Network of neighbourhoods for innovative policies on gentrification

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility grant opportunity focuses on urban transformation to address gentrification and promote sustainable, inclusive, and aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods. This call under the Horizon Europe program, specifically titled "Network of neighbourhoods for innovative policies on gentrification" (HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-04), invites proposals from various eligible applicants including universities, research institutes, local authorities, civil society organizations, and SMEs.

The funding type is primarily through a Horizon Lump Sum Grant, with a specific budget of €2.5 million for this call, part of a total of €118.4 million allocated for NEB-related projects in 2025. The geographic scope is broad, covering EU member states and associated countries, with possible participation from non-associated countries under specific conditions.

The emphasis of the call is on encouraging a consortium approach, especially for projects that require collaboration among at least 15 neighborhoods across different regions, thereby enhancing the participatory and transdisciplinary nature of the proposals. The application process is a single-stage with a deadline set for November 12, 2025.

Successful projects are expected to mitigate the negative impacts of gentrification while promoting positive outcomes such as community inclusion and urban revitalization. The proposed activities should integrate NEB values, support local decision-making, and develop innovative policy frameworks to overcome identified challenges in neighborhood dynamics.

While specific success rates are not provided, the program's structure suggests that collaboration and innovative proposals aligned with the NEB principles will be critical to gaining funding. Co-funding is not required as grants cover full project costs.

In summary, the NEB 2025 call aims to facilitate cross-sector cooperation and knowledge exchange, intending to empower local stakeholders in creating transformed neighborhoods that embody sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty. This initiative directly aligns with broader EU goals for sustainable urban development amidst ongoing challenges posed by urbanization and gentrification trends.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically focusing on "A research agenda for a beautiful, inclusive and sustainable transformation of neighbourhoods" (HORIZON-NEB-2025-01). The call, titled "Network of neighbourhoods for innovative policies on gentrification" (HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-04), aims to address the challenges and opportunities arising from gentrification in urban, peri-urban, and rural neighbourhoods.

The project type is HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date for submissions was May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is November 12, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are: Increased use of policies to mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification and enhance its positive impacts (e.g. revitalization, sustainable economic growth, diversity and integration) in urban, peri-urban, and rural neighbourhoods. Increased capacity of local policymakers to anticipate and mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification when designing and implementing policies in alignment with the New European Bauhaus. Empowered local communities engaging in decision-making processes to mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification due to the regeneration of neighbourhoods.

The scope of the call emphasizes the need for policy innovation to mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification, which can include segregation, insecurity, exclusion, displacement, loss of cultural identity, and socio-economic inequality, despite its potential for revitalization and sustainable growth. The call supports informal networking among neighbourhoods to exchange knowledge and experiences, build their capacity, and facilitate innovation in policymaking to address these issues, including green gentrification, in alignment with the New European Bauhaus.

Proposals are expected to: Create a bottom-up network of neighbourhoods with a (potential) risk of gentrification, to facilitate peer exchange among all relevant stakeholders. Proposals should aim for the participation of at least 15 neighbourhoods located in urban, peri-urban and rural areas from different Member States and Associated Countries. Map neighbourhoods’ needs, challenges, trends and opportunities to inform policies and interventions that mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification and of integrating the New European Bauhaus values and principles. Identify, document, and disseminate current knowledge, evidence, policy design, tools, and best practices for tackling gentrification and translate the results into useful tools that address the identified needs, challenges and opportunities. Support local decision makers in better understanding: The main drivers of gentrification (such as overtourism, interim use and short term rental markets). The effect of housing market speculation, rental agreements and (lack of) housing policies (e.g. fiscal measures, funding instruments, legislative measures) on gentrification. The effects of gentrification on different socio-demographic groups, as well as on local identities and cultural heritage. The interplay between urban, peri-urban and rural gentrification. Address the issue of gentrification in the participating neighbourhoods through at least one of the following actions: Develop or revise local policies (such as those on social/economic/urban development, housing, planning, mobility, green transition) to mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification. Develop neighbourhood regeneration strategies that include measures to mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification.

The call emphasizes a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, integrating various actors such as local and regional public authorities, local actors from targeted neighbourhoods, civil society, private owners, cultural institutions, and disciplines like architecture, urban design, design, arts, and engineering. It also requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, involving SSH experts and institutions to enhance the societal impact of the research activities. Furthermore, proposals are expected to dedicate at least 0.2% of their total budget to share their intermediate and final results and findings with the Coordination and Support Action 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' (HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01-03).

