How can we better empower creative professionals to address societal challenges and accelerate transitions? The Power of Design and Transitions programme is committed to developing new knowledge that can be used to better design for transitions.

View and download the official request here

Please read the key information from the request below.

Whether it is social design, game development or architecture: to design well for transitions, more knowledge and methods are needed. Consider, for example, knowledge about public values and the inclusive society, methods for designing a healthy living environment and the use of technology to support sustainable behaviour. Knowledge and methods needed in design practice should be developed and tested.

The Power of Design and Transitions programme offers creative professionals, knowledge institutions and organisations operating around a societal challenge the unique opportunity to conduct research as equal partners. In this design research, practical questions and the scientific approach go hand in hand. Knowledge and methods are developed that are of direct value to better design for transitions. In addition, we learn about the use of design power for societal challenges.

With the knowledge of how to drive, effectively direct and smooth well thought-out transitions, creative professionals are well equipped and well positioned to do their best and most ambitious work. In this way, the program gives an important impulse to strengthening the creative industry and making our society resilient.

Within the Power of Design & Transitions programme, a maximum of €3,250,000 allowance is available in 2025. From this, five research projects can each receive a maximum of €650,000. The project teams consist of companies from the creative industry, knowledge institutions and organisations and companies operating around a societal challenge. The allowance will be used for design research, shared overarching research and proactive participation in the programme community, within which knowledge and insights are shared between the project teams and with the entire creative sector. A project has a maximum duration of 3 years, starting between June 1 and December 31, 2025. Private co-financing of the project is a minimum of 25% of the requested budget.

CLICKNL invites interested parties to come up with projects together.

Phase 1

From October 7, 2024, CLICKNL invites knowledge institutions and creative companies to submit project ideas. A matchmaking will be organised on November 7, 2024 where interested parties can get in touch with each other. Also on October 21, prior to the matchmaking, an online message board will be opened to exchange potential research topics and question each other.

Until January 7, 2025, project teams with a knowledge institution as their leader can submit a project idea. Use the format below. The programme board of CLICKNL evaluates the ideas and advises the board of CLICKNL with which project ideas to enter the second phase.

The five chosen project teams are invited to co-create project proposals with programme council members. In doing so, they will host a networking activity where creative companies and other stakeholders can respond to the proposal and possibly join the project team. The project teams have until May 7, 2025 to submit their final project proposal. The Programme Council of CLICKNL then advises the Board of CLICKNL that decides on awarding.

The documents hereafter mentioned, give an idea of the documents we expect on 7 May 2025, if your project idea is selected for the Design Power & Transitions programme. Please note, these documents are not yet final; they only give an indication. Take a look at the format for project plans, the format for project budgets and the format for cooperation agreement.

In addition, Appendix 1. Conditions and Explanations is of importance for Phase 2. It is recommended that this document be reviewed during Phase 1 as well, so that the options and conditions of the supplement are known in advance.

For consultation, further explanation of the conditions, help in finding partners or having a project idea, project plan and/or budget checked prior to submission (pre-test), you may email ontwerpkracht@clicknl.nl.

In addition, there are two weekly time slots where the CLICKNL office can answer questions by phone. Details on these can be found in the call-out.

Read the complete request here

Do you want to stay informed about developments around the program? Sign up for the newsletter. (in Dutch)