Kveloce and the New European Bauhaus 2026–2027: opportunities for collaboration with a social impact
The New European Bauhaus (NEB) has entered a new phase. After establishing itself as a European initiative connecting sustainability, inclusion and beauty, the European Commission is now promoting its implementation on a larger scale, particularly in the areas of the built environment, neighbourhood transformation and the clean transition. Last year’s Communication, New European Bauhaus: From vision to implementation, reinforces precisely this idea: moving from vision to solutions capable of transforming the everyday lives of people and communities.
In this context, the NEB 2026–2027 calls open up relevant opportunities for consortia seeking to develop proposals capable of transforming neighbourhoods, buildings, public spaces and communities from a more sustainable, inclusive and people-centred perspective.
For Kveloce, these calls are particularly strategic because they place at their core many of the dimensions we regularly work on in European projects: Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), stakeholder engagement, co-creation, socioeconomic impact assessment, exploitation of results, sustainability, public policy and strategic communication.
The NEB as a framework for transforming neighbourhoods and communities
The upcoming New European Bauhaus calls reflect an increasingly clear European priority: transforming neighbourhoods not only as physical spaces, but as environments where housing, health, climate, inclusion, culture, participation and quality of life come together.
One of the main areas of focus will be housing and the fairer and more efficient use of the built environment. The NEB addresses challenges such as homelessness, the reuse of vacant or obsolete spaces, community ownership models, intergenerational housing and the need to adapt neighbourhoods to new social, demographic and climate realities. It is not simply about building more, but about thinking differently about how available space is lived in, shared and transformed.
Another important area is the relationship between urban design and people’s well-being. The call itself emphasises that public spaces shape not only how a place functions, but also power dynamics, a sense of belonging, safety, accessibility and the ways in which people live together. Proposals will therefore need to effectively integrate the perspectives of diverse users, incorporate co-creation processes and demonstrate climate, environmental, social and cultural impact.
The green transition is also closely linked to governance. Europe is promoting approaches that seek not only more sustainable solutions, but also more democratic and participatory processes that are sensitive to inequalities. Co-governance, local participation, transdisciplinary methods and the integration of citizens’ knowledge will be key to ensuring that neighbourhood transformation is not perceived as something imposed, but as a shared process.
At the same time, the built environment will remain a central area of action. Improving thermal comfort, ensuring the sustainable repair and maintenance of existing buildings, making intelligent use of vertical space, combining traditional and innovative materials, and reducing the impact of construction and renovation works all point in the same direction: creating neighbourhoods that are more resilient, healthy, efficient and adapted to the real needs of their residents.
The NEB is also broadening its perspective towards territorial regeneration. The revitalisation of areas affected by infrastructure such as railway or road corridors, reducing soil sealing, and urban design aimed at restoring ecological functions show that urban transformation must connect quality of life, biodiversity, environmental health and territorial justice.
Taken together, these priorities confirm that the New European Bauhaus is not limited to design or architecture. Its ambition is broader: to turn the green transition into a social, cultural and territorial transformation that is sustainable, inclusive, beautiful and applicable in real-world contexts.
Kveloce’s value in New European Bauhaus proposals
In this context, NEB proposals need more than a strong technical solution. They need to demonstrate an understanding of the territory, communities and the real conditions for adoption. This is where Kveloce can play a particularly relevant role.
Preparing a competitive proposal under the New European Bauhaus means more than developing an innovative solution. It requires demonstrating that the solution responds to real needs, can be adopted by communities, integrates different perspectives and generates impact beyond the lifetime of the project.
In NEB calls, the social dimension is not an add-on; it is at the heart of the proposal. Projects need to explain how people experience their neighbourhoods, what barriers they face, how they perceive public spaces, which inequalities affect their participation, and which factors may facilitate — or hinder — the adoption of new solutions.
This is where Kveloce can bring value to future consortia. Our work lies at the intersection of research, innovation, society and public policy, helping to integrate Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), stakeholder engagement, impact analysis and a results-oriented approach from the earliest stages of proposal development.
In an NEB project, this contribution can translate into the design of participatory and co-creation processes involving citizens, public authorities, local communities, professionals, industry, the cultural sector, social organisations and other relevant actors. This is not simply about organising workshops or consultations, but about defining a participation strategy that is consistent with the project objectives, useful for the methodology and credible from an evaluation perspective.
We can also analyse the conditions that may facilitate or hinder the adoption of the proposed solutions. This includes identifying barriers and enabling factors, analysing the needs of users and stakeholders, assessing social acceptance, anticipating potential resistance and exploring how a solution can be adapted to different urban, social or institutional contexts.
Socioeconomic impact assessment is another key dimension. NEB proposals need to demonstrate how their results can create value for communities, improve quality of life, support social inclusion, strengthen cohesion, contribute to public policy or facilitate new forms of collaboration between actors. Kveloce can help structure this impact logic and connect it to indicators, expected results and potential pathways for replication.
Moreover, many NEB projects need to consider the exploitation, sustainability and transfer of their results from the outset. A tool, methodology, platform or participatory model will only have a future if it responds to a real need, has clearly identified potential users and is supported by a strategy that allows it to remain useful beyond European funding. In this area, Kveloce brings experience in defining exploitation pathways, stakeholder analysis, sustainability strategies and practice-oriented recommendations.
Communication and dissemination should also be understood as part of this impact logic. In NEB proposals, communication does not simply mean publishing news or disseminating results at the end of the project. It means developing messages that are understandable to diverse audiences, facilitating participation, making the social and environmental value of solutions visible, and strengthening the connection between the project and the communities it seeks to serve.
Overall, Kveloce brings a particularly valuable capability to New European Bauhaus consortia: translating a technical solution into a proposal with social relevance, a clear impact orientation and a genuine connection with people and territories. Because in a competitive NEB proposal, it is not enough to explain what will be developed. It is also necessary to demonstrate for whom, with whom, in what context and with what expected impact. Our aim is to help ensure that ideas reach the call with a solid structure, a well-integrated social dimension and a convincing impact logic.
