Official Call for Universities

The European University Festival invites universities and higher education institutions across Europe to submit innovative projects addressing climate change and global environmental challenges.

Europe and Climate Change

Applications open: 21 May 2026
Deadline: 30 November 2026

Key Information

Participation: Free
Language: English

Up to 150 Selected Projects
24 Finalists

Final Phase: May 2027

Live TV & Online Broadcast

Participation in the Call is free of charge. Selected projects will benefit from European visibility through the Festival’s institutional, media and partner network.

Selected projects may also be presented to European institutions, international partners and industry leaders, creating opportunities for collaboration and potential real-world implementation.

About the Call

The European University Festival invites universities and higher education institutions across Europe to submit projects that contribute concrete, measurable solutions to climate change and environmental challenges.

The Call aims to highlight academic excellence, innovation and cross-sector collaboration, connecting research, institutions and industry within a structured European platform.

Selected projects will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee of the Festival and may access a pathway for potential implementation in collaboration with strategic partners.

Eligibility

Applications are open to:

European universities
Higher education institutions
Academic research groups
Student teams formally affiliated with a university

Applications must be submitted by a faculty member, researcher or academic representative using a verifiable institutional email address.

Prior institutional approval is not required at the time of submission.

Thematic Areas

Projects must address climate change and may fall within one of the following areas:

Science & Environment
Art & Academies
Sustainable Gastronomy
Sport

Each institution may submit a maximum of one project per thematic area.

Application Requirements

Each application must include:

A written project description (maximum 5,000 characters)
A mandatory presentation video
Optional technical documentation (if applicable)

Video Specifications

Recommended duration: 75–90 seconds
Maximum duration: 120 seconds

Format: MP4 (H.264)
Resolution: Full HD (1920×1080)
Maximum file size: 500 MB

The video must clearly present:

Project title and institution
The climate challenge addressed
The proposed solution
Measurable impact indicators
Current stage of development

Videos containing copyrighted material without authorization or non-compliant technical specifications may be excluded.

Finalists may be invited to provide extended audiovisual material for television and media production purposes.

Selection Process

All eligible applications will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee of the European University Festival.

The evaluation process will consist of two stages.

Stage 1 – Preliminary Selection

Up to 150 projects will be selected based on the official evaluation criteria.

Stage 2 – Final Selection

Between January and March 2027, the Scientific Committee will select 24 finalists.

The official announcement of the finalists will be made publicly.

Finalists will be invited to present their projects during the Final Phase of the European University Festival – May 2027.

Official Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Relevance to climate change challenges – 20 points
Innovation and originality – 20 points
Measurable environmental impact – 25 points
Feasibility and scalability – 15 points
Cross-sector collaboration and European dimension – 10 points
Quality and clarity of presentation (including video) – 10 points

Maximum score: 100 points

Legal Notice

The European University Festival reserves the right to modify the present Call for organizational or institutional reasons.

The Festival also reserves the right to reschedule, relocate or adjust the format of the event if required due to force majeure, institutional decisions or logistical circumstances.

Submission of an application does not create any contractual right to participation.

Selected projects may access opportunities for implementation in collaboration with strategic partners; however, the Festival does not guarantee automatic funding or operational deployment.

By submitting materials, applicants grant the Festival the right to use submitted texts, images and video excerpts for communication, promotional and institutional purposes, with proper attribution.

Apply from 21 May 2026