Programme Power of Design and Transitions

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:

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 programme, knowledge is developed with a focus on:

  • understanding systems better and intervening successfully;
  • motivating people to get moving;
  • value-driven and responsible design and
  • orchestrating interventions and broad collaborations.

The projects thus contribute to knowledge development within the themes of the Agenda Power of Design (see chapter 4.1). Read these to know what research questions fit well within the Power of Design and Transitions programme.

Set up

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.

Project team & role assignment

A project team includes at least

  • a knowledge institution (college, university or TO2),
  • three companies from the creative industry (SMEs) and
  • at least one organisation involved in a societal challenge from its practice.

These teammembers act as equal partners in the design and execution of the research. Knowledge institutions take on the role of lead partners.

Process

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. The programme board of CLICKNL evaluates the ideas and advises the board of CLICKNL with which project ideas to enter the second phase.

Phase 2

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.

Documents

Documents Phase 1

Documents Phase 2 (NB formats as indication; during phase 1 the definite documents will become available)

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

Want to know more?

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

The programme Power of Design and Transitions

The Power of Design & Transitions programme is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs' PPP Innovation Scheme. This will replace the current PPP grant from January 2024. The PPSI scheme stimulates public-private partnerships in the field of innovation. CLICKNL chooses to establish this scheme as a program containing mutually reinforcing projects and an overarching learning community. In both 2025 and 2026 there is room for five projects to start within this programme.

  • OKT-Tijdlijn v2
  • Kopie van O&T Lancering LI-2

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