A Europe-Wide Response to The Europe Challenge

Across 38 countries, 301 libraries and communities have stepped forward with ideas that span from rural Ukraine to urban Italy, and from climate action to AI literacy. Of these, 278 are eligible for support. If every eligible project were brought to life, these initiatives would benefit over 826,000 people across Europe, from children in book-filled classrooms to older adults rediscovering connection and purpose.

This is a cross-border response to the European Cultural Foundation (ECF)’s invitation to help shape Europe from the ground up through culture. At the heart of these proposals lie the transitions our strategy prioritises – social, digital, and green – and the civic energy needed to navigate them. Each proposal represents a local answer to a Europe-wide challenge, and together they form the cultural infrastructure for a more democratic and connected continent.

Many projects are focusing on strengthening social cohesion, tackling loneliness, mental health, and marginalisation. Others are confronting digital transformation, supporting people to use and question new technologies with care. And a growing number are placing libraries at the centre of climate action, mobilising them as trusted public infrastructures for a just green transition. Seventy per cent of applicants are new to ECF, which means our call is reaching first-time applicants and communities that have been previously underrepresented in European initiatives. The movement is growing.

These projects make clear what we know: that libraries are not just quiet rooms full of books. They are strategic sites of democratic renewal. They are places where participation, solidarity, and imagination take root.

Behind the scenes, our Europe Challenge team is stewarding this work with care, clarity, and strategic intent—building a network that connects local action to continental change. This is Europe being reimagined not in institutions, but in neighbourhoods, by people who believe that culture is how we live together well.