The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy is calling on experts to evaluate applications submitted to the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2026 and the NEB Boost for Small Municipalities program. Although this call for applications is already a tradition in the context of the EC and the NEB, this year the requirements for applicants have changed in some respects, as detailed by the institution.
They are looking for professionals with experience in community, territorial, or urban innovation fields, although, as usual, their specialties can be diverse, with the most common being architecture and urban planning; landscape and territory; design (industrial, social, services); urban and regional policies; ecological transition and sustainability; culture and heritage; and local governance. Furthermore, academic profiles should not be the only ones that predominate, as applied experience is also highly relevant.
On this occasion, the call for applications will give priority to those profiles that have experience with small municipalities and that demonstrate significant track records in working with the values of the New Bauhaus, Sustainability, Beauty, and Inclusion. Those selected will be able to evaluate the projects submitted to the NEB Awards both for their principles, aligned with the European Green Deal, and for their focus on participatory processes, multilevel governance, and transdisciplinarity.
They will do so in two phases: first, between March and April 2026; and finally, they will be able to collaborate as members of the jury between June and July 2026 to select the winning proposals. Both the requirements and eligibility criteria are available on this online registration form. The Commission also details two different categories, according to the assigned role.
- Option 1. Expert evaluator.
- Option 2. Jury member. Professionals applying for this call may explicitly request to be members of the jury.
More information is available on the European Commission’s website.
