The Europe Challenge 2022

Overview

The Europe Challenge is:

• an opportunity for Europeans to see the potential of great ideas and solutions that are developed on the ground
• for libraries, an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your community and your role as a safe public space
• for communities, an opportunity to imagine a future locally and across Europe

For the Europe Challenge 2022, they are inviting libraries and communities to solve a challenge that matters to them, can be shared with other Europeans and that:

1. addresses the library as a safe cultural space for dialogue, diversity and understanding between different people

   and / or

2. provides access to trusted information and curated knowledge for better informed opinion and debate in society

The Europe Challenge 2022 is a unique platform that allows for the design of:

Immediate and urgent community responses that can include also specific emergency actions for refugees and others affected by Putin’s war in Ukraine

and

Mid and longer term actions addressing general issues and needs of communities related to for example:

• access to information and knowledge
• open and peaceful dialogue between people and communities
• wellbeing and biodiversity
• inclusion and diversity

Check out the Stories section for the examples of challenges & solutions created by seven libraries with their communities who participated in the first Europe Challenge in 2021.

What does the Europe Challenge 2022 offer?

The selected challenge teams – represented by one library and one community member – will participate in a year-long learning-by-doing programme that includes:

• prototyping solutions in your local context with your communities & stakeholders
• facilitated learning and exchange with peers (libraries and communities) in other European contexts – both online and in person get-togethers
• support from Democratic Society – expert in citizen engagement, collaborative design and innovation
• a final Europe Challenge event that showcases solutions on Europe Day, 9 May.

Additionally, you can get access to

• funding to prototype and solve your challenge (optional, up to 10.000 EUR)
• potential application process for future funds beyond the programme for growing or (further) implementing solutions.

Overall eligibility criteria

• Applications must be submitted in English;
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old;
• A library and a community* need to apply together – both need to be represented in the application form.
• Applicants should be located in one of the European countries **

* In this call, they refer to “communities” as groups of individuals who are linked either locally or online, sharing common values, interests, beliefs, resources or any other common factors that affect their identity and their degree of cohesiveness. These could be for example informal community groups, associations, collectives, specific communities of practice.

* * Europe is regarded in cultural terms and in and beyond the official European Union member states. They understand Europe as a genuinely cultural endeavor, a community of people, their ideas, visions and social dynamics. A true civil society that relates to each other across political borders, shares in mutual solidarity and assumes its global responsibilities around the world.

Priorities

• In all their ECF programmes they prioritise diversity, equality and inclusivity with regards to cultural and religious backgrounds and beliefs, age, race, colour, ability, sexual preference and gender identity. This is a key focus in our assessment of everything they do and how they do it.
• Another priority in their assessment is climate awareness and climate justice and the effect on a healthy environment and sustainable future.

Selection criteria

All incoming proposals will be assessed based on these basic principles:

• The local / thematic challenge is and context is well explained
• It is clear what has to be changed and why, and who specifically will benefit from the change locally and / or internationally
• It is clearly described how the community and library work together as one challenge team
• The proposed solution has the potential to make positive change and inspire others in Europe
• The challenge and proposed solution relate to one or both of the areas of this call:
  • library as a safe cultural space for dialogue, diversity and understanding
  • access to trusted information and knowledge
• Motivation, capacity and commitment for the duration of the programme are clear
• If you have indicated you would like to receive financial support, it is clearly explained why this is necessary and how you intend to distribute the funding between yourselves. Please note: we can provide up to 10.000 EUR. Not requesting funding and using your own resources – financial or in-kind – to facilitate the prototyping of your solutions, will allow more libraries and communities to participate in the programme.
• Your proposal embeds ECF’s working priorities of diversity and inclusion, and climate awareness, as integral values and principles (see the note below)