New European Bauhaus Festival 2026: how to apply, deadlines, selection rules and what to expect

Summary

›The New European Bauhaus (NEB) Festival returns to Brussels 9-13 June 2026 with Forum, Fair, Fest and Satellite events.
›Calls are open or recently closed with differing deadlines: Satellite events by 31 December 2025, Fair and Fest calls had 15 October 2025 deadlines, and the NEB Trophy closes 31 January 2026.
›Eligibility is broad but priority goes to projects and organisations within the NEB community and to EU-funded initiatives that demonstrably align with NEB values of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion.
›Financial support is limited and targeted: no funding for Satellite events, travel covered in some cases, a flat fee of €950 for selected Fest artists, and exhibitors are responsible for most operational costs.
›Applications are assessed on content and technical/budget feasibility with explicit emphasis on communication and participatory approaches. Selection is competitive and visibility is the main non-monetary benefit.

New European Bauhaus Festival 2026: call details, deadlines and practical guidance

The European Commission will stage the third New European Bauhaus (NEB) Festival in Brussels from 9 to 13 June 2026. The event is framed around four pillars: Forum for debates, Fair as a laboratory and exhibition, Fest for cultural and artistic programming, and Satellite events that take place locally or online but run in sync with the main festival. The festival positions itself as a bridge between the ambitions of the European Green Deal and real world projects that pursue sustainable, beautiful and inclusive environments. If you lead or support a project, artistic initiative, local event or EU-funded action that claims to embody NEB values, there are several routes to take part. Read the practical rules, timelines and selection criteria below before you apply.

What the NEB Festival aims to do and why it matters

The NEB initiative was conceived as a way to translate high level climate and industrial policy into tangible, place-based projects that combine sustainability, aesthetics and social inclusion. The Festival is a biannual showcase and convening space for projects, artists, municipalities, companies and civil society actors who claim to make the built environment more liveable and climate resilient. For organisers and participants the main concrete benefits are visibility across EU institutions and stakeholders, networking opportunities, and in some cases limited travel or participation fees. The Festival is not a large grant programme. Applicants should expect exposure rather than sizeable direct financial support.

NEB core values:Sustainability in environmental terms covering climate goals, circularity, zero pollution and biodiversity improvement. Aesthetics understood as quality of experience and design beyond pure functionality. Inclusion meaning accessibility, affordability and valuing diversity.

NEB guiding principles:A multilevel approach across scales from global to local. A participatory approach involving civil society, including disadvantaged groups. A transdisciplinary approach that assembles different skills and fields to create solutions that work across sectors.

Which calls are available, who can apply and formats accepted

There are distinct calls for Satellite events, the Fair, the Fest and the NEB Trophy student competition. Eligibility is broad but not unlimited. Priority in selection is given to initiatives linked to the NEB community such as NEB Lighthouses, winners or finalists of NEB Prizes, NEB partners and projects funded under NEB-related EU calls. Public bodies, NGOs, social enterprises, for-profit companies and individuals can apply if their proposal credibly advances NEB values and themes.

Permitted formats:Physical events in Brussels, hybrid activities combining onsite and online components, or fully virtual events. Satellite events can be organised worldwide but must happen during the main Festival dates (9-13 June 2026) to be included in the festival programme.

Thematic axes the Festival expects proposals to address

Proposals must relate to at least one of the following thematic axes. These are deliberately high level. Strong applications will show concrete links to how the project affects places and people.

Thematic axis	Short description	Examples of suitable activities
Reconnecting with nature	Actions that restore biodiversity, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions	Urban greening prototypes, biodiversity-friendly public spaces, regenerative landscaping
Regaining a sense of belonging	Projects that strengthen civic ties, local identity and social cohesion	Participatory placemaking, community arts, co-designed public spaces
Prioritising the places and people that need it most	Target interventions in underserved neighbourhoods and vulnerable groups	Affordable housing pilots, accessible public spaces, inclusive urban services
Fostering long-term, life cycle and integrated thinking in industry	Approaches that embed circularity and lifecycle analysis in supply chains and products	Demonstrators for circular construction materials, product-as-service pilots

Deadlines, selection windows and contact points

Different calls use different timelines. Read the table below carefully and allow time to prepare a communication plan and budget where requested. The Commission and its implementing agencies run rolling and staged selection processes in some calls so early submission can matter for satellite events.

Call	Application deadline	Notification / results	Financial support available	Contact / submission
Satellite events	31 December 2025	Assessment on a rolling basis, applicants notified within 45 days of submission	No direct financial support; visibility on NEB platform and possible streaming	neb-festival2026@iservice-europa.eu and APPLICATION FORM
Fair - Laboratory and project showcase	15 October 2025	Assessment through Oct-Nov 2025; selection results by 15 December 2025	Travel and accommodation for two people per exhibitor covered in prior editions but exhibitors bear operational costs; booths 5 m2 or 10 m2	EC-New-European-Bauhaus@ec.europa.eu and APPLICATION FORM
Fest - cultural and artistic activities	15 October 2025	Assessment through Oct-Nov 2025; selection results by early December 2025	Travel covered and a flat fee for selected activities (flat fee stated as €950 for Fest applicants in guidance); amount may be adjusted once applications are known	EC-New-European-Bauhaus@ec.europa.eu and APPLICATION FORM
NEB Trophy - student design competition	31 January 2026	Shortlisted teams invited to Brussels during the Festival; winner unveiled at NEB Prizes Ceremony in September	No direct prize amount stated in the call text; competition offers visibility and commissioning of the trophy design	Trophy competition webpage and APPLICATION FORM

Selection criteria and what evaluators look for

Applications are assessed in two complementary strands. External experts score content and relevance. Production and events professionals judge technical feasibility and budget impact. Strong proposals answer both parts.

