Deadline: 01-Dec-2026
The European Commission has launched a Horizon Europe funding opportunity to support research on how neighbourhood experiences affect health, well-being, and social inclusion. The initiative aims to generate evidence for healthier, more sustainable, climate-resilient, and inclusive neighbourhoods through research, community participation, and interdisciplinary approaches aligned with the New European Bauhaus objectives.
Program Overview
The Horizon Europe funding opportunity supports research focused on understanding how people experience and interact with their neighbourhoods and how these experiences influence quality of life. The programme seeks to generate evidence that can help policymakers, urban planners, and communities create neighbourhoods that support health, sustainability, and social well-being.
The initiative aligns with the objectives of the New European Bauhaus and encourages approaches that integrate environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and community participation into neighbourhood design and regeneration.
Focus Areas and Program Objectives
The programme addresses multiple priorities related to neighbourhood development and human well-being.
Key objectives include:
• Understanding sensory and emotional experiences of neighbourhoods
• Assessing neighbourhood impacts on health and well-being
• Supporting green neighbourhood transitions
• Promoting nature-positive transformation and climate resilience
• Improving community identity and sense of belonging
• Enhancing accessibility and perceived beauty in built environments
• Strengthening social infrastructure
• Supporting participatory and transdisciplinary research approaches
• Integrating social sciences and humanities expertise
• Generating comparable data across project sites
• Validating findings across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas
• Supporting evidence-based policy development and regeneration strategies
• Aligning research outcomes with New European Bauhaus objectives
Key Concepts Explained
Neighbourhood experience refers to how people perceive, interact with, and emotionally connect with their local surroundings, including social and physical environments.
Social inclusion refers to creating environments where individuals and communities have equal opportunities to participate in social, cultural, and economic activities.
Nature-positive transformation involves development approaches that protect and restore natural systems while improving environmental quality.
Climate resilience refers to the ability of communities and neighbourhoods to adapt to environmental challenges and climate-related risks.
Social infrastructure includes spaces, services, and institutions that strengthen social interactions and community well-being.
Participatory approaches involve direct engagement of community members and stakeholders in research and decision-making processes.
Transdisciplinary research combines knowledge and methods from different academic disciplines and practical sectors to address complex challenges.
How the Programme Works
The programme requires research projects to examine neighbourhood experiences and validate findings through comparative analysis.
The process includes:
- Investigating how inhabitants interact with and identify with their neighbourhoods
- Studying the impact of neighbourhood experiences on health and quality of life
- Including diverse population groups in research activities
- Collecting comparable data across multiple project locations
- Applying the New European Bauhaus self-assessment method
- Validating findings across multiple neighbourhood settings
- Developing recommendations for policymakers and local stakeholders
Funding Information
The initiative provides financial support under Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions.
Funding details include:
• Programme type: Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA)
• Call reference: HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-03
• Total available budget: €15 million
• Expected funding per project: Approximately €5 million
Who is Eligible?
Participation is open according to Horizon Europe participation requirements.
Projects must involve diverse participants and communities, including vulnerable and underrepresented groups.
Target participant groups include:
• Women
• Children and youth
• Older adults
• Persons with physical and psychological functional variations and carers
• LGTBIQA+ communities
• Migrants and refugees
• Vulnerable and marginalised populations
Projects should also include participants across different neighbourhood contexts.
Required neighbourhood settings include:
• Urban areas
• Peri-urban areas
• Rural areas
• Coastal areas
• Insular areas
What Applicants Need to Do
Applicants are expected to design evidence-based and participatory research projects.
Required activities include:
• Conduct research on neighbourhood experiences and quality of life
• Integrate social sciences and humanities expertise
• Use the New European Bauhaus self-assessment method
• Validate findings in at least three neighbourhoods
• Include locations from at least three EU Member States and/or Associated Countries
• Cover urban, peri-urban, and rural settings
• Develop recommendations for policy and planning improvements
Why This Opportunity Matters
Neighbourhood environments directly influence people’s daily lives, social relationships, mental well-being, and access to opportunities. Understanding these experiences can help create communities that are healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable.
Potential benefits include:
• Improved public health and well-being outcomes
• Stronger community belonging and identity
• Better accessibility and inclusive environments
• Increased climate resilience
• Stronger social infrastructure
• More evidence-based planning and policy decisions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid weaknesses that may reduce proposal effectiveness.
Common mistakes include:
• Failing to include diverse and vulnerable groups
• Ignoring differences across neighbourhood settings
• Providing weak community participation strategies
• Failing to generate comparable research data
• Neglecting interdisciplinary expertise
• Missing validation requirements across multiple countries and neighbourhood types
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the main objective of this funding opportunity?
The programme aims to understand how neighbourhood experiences affect health, well-being, and social inclusion.
How much funding is available?
The total programme budget is €15 million, with approximately €5 million expected for each project.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The programme is funded through a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA).
What neighbourhood settings should be included?
Projects must cover urban, peri-urban, and rural neighbourhood contexts.
How many project validation sites are required?
Applicants must validate findings in at least three neighbourhoods located in at least three different EU Member States and/or Associated Countries.
Who should participate in the research?
Projects should include diverse communities, especially vulnerable and marginalised groups.
What role does the New European Bauhaus play in this initiative?
Projects are expected to align with New European Bauhaus objectives and use its self-assessment methodology for data consistency.
Conclusion
The Horizon Europe initiative on neighbourhood experiences, health, and social inclusion seeks to strengthen understanding of how local environments influence people’s lives. Through evidence-based research, community participation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the programme aims to support healthier, more inclusive, and climate-resilient neighbourhoods across Europe.
For more information, visit European Commission.
