Pilot projects

We’re seeking innovative, community-led or creative projects based in coastal regions across the Atlantic Area. These projects should be committed to sustainability, social inclusion, and creative transformation.

Whether you're a grassroots community initiative, established local private business, start-up or collective, local authority or a government agency, we want to hear how your project supports the coastal economy, cultural identity, or natural environment — early-stage proposals are also welcome.

This call is part of the SEALabHaus programme, funded through the Interreg Atlantic Area. We aim to identify 25 projects (5 per region) with local beneficial impact potential, from which 1 Project per region will be selected for further development through mentorship and promotion as an EU SEALabHaus supported Pilot Project.

The 5 selected Pilot Projects can access:

• Mentorship from business and NEB experts
• The NEB Canvas to guide development
• International exchange of experience and learning sessions
• The online EU SEALabHaus platform to maximise the visibility of your project

• Local community initiatives
• Grassroots collectives
• Local authorities or government agencies
• NGOs and cooperatives
• Start-ups and social enterprises
• Established, early-stage or informal projects
• Youth and/or women-led projects
• Projects involving marginalised or underrepresented voices

• Download the Expression of interest questionnaire (Word doc) and fill it in (EN, FR, PT, ES).
• Send the completed form to your regional contact email.
• Attach any supporting material (images, PDFs, videos) if relevant.

Projects will be selected based on:

• Relevance to local coastal context
• Social/environmental impact potential
• Readiness for development through mentoring
• Openness to apply New European Bauhaus values
• Priority given to youth, women, and people with disabilities
   

Each regional partner will appoint a local jury for the selection of the shortlisted projects.
Each region will nominate 1–2 experts to join the jury panel.
Each regional partner jury will review the shortlisted project application forms and select the final pilot project for their region.
Final evaluation will be agreed with MCC with support from MEDA and XUNTA.

• A local mentor will be appointed to each of the selected pilot projects in their region through 2026.
• Each pilot project leader and their specialist mentor will be invited to participate in the mentor training to be held in Ireland in November 2025.
• The pilot project leader and local mentor will meet on a quarterly basis throughout 2026 to review and support the project development and implementation.
• Training on the NEB canvas, developed by the EU SEALabhaus project will be provided to all pilot project leaders.
• High levels of visibility for each selected pilot project.
• Beneficial specialist critique of your project to increase its potential for success.

SEALab Pilot Projects_Application Form

SEALab Pilot Projects_Open Call Framework_EN

SEALab Pilot Projects_Bases da convocatória_PT

SEALab Pilot Projects_Bases da convocatoria_GAL

SEALab Pilot Projects_Bases de la convocatoria_ES

SEALab Pilot Projects_Notice d'information_FR

[Attach download link to the Expression of interest questionnaire]
[Optional: Attach NEB Canvas and other material for transparency]

Application Email Contacts

Portugal: geral [at] adelo.pt (geral[at]adelo[dot]pt)
France (Bretagne) : gwladis.le-roux [at] brest-metropole.fr (gwladis[dot]le-roux[at]brest-metropole[dot]fr) 
Spain (Galicia) : proyectos [at] medatlantia.eu (proyectos[at]medatlantia[dot]eu)
Spain (Canary Islands): sealabhauscanarias [at] gmail.com (sealabhauscanarias[at]gmail[dot]com) 
Ireland : localenterprise [at] meathcoco.ie (localenterprise[at]meathcoco[dot]ie)

Please note that the application questionnaire will be sent in each region to the email provided by the regional partners. To ensure proper identification of the submissions, it is essential that the subject line of the email includes the following text:

"SEALAB HAUS PILOT PROJECTS OPENCALL SUBMISSION_ NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION"

We kindly ask you to strictly follow this instruction to facilitate the organization and review of the applications received.