European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards Open for Applications

The annual award programme provides grants and public recognition to outstanding initiatives and best practices that contribute to the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage in Europe.

The European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards were launched in 2002 by the European Commission as part of the implementation of the Culture Programme. The awards celebrate and promote the highest standards in cultural heritage interventions, research, and education, training and awareness-raising, as well the longstanding dedication of professionals and volunteers.

For the 20th anniversary of the awards, applications are being accepted in five categories:

  • Conservation & Adaptive Reuse.
  • Research.
  • Education, Training & Skills.
  • Citizens Engagement & Awareness-raising.
  • Heritage Champions.

Entries may be small or large scale, ranging from local to European to international level, and be related to tangible, intangible or digital heritage. Eligible entries must be projects or undertakings in the following areas:

  • Archaeological sites, including underwater archaeology.
  • Architectural heritage: single buildings or groups of buildings in rural or urban setting.
  • Building additions or alterations, or new building projects within historic areas.
  • Cultural landscapes: historic urban environments or townscapes, city or town squares and streetscapes, as well as historic parks and gardens, larger areas of designed landscape or of cultural, environmental and/or agricultural significance.
  • Works of art and collections: collections of artistic and historic significance or old works of art.
  • Intangible cultural heritage.
  • Digitisation projects of cultural heritage.

Up to 30 outstanding heritage achievement projects will be awarded throughout Europe. Of these, up to five will be selected as Grand Prix laureates, while one will receive the Public Choice Award, chosen in an online poll. All the winners receive a certificate and a plaque, while the Grand Prix laureates will receive a monetary prize of €10,000 each.

Entries may be submitted from individuals and organisations in all countries that take part in the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Entries may be submitted for projects/studies or dedicated service to heritage conservation by anyone closely connected to the entry, as long as permission has been gained from the owner of the building or site/author of the study.

Applications should be submitted by the 1 February 2022 deadline.

(This report was the subject of a ResearchConnect Newsflash.)