Type of projects to be funded
The call funds the establishment and operation of National Policy Labs that will:
- Test the usability, applicability, and effectiveness of the Living Design Policy Framework Materials.
- Facilitate dialogue between policymakers, public authorities, design organisations, academia, and societal actors.
- Co-develop national design policy insights, preliminary recommendations, and roadmaps aligned with identified policy areas.
Individual or consortium applications
- The lead applicant must be a BEDA member.
- Additional consortium partners are permitted but must provide Letter(s) of Intent (one per partner).
Specific topics and challenges
Projects must focus on:
- Testing the Living Design Policy Framework Materials through two structured workshop rounds.
- Working with at least one public authority to integrate design into two selected national policy areas, informed by the Design Policy Mapping in Europe Report.
- Generating national-level insights, mission statements, and S.M.A.R.T roadmaps for embedding design in public policy.
Specific eligibility requirements
- Be a legal entity (public body, university, research organisation, design council, NGO, professional association, etc.).
- Be an official BEDA member at the time of application.
- Provide a Letter of Support from the relevant national authority responsible for policies related to design or CCIs.
- For consortia: ensure the lead applicant is a BEDA member; all other partners must provide letters of intent.
- Must be eligible for funding in the Creative Europe Program (all European Countries are eligible / Non-European Countries)
Project Duration
National Policy Lab implementation will run for 17 months, according to the MADres-defined timeline:
- Start: Immediately after contracting (expected May 2026)
- End: September 2027 (Exact dates will be confirmed)
Budget, funding rates and payment conditions
- Total call budget: €136,000
- Number of Labs funded: 4 (one per macro-region)
- Grant per Lab: €34,000 lump-sum
- Funding rate: Lump-sum; no detailed cost reporting required.
Payments are structured in pre-financing, interim, and final payments, contingent upon meeting specific project milestones and deliverables.
Key Dates
- Call launch: 10 December 2025
- Info session: 14 January 2026, 17:00–18:00 CET
- Application deadline: 3 March 2026 (Extended)
- Final results published: 1 April 2026
- Sub-grant agreements signed: May 2026
- Implementation starts: immediately after contracting
Why should your organisation apply?
The Labs provide a unique opportunity to shape national and European design policy and to collaborate directly with public authorities. This is your chance to create #impactbydesign.
Reach out to us at npl@beda.org