The HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-BUSINESS-02 call under the Horizon Europe programme invites proposals for innovation actions that explore how bottom-up social entrepreneurship can act as a driver for the co-creation of neighbourhoods in line with the values of the New European Bauhaus (NEB)– sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetic quality.

Proposals must deliver at least three pilot initiatives in three different EU Member States or Associated Countries, involving diverse actors such as civil society organisations, neighbourhood associations, local businesses, public authorities, and social economy entities. 

Each pilot should:

• analyse local barriers and drivers – legal, social, financial, economic, regulatory – and assess their influence on the market uptake and competitiveness of bottom-up social enterprises;
• evaluate the business case and investment potential of these initiatives;
• demonstrate cooperation between inhabitants and civil society to enhance local capacity and knowledge-sharing;
• show the social impacts of bottom-up entrepreneurship on quality of life, well-being, social cohesion, and a shared sense of belonging;
• explore how these initiatives can shape future participatory urban development.

The projects must follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, involving expertise from fields such as architecture, design, economics, arts, finance, and the social sciences and humanities (SSH). The inclusion of SSH experts and institutions is a key requirement to ensure the societal relevance and impact of the research.

At least 0.2 % of the project budget must be dedicated to sharing results with the New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact, ensuring alignment with the broader NEB ecosystem and facilitating future replication and scaling.

The call is open until 12 November 2025, 17:00 Brussels time and follows a single-stage submission model. Projects will be funded as innovation actions through Horizon Europe lump sum grants.