We’re happy to share that three new European projects have been approved — expanding GEN Europe’s work at the intersection of community-led transformation, rural resilience, and regenerative governance: NEB.CONNECT (Creative Europe), RUDI (Horizon Europe) and SOILSTICE (Horizon Europe).
NEB.CONNECT reconnects rural and inner areas through culture-led regeneration inspired by the New European Bauhaus values of sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics. With partners in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Croatia, it will co-develop and pilot the RURAL Model — a flexible methodology using emotional storytelling, co-creation workshops, participatory mapping, and site-specific artistic practices. Key open-access outputs will include the RURAL Handbook of Best Practices, the RURAL Web Radio, and the RURAL Model itself.
RUDI addresses the combined pressures of demographic decline and climate change by building evidence and practical tools for rural decision-making, while co-creating and testing solutions that improve wellbeing and attractiveness. It will set up eight Rural Innovation Clusters and associated Rural Living Labs, bringing together municipalities, SMEs, social economy actors, civil society, and research institutions to pilot innovations (from cooperative care models to circular agri-food and climate-resilient mobility). A Demography–Climate Dashboard, policy support package, cascade funding, and a Network for Rural Transformation will help replication and scaling, contributing to the EU’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, Rural Pact, and European Green Deal.
SOILSTICE strengthens participatory soil stewardship by making Territorial Management Agreements (TMAs) a practical governance tool: co-created “contracts” between municipalities, land managers, and citizens that embed measurable soil health indicators and endure beyond political cycles. Over 36 months it will implement 40 TMAs across 11 countries, mobilise 10,000 citizens, and train 200+ facilitators and municipal/civic actors, while providing toolkits and an open-access TMA Studio interoperable with the EU Soil Observatory and SoilWise. The project aligns with the forthcoming Soil Monitoring Law and supports long-term funding pathways (including LEADER) to scale soil-positive governance and contribute to Mission Soil goals.
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What this means for our network
These three new project will give GEN Europe and its members the opportunity to continue bringing our values and creating impact and change — from culture and belonging, to innovation ecosystems, to long-term stewardship of land and commons.
If you want to get involved, keep an eye on upcoming opportunities for:
* hosting pilot actions / living labs
* participating in trainings and peer learning
* sharing practices, tools, and stories from your community
* supporting dissemination and replication across countries
We’ll share participation calls and concrete entry points through our usual member channels as each project moves into implementation. | 
