Now open: second call for proposals for the programme Power of Design and Transitions
How can the creative industry contribute more effectively to enabling, guiding, and accelerating societal transitions through the development of interventions and applications?
CLICKNL has launched the second call for proposals within the Programme Power of Design and Transitions. Project teams consisting of creative companies, research institutions, and public or private partners are invited to submit a project idea for a collaborative project in which knowledge questions from design practice take centre stage.
The call targets projects that carry out design-driven research, with a central focus on a knowledge question emerging from design practice. These projects develop interventions for transitions while simultaneously generating knowledge that supports better design for change. This could involve, for example, designing to shift people’s attitudes toward change, designing from public values while applying emerging technologies, or designing environments that encourage specific behaviours. It may also include interconnected interventions that reinforce each other’s impact within challenges such as healthcare, sustainability, and safety.
Two frameworks guide the scope of the projects:
The call is framed by two guiding perspectives. The first concerns a selection of topics from the mission-driven innovation policy, which provide a context for the interventions.
The second is based on the research themes from the Power of Design Agenda, which guide the formulation of the knowledge questions.
Who can participate?
The programme supports project teams in carrying out design-driven research. A project team must include at least:
- one research institution,
- three creative companies,
- one private company,
- and a stakeholder who owns or represents the societal challenge.
For this second call, a total budget of €3,250,000 is available. The call aims to support five collaborative projects starting between June and December 2026. Each selected project can receive up to €650,000 in funding, with a required minimum of 20% private co-financing.
Once selected, all five projects automatically join the programme’s community. Within this community, teams actively exchange knowledge and experiences, share results with each other and the wider creative industry, and jointly engage in overarching research activities focused on collaborative transition work.
Two-phase application process
The call consists of two phases. In the first phase, project teams submit a project idea. A selection of five high-quality and complementary proposals will be invited to further develop their ideas into full project plans in phase two. CLICKNL supports this phase by funding networking events, offering sparring sessions with the programme council, and guidance from the programme team.
Important dates
- 2 June 2025: Online board opens for sharing practice-based questions, project ideas and partner search
- 30 June 2025: Mix & Matchmaking event in Utrecht
- 25 September 2025: Mandatory pre-registration deadline
- 6 November 2025 at 12:00 CET: Final deadline for submitting project ideas
Interested in participating?
Want to take part? We strongly recommend posting a design-related practice question on the board and attending the matchmaking event on 30 June. Project ideas can be submitted until 6 November 2025, 12:00.
Find all information about the call, eligibility criteria, and the full programme here.