2022 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards

Deadline: 1-Feb-22

Entries are now open for the 2022 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards to identify, recognise and champion best practices in the conservation of cultural heritage and as well as innovative developments and knowledge in the care and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Through the power of example, the scheme enables the exchange and transfer of experiences and skills across borders and between communities in Europe and beyond. It increases the visibility and understanding of the multiple values of cultural heritage for Europe’s society, economy, environment and culture.

The Awards were launched in 2002 by the European Commission and are supported by the Creative Europe Programme. Since its launch, Europa Nostra, the European Voice of Civil Society Committed to Cultural Heritage, has been responsible for running this awards scheme.

As of 2022, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of this fruitful partnership, the categories of entry and the selection procedure have been revised in line with the latest developments related to heritage policy and practice in Europe.

Categories

The renewed five awards categories are:

• Conservation & Adaptive Reuse
• Research
• Education, Training & Skills
• Citizens Engagement & Awareness-raising
• Heritage Champions

Entries can be related to tangible, intangible or digital heritage. The scope of the entries can be ranging from small to large, from local to European and international.

The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards will honour up to 30 outstanding heritage achievements, among which up to five Grand Prix will be awarded within thematic areas that are transversal to the five awards categories.

Thematic Areas

The following are the thematic areas of the Grand Prix for the 2022 edition:

• Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Sustainability & Climate Action
• Social Cohesion & Well Being
• International Relations

Award Information

Each winner of a Grand Prix will receive a monetary award of €10.000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entries for the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards may only be submitted from countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme, i.e. the 27 EU Member States, the 3 EEAcountries Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland and other third countries that have signed an Association Agreement with the EU. The following is the list of countries eligible for the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards: Albania*, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia*, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo*, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro*, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia*, Romania, Serbia*, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia**, Ukraine*.
• Entries submitted by countries that are members of the Council of Europe but are not participating in the Creative Europe Programme are only eligible for the Europa Nostra Awards. These countries are Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Holy See, Moldova, Monaco, Russian Federation, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
• N.B.: Entries to the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards and the Europa Nostra Awards apply through the same entry procedure and are evaluated together through the same process. However, only winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards coming from countries participating in the Creative Europe programme are also eligible to win a Grand Prix, with a monetary award of €10.000.

*Entries from countries marked with one asterisk are eligible for the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, dependent on their signing of the association agreement to the Creative Europe programme in 2021. In case those countries do not sign the Creative Europe programme by the announcement of the winners in September 2022, they will be eligible instead for the Europa Nostra Awards.

**Entries from Tunisia will be eligible for the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, dependent on their signing of the association agreement to the Creative Europe programme. In case Tunisia does not sign the association agreement by 1 February 2022, they will be ineligible for the European Heritage Awards and the Europa Nostra Awards.

Conditions of Submitting an Entry

• Conservation & Adaptive Reuse: Outstanding projects aiming at the conservation, regeneration and adaptation to new uses of cultural heritage, including cultural landscapes.
  • Must have been completed during the past three years (within the period between January 2019 and January 2022).
  • Must adhere to the most up-to-date principles and standards of heritage conservation. (identification and respect of heritage values, materials, legibility, compatibility and reversibility).
  • Should be accessible to the public. Buildings or sites that are regularly used by large numbers of people, for instance schools or office premises, are considered accessible. Private buildings or sites that are regularly open to visitors, at least once a year, are also considered accessible.
• Research: Innovative research projects which lead to tangible effects for the safeguard and enhancement of cultural heritage and/or to improve the access, enjoyment and understanding of heritage assets by communities.
  • Must have been completed during the past three years (within the period between January 2019 and January 2022).
  • Should entail one or more of the following types of activity:
    • Research study
    • Scientific publication on the results of research
    • Applied research
    • Pilot projects
    • New/innovative methodologies, techniques, models or tools that lead to new knowledge about a given cultural heritage site/ asset or with regard to the safeguard and/or the enhancement of cultural heritage.
  • Should be innovative in nature with a clear methodology and scientific approach that are reproducible.
  • Should clearly present qualitative and quantitative results that generated an improvement for heritage sites/assets, as well as for their users and stakeholders in the given context.
• Education, Training & Skills: Exemplary projects or initiatives related to cultural heritage with the aim of fostering knowledge transfer, capacity-building and/or enhancing traditional or new skills and crafts related to heritage.
  • Must have been completed during the past three years (within the period between January 2019 and January 2022), or should be ongoing and at an advanced stage in order to have led to tangible results (quantitative and qualitative) that have generated an improvement for heritage sites/assets, as well as for their users and stakeholders in the given context.
  • Should be interactive and participatory and lead to the engagement and empowerment of the participants.
  • Should reach beyond the standard educational or academic framework.
• Citizens Engagement & Awareness-raising: Outstanding heritage-led projects which foster social cohesion, inclusion, multicultural dialogue and understanding, nurture a sense of place and belonging, celebrate diversity and multiple identities as well as stimulate citizens’ engagement, ownership and civic responsibility.
  • Must have been completed during the past three years (within the period between January 2019 and January 2022), or should be ongoing and at an advanced stage in order to have led to tangible results (quantitative and qualitative) that have generated an improvement for heritage sites/assets, as well as for their users and stakeholders in the given context.
  • Should be interactive and participatory and lead to the engagement and empowerment of the participants.
• Heritage: Champions Influential and inspiring individuals or organisations whose exemplary action demonstrates an exceptional level of dedication, impact and civic engagement for the safeguard and enhancement of cultural heritage.
  • Candidates must be nominated by another individual or organisation.
  • The nominee(s) can be an individual, organisation or group of people.
  • The achievement in question may be remunerated or non-remunerated/voluntary.
  • The nominee(s) must demonstrate a high degree of commitment, coupled with excellence in the protection, conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in Europe.
  • The achievement must have far exceeded normal expectations from heritage professionals or volunteers in the given context.
  • The results achieved by the nominees must have generated an improvement for heritage sites/assets, or for their users and stakeholders in the given context.

For more information, visit https://www.europeanheritageawards.eu/apply/