Content evaluation:Alignment with NEB values and thematic axes, the originality and participatory nature of the proposal, relevance and quality of communication and engagement plans. For the Fair, scoring includes connection to NEB values, innovative elements, participatory aspects and a communications plan.

Technical and budget evaluation:Feasibility to deliver within requested timeframe, soundness and realism of the budget, compatibility with venue technical constraints and balance between different artistic and cultural expressions. Applicants are advised to offer pragmatic, simple budgets and, where useful, tiered cost options.

Practical details applicants often ask about

Question	Short answer
Can non-EU applicants participate?	Yes. Applications from EU and non-EU countries are welcome.
Are sample budgets available?	No sample budgets or prior applications are distributed. Keep budgets clear and straightforward and provide alternative budget options if possible.
Booth sizes and exhibitor responsibilities	Booth sizes typically 5 m2 or 10 m2. Exhibitors cover technical and operational set-up costs; the Festival may cover travel and accommodation for two people per exhibitor in some cases.
Can exhibitors run workshops from their booths?	Yes. Organisers provide additional spaces for workshops and participatory labs separate from exhibition booths.
Is entry free to visitors?	Yes. Festival entry is free to the public in previous editions.
Will materials be stored or delivered in advance?	Advance deliveries are difficult due to tight production schedules. Discuss specific logistic needs with the production team on selection.

Application tips and red flags

NEB Festival selection privileges credible, realistic projects that can demonstrate community engagement and a communication plan. Avoid overclaiming. The NEB Compass and NEB toolbox are practical resources to structure an application.

Practical tips for stronger proposals:1) Make the link to NEB values explicit and document past impact if available. 2) Describe how you will engage people during and after the festival. 3) Keep the budget realistic and show alternatives. 4) If applying to multiple calls, justify why presence in both Fair and Fest is necessary rather than duplicative.

Important cautions:Do not assume the Festival provides substantial direct funding. Satellite events receive no financial support from the Commission and the majority of visibility benefits are non-monetary. Coverage of travel or a modest flat fee for selected artists does not replace stable project funding. Also, jury and production decisions are governed by logistical constraints, so highly ambitious technical requests may be refused or require additional negotiations after selection.

Institutional context and what participation can realistically deliver

The NEB Festival sits within the Commission's broader push to translate strategic priorities like the European Green Deal into demonstrable local change. Increasingly the Commission uses events such as NEB to spotlight EU-funded pilots and to create policy narratives. For project leaders, the Festival can amplify outreach, attract partners and potential investors, and feed into policy conversations. That said, organisers and applicants should treat festival participation primarily as outreach and experimentation, not as a funding route. Projects should plan for the staff time and operational budget needed to exhibit effectively and to follow up on connections made at the Festival.

Who manages the Festival and where to get official guidance:The NEB Initiative is supported by European Commission services and the Joint Research Centre among others. Operational calls and the Festival platform are administered through NEB secretariat contacts and implementing email addresses provided above. Use the published Q&A resources and the recorded info sessions to clarify uncertainties before applying.

Contacts and where to apply

Use the application forms linked from the official NEB Festival pages and direct any call-specific questions to the postbox indicated for each call. For general Festival questions the organisers provided neb-festival2026@iservice-europa.eu and for Fair/Fest calls EC-New-European-Bauhaus@ec.europa.eu. If you plan to apply, watch the official info session recordings and the Q&A documents referenced on the NEB Festival pages to ensure you meet technical requirements and deadlines.

Purpose	Contact
Satellite Events enquiries	neb-festival2026@iservice-europa.eu
Fair and Fest enquiries	EC-New-European-Bauhaus@ec.europa.eu
NEB Trophy entries	Trophy competition webpage and the APPLICATION FORM specified on NEB pages
Applications	Use the named APPLICATION FORM links on the New European Bauhaus Festival pages

Final note for applicants and ecosystem stakeholders

The NEB Festival is a visible platform that can speed up networking across EU policy makers, funders, creative communities and local authorities. That visibility is valuable. Expect the application to be competitive, prepare a credible communications plan and be clear about what you want to achieve by participating. If you need finance for implementation rather than visibility, parallel funding channels such as Horizon Europe calls, regional funds or national programmes will be more suitable. The Commission provides tools like the NEB Compass to help align projects to the initiative. Use these tools honestly to avoid overstatement. Good luck with your application.