The two new calls mark EIT Culture & Creativity's first major step as implementing partner of the New European Bauhaus Academy.
EIT Culture & Creativity today launches two open calls worth a combined €6 million through the NEB Academy. Together, they will accelerate the shift to circular fashion and strengthen skills for sustainable lived environments across Europe.
The way Europe builds its cities and makes its clothes are two of the defining questions of our time; the cultural and creative sectors are where the answers will take shape. EIT Culture & Creativity is driving this forward as implementing partner of the NEB Academy – the New European Bauhaus’ learning and innovation infrastructure giving access to skills, knowledge, and connections for a sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive societal transformation.
The launch coincides with the New European Bauhaus Festival 2026, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored the NEB Academy as central to building the skills and creativity Europe's transition demands.
Anette Schaefer, CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity, stated: “Europe’s green and digital transitions will not succeed through technology alone. They require creativity, culture and design to translate innovation into solutions that people can see, experience and adopt. The cultural and creative sectors are uniquely positioned to connect sustainability, innovation and human-centred transformation, making them essential partners in building Europe’s future”.
The funding opportunities
NEB Academy | Fashion Shift - Up to €2.5 million in total funding, with up to €500,000 per project: Fashion is one of Europe's most resource-intensive industries, yet it is also a sector where new circular and regenerative approaches are emerging fast. The Fashion Shift funds multi-actor consortia that include independent fashion brands, ready to further develop and scale responsible business models across the European value chain: from material sourcing and design through to retail, circular services and end-of-life management.
NEB Academy | Skills Infrastructure - Up to €3.5 million in total funding, with up to €600,000 per project: Transforming Europe's lived environment is not only a question of materials, technologies or regulations. It also requires competences across sectors, rooted in cultural and creative practices. The professionals, public bodies and educators who shape our shared spaces need new skills and new ways of working together. The Skills Infrastructure funds five to six trans-regional collaborations to build lifelong learning programmes grounded in local contexts.
Beyond financial support, selected projects will join EIT Culture & Creativity's pan-European network and become part of the wider New European Bauhaus community, connecting people, ideas and expertise in support of a future that is more sustainable, more creative and more alive.
Applications for both calls are open until 31 August 2026.
LEARN MORE
Information sessions will offer prospective applicants the opportunity to learn more about the calls and ask questions directly to the teams behind them. Register below:
- NEB Skills Infrastructure - 24 June & 10 July 2026 | 10:00 - 12:30 CEST
- NEB Fashion Shift - 8 July 2026 | 10:00 - 12:30 CEST
These are the first EIT Culture & Creativity calls launched in 2026, with further opportunities to follow throughout the year. Make sure to regularly consult our Calls and Funding section and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.