Catalyse NEB - Open Call 2026

Are you building an impact-driven start-up that wants to grow, without compromising your values? 

Then the Catalyse NEB Open Call 2026 is right for you!

Call opening (subject to change): October 27, 2025

Apply today

Apply now

Resources

Use our factsheet on how to apply for easy reference

Download call manual (coming soon)
Call on EU Funding & Tenders Portal

The content of this page is provided for information purposes only and may be subject to modification prior to the official publication of the call.
All details are provisional and may be adjusted before the final launch.

Why join?

Because impact shouldn’t come at the cost of growth.

Catalyse NEB is built on the foundation of the New European Bauhaus (NEB)  – where innovation meets inclusion, design, and sustainability. It’s Europe’s creative engine for turning the Green Deal into everyday reality, rethinking how we build our cities, produce materials, and shape communities. 

By joining Catalyse NEB, you gain:

  • A trusted entry point into the EU funding and innovation landscape 
  • Access to cross-sector partnerships across 4 EIT KICs and hundreds of European cities 
  • Hands-on mentoring, strategic visibility, and investor introductions
  • Association with the European Commission’s flagship NEB initiative 

Catalyse NEB helps you scale your business and your purpose, while connecting you to Europe’s most vibrant innovation community. 

What do you get?

Each selected start-up receives: 

  • A €20,000 grant for growth, travel, and dissemination 
  • Tailored mentorship and workshops on business, NEB values and communication
  • Access to EIT-wide events, visibility opportunities, and investor matchmaking. 

Who can apply?

Start-ups that are:

  • Registered in the EU or Horizon Europe-eligible countries

  • Incorporated after 1 January 2020

  • With less than €1M raised

  • At pre-seed, seed, or early Series A stage

  • With at least one founder committed to active participation

  • Ready to sign a SAFE agreement

Additionally, applicants must meet one of the following:

  • ≥ €5,000 in 2024 revenue, or

  • ≥ €10,000 investment received, or

  • Graduate of the Grow NEB programme

We're looking for startups that:

  • Embed sustainability, inclusion, and beauty into their business model 
  • Address at least one NEB Challenge: 
    • Reconnecting with nature 
    • Regaining a sense of belonging 
    • Prioritising places and people that need it most 
    • Fostering long-term, circular thinking in industry 

Sectors include: climate, food, manufacturing, mobility, circular economy, creative industries, wellbeing, and quality of life. 

Timeline

Call opens 

27 October 2025

Info session | register

26 November 2025

Application deadline 

19 January 2026

Evaluations 

Jan – April 2026

Programme starts 

25 May 2026

Powered by EIT, Europe's innovation engine

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is the EU’s largest innovation ecosystem,  connecting over 2,000 partners, 60 hubs, and all 27 Member States. 

Through the EIT Community NEB, you gain: 

  • Credibility and trust within the EU innovation landscape: EIT-supported ventures are automatically visible to European institutions and funding bodies 
  • Access to follow-on support through EIT programmes, open calls, and EU funding pipelines (Horizon Europe, EIC Accelerator, etc.) 
  • Introductions to investors and corporates via EIT’s cross-sector network (climate, food, mobility, manufacturing, and creative industries) 
  • Opportunities to pilot and scale in European cities and regions already engaged in NEB transformation 

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