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

The Horizon Europe call titled "The transformative potential of co-governance in the green transition of neighbourhoods" (reference HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-01), falls under the initiative "Innovative models for neighbourhoods that integrate beauty, inclusiveness and sustainability." It aims to support co-governance approaches that will enhance public participation in neighbourhood transformations across Europe, with a total indicative budget of €10,760,000, offering two grants of €5,380,000 each.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of stakeholders such as public administrations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), education and research institutions, and not-for-profit entities, all of whom can collaborate in consortia to apply for funding. The call requires multi-organisational consortia to work across at least ten neighbourhoods situated in a minimum of three different EU Member States or Associated Countries, ensuring a transdisciplinary integration of various sectors including urban development, environmental action, and social inclusion.

The project is expected to address critical issues related to the green transition, focusing on climate neutrality, biodiversity, and pollution, while promoting social equity and cultural engagement. It encourages the use of digital tools to enhance participatory processes and empower marginalised groups. Successful projects should refine and showcase effective co-governance models, facilitating collaboration among diverse stakeholders and addressing power asymmetries within communities.

This single-stage application process opens on May 5, 2027, and the submission deadline is December 1, 2027. The proposals must follow standard Horizon Europe application procedures and allocate at least 0.8% of their budgets for engaging with the Horizon Europe-funded New European Bauhaus Hub. The opportunity emphasizes that while co-funding is not formally required, applicants are encouraged to explore additional funding sources to complement the project.

The program ultimately aims to provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers and community actors, improving the governance of green transitions and contributing to a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for neighbourhoods throughout Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-01, focusing on "The transformative potential of co-governance in the green transition of neighbourhoods". It falls under the broader call for "Innovative models for neighbourhoods that integrate beauty, inclusiveness and sustainability (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01)". The action type is HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. It employs a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 05 May 2027, and the deadline for submission is 01 December 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of the projects funded under this topic is to provide policymakers, local administrations, and neighbourhood actors with evidence-based guidance and recommendations to support public participation in the green transition of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation. Co-governance approaches aligned with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) should help balance interests, power, and knowledge asymmetries, adopt more-than-human approaches at the neighbourhood level, and inform policy, legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks at the national and EU levels.

The scope of the topic emphasizes that public participation in the governance of the green transition of neighbourhoods presents an opportunity to improve inhabitants’ quality of life while addressing climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges. Co-governance can enhance representation, legitimacy, transparency, and accountability, balance interests, flatten knowledge hierarchies, foster inclusion and equity, and build a more balanced human-nature relationship. The call acknowledges that the connection between culture and democracy is underused in co-governance approaches and that cultural institutions and actors can play a key role in fostering engagement and cohesion. Digital tools, such as AI-supported participatory platforms, open data environments, and interactive modelling systems, can facilitate co-governance.

Proposals are expected to address the following:

Refine and demonstrate co-governance approaches in at least ten neighbourhoods located in at least three different Member States and/or Associated Countries, comprising a variety of contexts (urban, peri-urban, and rural areas) and experiences (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 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 different neighbourhood actors (e.g., inhabitants, real estate developers, cultural institutions, social economy actors, businesses).

Empowering inhabitants (especially vulnerable and/or marginalised groups) to actively participate in the green transition.

Making use of digital technologies (civic tech, open data platforms, 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 forms of knowledge systems.

Evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the demonstrated co-governance approaches.

Produce guidance and recommendations for policymakers and neighbourhood actors on co-governance, including best practices, benefits for the green transition, and administrative, legislative, and regulatory changes to facilitate co-governance.

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, up to a maximum of EUR 150 000 per third party, to allow for the demonstration of the co-governance approaches in neighbourhoods.

Proposals are expected to follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, integrating different actors and disciplines. The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions are required. 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'.

The general conditions for admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, indicative timeline, and legal and financial setup are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation form templates.

Additional documents include: 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that the topic HORIZON-NEB-2027-01-PARTICIPATION-01 has a budget of EUR 10 760 000 for the year 2027. The action is a HORIZON-IA (Innovation Action) and follows a single-stage submission process. The opening date is planned for 2027-05-05, with a deadline of 2027-12-01. The estimated EU contribution per grant is around EUR 5 380 000, and the indicative number of grants is 2.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

This funding opportunity aims to foster public participation in the green transition of neighbourhoods by promoting co-governance approaches. It seeks to refine and demonstrate these approaches in diverse neighbourhoods across Europe, leveraging digital technologies and cultural engagement to empower inhabitants and address climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges. The ultimate goal is to provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers and neighbourhood actors to facilitate the green transition and create more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient communities.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include public administrations, SMEs, education or research institutions, and other relevant actors such as not-for-profit entities. These entities can receive financial support from the project consortia as third parties.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The funding is provided through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA). Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. Project consortia are expected to provide financial support to third parties.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The selected neighbourhoods for demonstration are expected to be located in at least three different Member States and/or Associated Countries. 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 sectors related to the green transition of neighbourhoods, climate, biodiversity, pollution challenges, culture, arts, natural environment, social sciences and humanities, digital technologies (civic tech, open data platforms), and sustainable development. It also focuses on the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative, which integrates beauty, inclusiveness, and sustainability.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions Member States and Associated Countries of the European Union. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on demonstration and refinement of co-governance approaches, indicating a development and validation stage. The actions also include research and innovation components.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. Some topics have a budget of EUR 7,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 3,500,000, while others have budgets up to EUR 14,000,000 with indicative grant amounts around EUR 5,380,000 or EUR 5,500,000. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 150,000.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. Additionally, they will receive non-monetary services such as guidance, access to online manuals, and support from National Contact Points and other helpdesks.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate. For example, a topic with a budget of EUR 14,000,000 and an indicative number of 4 grants suggests a relatively competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe funding opportunity, under the call "Innovative models for neighbourhoods that integrate beauty, inclusiveness and sustainability (HORIZON-NEB-2027-01)", aims to foster public participation in the green transition of neighbourhoods. It seeks to refine and demonstrate co-governance approaches across various European regions, addressing climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges while promoting social inclusion and cultural engagement. The program encourages the use of digital tools and the integration of social sciences and humanities to enhance the societal impact of research activities. Eligible applicants include public administrations, SMEs, education or research institutions, and not-for-profit entities, who can form consortia to apply for grants. These consortia are expected to provide financial support to third parties, up to EUR 150,000 per entity, to demonstrate co-governance approaches. The funding amounts vary by topic, with indicative grant amounts ranging from EUR 3,500,000 to EUR 5,500,000. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a planned opening date of May 5, 2027, and a deadline of December 1, 2027. The program supports innovation actions and research and innovation actions, providing both monetary and non-monetary support to beneficiaries. The ultimate goal is to provide evidence-based guidance and recommendations for policy makers and neighbourhood actors to support public participation in the green transition and promote sustainable development.