addresses three of the Commission political guidelines 2024-2029 [1] , namely: Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model, Protecting our democracy, upholding our values, and A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness At a moment where less than half of Europeans believe that society is fair and equal [2] , this Destination focusses on inhabitants, social inclusion and local democracy as key pillars. It seeks to reduce inequalities and strengthen social cohesion, in line with the Strategies for a Union of equality and the European Pillar of Social Rights. It also aims to contribute to local democracy and sense of belonging in communities [3] as well as the overall increase in their quality of life, and support both a competitive economy as well as an inclusive [3] , fair, climate-neutral and circular [3] society supporting peaceful coexistence. This Destination looks into innovative participatory [3] , co-governance [3] and co-creative approaches to actively engage inhabitants in decision-making processes for the revitalisation of their neighbourhoods [3] . It also explores how to increase the sense of belonging and engagement between people with different age, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, and physical and psychological functional variations to reunite society, increase ownership of the green transition [3] on the ground, and ensure more inclusive neighbourhoods. Moreover, this Destination also fosters a better understanding of how inhabitants experience their neighbourhoods as well as further investigates the role that arts, culture, the cultural and creative sector, cultural heritage, cultural and linguistic diversity, informal and local [10] forms of knowledge systems and different types of research can play in placemaking and enhancing neighbourhood transformation processes. As the green transition is at the heart of the NEB Facility, this Destination contributes to the Clean Industrial Deal [11] , the European Green Deal [12] and the European Climate Pact [13] as well as to the key policy spending target of Horizon Europe for climate and biodiversity action. This Destination also contributes to the delivery of the New European Agenda for Culture [14] , Davos Declaration 2018 [15] , the New Leipzig Charter [16] , the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage [17] , and the EU Intergenerational Fairness strategy [18] . Finally, by exploring how digital technologies can play a role in transforming neighbourhoods into beautiful [3] , inclusive and sustainable [3] places, this Destination contributes to the key policy spending target of Horizon Europe for digital. In Work Programme 2026-2027, this Destination aims to: Better understand the impacts of neighbourhoods on inhabitants’ experiences, health and well-being, to inform the development of more beautiful, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods. Develop innovative design, planning, and management strategies for neighbourhoods to prioritise adaptability, quality of experience, accessibility and inclusion – especially of groups in a vulnerable situation – while enhancing health, well-being and community cohesion. Enhance the green transition, including renewable energy supply and efficiency aspects, through inclusive and transdisciplinary [3] approaches to innovation that leverage arts, culture, cultural heritage, history, design, architecture, digital technologies, social innovation, (citizen-)science, and informal and local forms of knowledge systems. Encourage co-governance approaches to enhance transparency, multi-level engagement [3] , and community resilience, to give nature a voice, and to support adaptive and inclusive decision-making for the long-term social, environmental, cultural and economic sustainability of neighbourhoods. Explore evidence-based mechanisms to foster ownership, balance public and private interest, and enhance acceptability and democratic participation by neighbourhood actors towards a fair green transition at the neighbourhood level as well as to tailor policy-making and public service design for neighbourhoods. Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to connecting the green transformation, social inclusion and local democracy, and more specifically to one or several of the following impacts: Stakeholders involved in the green transition in neighbourhoods adopt a holistic approach which takes into consideration the complex interplay between local and cultural specificities; the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of neighbourhoods; climate; inhabitant’s experiences; health and well-being; inequalities; and democratic, participatory and deliberative practices and governance approaches in neighbourhoods. Inclusive, healthy, and active communities with sustainable ways of living and consumption develop a sense of belonging and ownership of change that supports a fair green transition in neighbourhoods. Better embedding history, arts, culture, cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries, cultural and linguistic diversity, cultural participation, placemaking and digital technologies in innovation, transformation, social inclusion and civic engagement processes for a fair green transition in neighbourhoods. When possible and relevant, actions are strongly recommended to collaborate with and build on the results of past and ongoing relevant research projects, including regional, national or European funded projects and/or European partnerships, to ensure consistency and continuity in research, as well as to integrate expertise from the relevant actors from the construction ecosystem [23] (such as architects, urban planners, landscape designers). [1] European Commission, ’Von der Leyen Commission 2024-2029', accessed 5 August 2025, https://commission.europa.eu/about/commission-2024-2029_en [2] European Commission, ’Fairness, Inequality and Inter-Generational Mobility’, accessed 5 August 2025, https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2652 [3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [5] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [6] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [7] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [8] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [9] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [10] See definition of 'Local knowledge’ in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [11] European Commission, ’Clean Industrial Deal’, accessed 5 August 2025, https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en [12] European Commission, ’The European Green Deal’, accessed 5 August 2025, https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en [13] European Commission, ’European Climate Pact’, accessed 5 August 2025, https://climate-pact.europa.eu/index_en [14] European Commission, ’ A New European Agenda for Culture - SWD(2018) 267 final’, 2020, https://culture.ec.europa.eu/document/a-new-european-agenda-for-culture-swd2018-267-final [15] Davos Declaration, ’Davos Declaration 2018’, 2018, https://davosdeclaration2018.ch/en/ [16] European Commission, ’The New Leipzig Charter. The transformative power of cities for the common good’, 2020, https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/information/publications/brochures/2020/new-leipzig-charter-the-transformative-power-of-cities-for-the-common-good [17] European Commission, ’European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage’, Publications Office of the European Union, 2019, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5a9c3144-80f1-11e9-9f05-01aa75ed71a1 [18] European Commission, ’Paving the way for an EU Intergenerational Fairness Strategy’, EU Policy Lab, 2025, accessed 5 August 2025, https://policy-lab.ec.europa.eu/news/paving-way-eu-intergenerational-fairness-strategy-2025-02-25_en [19] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [20] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [21] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [22] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27. [23] See definition of “construction ecosystem“ in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

Hivatkozott dokumentumok

Annex A Horizon Europe Programme Guide Online Manual Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) HE MGA Information on financial support to third parties (HE) HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB) Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions