The Europe Challenge 2024 Open Call

Your library and community of choice are invited to apply for the third edition of the Europe Challenge 2024: Libraries, Communities and Democracy and be part of a unique growing network of European libraries that work together to enhance democratic participation and social and environmental wellbeing through citizen-led local change. The Europe Challenge is an annual programme that brings together teams from libraries and communities across Europe to address social isolation, inequality, disinformation, climate crises and other local challenges by developing, sharing and implementing creative solutions with support from the European Cultural Foundation and its partners. This edition runs from January to September 2024. The Europe Challenge equips participants with the tools to develop and implement creative solutions through:

• a series of online and in-person workshop and mentoring sessions
• funding of up to EUR 10.000 (optional)
• additional peer-to-peer exchange opportunities and travel

The call is open from 9.00 CEST 5 September to 9.00 CEST 16 October.  An online Q&A session where you can ask questions about the details of the call and the application process will take place on Facebook via a discussion thread on 19 September 15.00 CEST. The Europe Challenge was launched in 2020 and has since supported 39 library initiatives across Europe. They are showcased in the publication Sense of Belonging which also tells the story of why and how the programme was conceived.   The Europe Challenge is initiated by  the European Cultural Foundation and supported by Fondazione Cariplo, the Scottish Libraries and Information Council, and public funding by Arts Council England. The programme delivery partners are Changency, OBA and Public Libraries 2030.