Deadline extended! Ideation Awards of EIT xKIC New European Bauhaus looking for Climathon and hackathon participants

EIT Climate-KIC has launched a call for sustainable, inclusive and aesthetic solutions for New European Bauhaus challenges. Open to EU teams participating in the 2021 EIT Climate-KIC Climathon and hackathons of EIT Digital, EIT Food and EIT Urban Mobility, the call will be open from 25 October to 31 December 2021 and will offer prizes of up to €10,000 in seed funding.

Led by EIT Climate-KIC, the Cross-KIC New European Bauhaus is engaging with European innovators to overcome fragmentation in the European innovation landscape, increase collaboration with universities to identify challenges and solutions, and ensure the engagement of civil society in the movement. The initiative will directly support the European Union’s New European Bauhaus (NEB), announced by President von der Leyen in her 2020 State of the Union address, that aims to create beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive places, products and ways of living. 

The initiative is now calling out to EU-based teams participating in the 2021 EIT Climate-KIC Climathon and hackathons of EIT Digital, EIT Food and EIT Urban Mobility, to submit ideas that address one or more NEB challenges.

New European Bauhaus challenges include: 

Green transition through architectural, cultural and historic sites: 

•   Green roofs, green walls and other green infrastructure to reduce the heat island effect, enhance air quality and advance new aesthetic value in the urban environment. 
•   Urban, regenerative agriculture to reduce emissions and foster stronger relationships between city dwellers and farmers. 

Towards circularity and urban resilience

• Enhancement of the public realm, green areas and biodiversity, as well as their inclusiveness, accessibility and interconnection through active mobility, to improve physical and mental health. 
• Circular economy actions based on the principles of the food waste hierarchy and efficient reutilisation of bio-products and bio-waste, achieving emissions and waste reduction and fostering the second life of products. 

Ensuring affordability and accessibility to all:

• Energy communities to ensure comfortable living at affordable prices through multi-disciplinary service models. 
• Digital open data platforms to ensure transparency and reliability of data. 

The NEB Ideation awards will offer an excellent opportunity to join a network of stakeholders making the New European Bauhaus’ ambition a reality on the ground, and enable actors to connect and collaborate on key issues. This will in turn contribute to the EU NEB strategy and enable participants to join a pipeline of ideas that will be shared with the European Commission and used in future Cross-KIC activities.  

Winning teams will be announced on 15 February 2022 and will get the chance to win €10,000  in seed funding to implement their idea in 2022. Other prizes include up to €3,000  and a NEB study visit to attend the in-person award session in March 2022; three Jury Awards (€3,000, €2,000  and €1,000) and one Audience Award (€1,000).

How to apply? 

Download the NEB Ideation Awards guidebook to access more details on the call. A short factsheet is also available here.

1. Download and carefully read the application form here. We will be accepting applications from 25 October to 31 December, 2021, 18:00 CET. 

2. Record a video of maximum three minutes pitching your idea. Please briefly introduce your team indicating your location, define the NEB challenge addressed and concisely explain your solution integrating sustainability, inclusiveness and aesthetics. Explain potential benefits and impacts deriving from that solution. The video can be the same as the one used at your local Climathon or hackathon, or a different one. Design of the video is free style.  

3. Send both the application and video together using the file-sharing platform Wetransfer to XKICNEB.IdeationAwards@climate-kic.org 

Info session

If you have any questions please contact Natalia Vera, Cross-KIC NEB Project Manager at EIT Climate-KIC: natalia.vera@climate-kic.org.

A new info session will be organised on 1st December at 11h CET to further explain the call guidelines and address questions related to the opportunity. Register here for the session.