The Programme Power of Design and Transitions: what 2025 delivered and what 2026 will bring

The Programme Power of Design and Transitions is developing rapidly. Around this time last year, we were still wondering whether people would find our call and submit ideas. Today, the first five projects have already started, and we have selected a new set of project ideas for the second edition. This clearly shows how welcome the programme is among existing funding instruments, which often support either research or design, but rarely both.

In the coming year, you can expect to hear much more from us. The projects from the first edition will begin sharing their insights, both through their own channels and during collective moments. Whether you are an entrepreneur, researcher or changemaker, and whether you work in textiles, healthcare, the built environment or a completely different sector, these insights may be highly relevant for your practice.
Read the first interview with two newly started projects (Dutch).

For the selected project ideas from the second edition, the next months will be dedicated to developing their ideas into full proposals.
Good to know: within the programme, project teams are allowed to expand during this phase — so this is your moment to join. In June 2026, the programme will announce which proposals will receive funding.

And the big news: we have approval to open another round in 2026. The framework will look slightly different, so keep an eye on our updates. Have a look at our pinboard, and sign up for our newsletter.