The New European Bauhaus: A Strategic Opportunity for Inclusion and the Third Sector
What is the New European Bauhaus (NEB)?
The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an initiative launched by the European Commission that connects the European Green Deal with citizens’ daily lives. According to the European Commission, the NEB aims to create “beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive” living spaces, products, and ways of life, translating sustainability goals into tangible social and cultural transformation.
The initiative is built around three core values:
- Sustainability: supporting climate neutrality, circularity, biodiversity, and resource efficiency.
- Aesthetics: promoting quality experiences, design, culture, and beauty in everyday environments.
- Inclusion: ensuring accessibility, affordability, participation, and social cohesion for all.
Among these pillars, inclusion is particularly relevant for civil society organisations, NGOs, and the wider third sector. The European Commission defines inclusion within NEB as ensuring that the green transition leaves no one behind, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities, accessibility, affordability, and participatory governance.
This creates an important opportunity for social organisations. While sustainability and architecture have traditionally dominated innovation funding, the NEB explicitly recognises that environmental transitions must also address social justice, equal opportunities, and community participation. For the third sector, this means that expertise in inclusion is no longer peripheral—it is central.
NEB Festival: What Is This Initiative About?
The NEB Festival is one of the flagship biannual events of the initiative, bringing together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, artists, architects, social innovators, and citizens.
The festival serves multiple purposes within the NEB ecosystem. It provides a platform to showcase innovative projects aligned with NEB values while fostering networking opportunities and strategic partnerships among stakeholders from different sectors. But more importantly, the festival offers a platform for social organisations to position themselves within the NEB ecosystem. NGOs and social innovators can contribute unique perspectives on community engagement, inclusive design, poverty reduction, accessibility, and local participation.
As the NEB evolves from vision to implementation, participation in events such as the festival is essential for ensuring that inclusion remains a structural priority rather than a secondary objective.
Are We Integrating the Inclusion Principle into the NEB?
In this context, the European Network of Innovation for Inclusion, together with Acción contra el Hambre, and the partners of the SPACE‑NEST consortium, is organising the event “Are We Integrating the Inclusion Principle into the NEB?: Matchmaking Event Exploring European Funding Opportunities”:
- Wednesday, 10 June
- 10:00–12:00 CET
- Online
- Register here
This event aims to critically explore how inclusion is being integrated into the implementation of the New European Bauhaus and how social actors can strengthen this dimension in future projects and funding calls. The discussion will address key questions such as:
- What role can the third sector play in NEB-inspired projects?
- How can the architectural dimension of the NEB be made more inclusive?
- How can we foster more sustainable NEB initiatives through an inclusive lens?
- Which inclusive themes should be prioritised in NEB proposals?
The session will also include insights into NEB and Horizon Europe funding opportunities, NEB initiatives with a strong focus on inclusion. and interactive breakout discussions on inclusive design, third sector engagement, and sustainable pathways for the New European Bauhaus. See the event agenda below:
Historically, social organisations have often been underrepresented in innovation and sustainability ecosystems. The NEB changes this by explicitly embedding inclusion as a core principle. Will you join us?
Register here