The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, with specific details in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other Eligible Conditions: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, with further details in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are as follows: Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE CSA). Evaluation form templates, including the Standard evaluation form (HE CSA), will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions and a detailed budget table (HE LS) are available, along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB), HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the call indicates that the HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-04 topic, which is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA), has a budget of EUR 2,500,000 for the year 2025. The call is a single-stage process, opening on May 6, 2025, and closing on November 12, 2025. The indicative number of grants for this topic is 1, with a contribution of around EUR 2,500,000.

Partner search announcements are available, with 15 searches of partners to collaborate on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal.

To start the submission process, applicants need to access the Electronic Submission Service and select the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement. Existing draft proposals can be accessed by logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The call provides various support resources, including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster a network of neighbourhoods to develop and implement innovative policies that mitigate the negative impacts of gentrification while enhancing its positive contributions to urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. It seeks to empower local communities and policymakers through knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the application of New European Bauhaus values and principles. The call encourages a transdisciplinary and participatory approach, emphasizing the importance of social sciences and humanities, and provides a lump sum grant of EUR 2,500,000 for a single project. The submission deadline is November 12, 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the context, eligible applicants likely include local or regional public authorities, local actors from targeted neighborhoods, civil society organizations, private owners, cultural institutions, research institutions, universities, SMEs and other relevant organizations. The call emphasizes a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, suggesting a broad range of eligible entities.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of MGA (HORIZON-AG-LS). The call also includes HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to favor a consortium approach, particularly for the HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-04 topic, which aims to create a bottom-up network of at least 15 neighborhoods. While not explicitly stated that a consortium is mandatory for all topics, the emphasis on networking, peer exchange, and the integration of different actors suggests that a consortium would be a strong approach.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. The text also mentions that 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.

Target Sector: The program targets several interconnected sectors, including urban and rural development, architecture, urban design, social sciences and humanities, arts, engineering, housing, planning, mobility, green transition, cultural heritage, and policymaking. The primary focus is on mitigating the negative consequences of gentrification and promoting sustainable and inclusive neighborhood regeneration in alignment with the New European Bauhaus initiative.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as geographically eligible. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding participation.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the specific topic within the call. Some topics focus on research and innovation actions (RIA), suggesting projects in the research, development, and validation stages. Other topics focus on innovation actions (IA), indicating projects in the demonstration, commercialization, or scale-up stages. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) are also included, which typically support networking, knowledge sharing, and policy development.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. The indicative budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-IA: around €4,000,000 to €8,000,000 per project, with total topic budgets of €10,400,000 to €16,000,000.
HORIZON-RIA: around €3,000,000 to €5,000,000 per project, with total topic budgets of €8,000,000 to €12,000,000.
HORIZON-CSA: around €2,500,000 per project, with a total topic budget of €2,500,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, it is common for Horizon Europe projects to require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, "A research agenda for a beautiful, inclusive and sustainable transformation of neighbourhoods (HORIZON-NEB-2025-01)", aims to address the challenges of gentrification and promote sustainable and inclusive neighborhood regeneration in alignment with the New European Bauhaus initiative. The call encompasses a range of topics, including business innovation, citizen participation, and neighborhood regeneration, and offers various funding instruments such as Innovation Actions (IA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

The call seeks to foster informal networking among neighborhoods, facilitate knowledge exchange, and build capacity for policy innovation to mitigate the negative consequences of gentrification, including green gentrification. Proposals are expected to follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, integrating diverse actors and disciplines.

Eligible applicants include a wide array of organizations, such as local and regional public authorities, civil society organizations, private owners, cultural institutions, research institutions, universities, and SMEs, from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with potential participation from non-EU/non-Associated Countries under specific provisions.

The funding amounts vary depending on the type of action, with indicative budgets ranging from €2,500,000 for CSAs to €16,000,000 for IAs. The application process is a single-stage open call, and eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum.

In essence, this call is a comprehensive effort to support research, innovation, and policy development for creating more beautiful, inclusive, and sustainable neighborhoods across Europe, while addressing the complex socio-economic challenges associated with gentrification.