Active Cities for EU promotes local decision making through public consultations, to strengthen citizens’ active involvement in European political life. The project focuses on women as tackling gender inequality in the EU will contribute to the protection and further promotion of the EU citizenship.The main aims of the project are: To understand the reasons behind the different levels of participation of citisend participation in different countries To identify, share and discuss best practices, methodologies and tools To simplify the identified methodologies and tools and disseminate them in other EU Member States To train municipal personnel in the use of the simplified methodologies and tools to increase citizens’ participation 5. support local authorities in planning and implementing public consultations to involve citizens in policymakingThe target audiences of the project are local and regional authorities at country level, but also local authorities outside the partners’ countries. Women and young people are also a special focus of this project as according to all data they are underrepresented in public consultations and in some cases they are also lacking interest to participate. Journalists and European institutions, associations and networks will be also targeted as multipliers towards policymakers and the general public.The project partnership supports public consultations and citizens engagement. It is composed of 2 cities and 3 associations from 5 diffrerent countries. The municipality of Kallithea is the coordinator of the project.  

The French Institute for Civil Society Organisations, based in France, aims at meeting CSOs’ needs of knowledge and has three core activities: identifying CSOs’ needs of knowledge, supporting research in response to these needs, and disseminating research findings to CSOs. As such, we operate as a knowledge hub on CSOs, and provide a bridge between CSOs and research.

ECGI is a global research network and international scientific non-profit association providing a forum for debate and dialogue between academics, legislators, and practitioners, focusing on major corporate governance and stewardship issues. It is a membership organisation open to all those with an interest in corporate governance and stewardship. Its 327* appointed research members publish their work on corporate governance in the ECGI Working Paper Series, a trusted source of global research used by practitioners and academics worldwide. *as at 24 May 2021.

ALDA is a key stakeholder in the field of local democracy, active citizenship, and cooperation between local authorities and civil society in Europe, its neighborhood and in the World, mainly acting through participative methods and decentralized cooperation. As a core element, ALDA supports citizens and groups of citizens in their initiatives aimed at improving their local context, building bridges with local authorities in order to make this change real. ALDA was established in 1999 at the initiative of the Council of Europe to coordinate and support the network of Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs), which are self- sustainable, locally registered NGOs acting as promoters of good governance and local self-government, with which ALDA collaborates in many activities. ALDA is a membership-based organisation gathering today more than 350 members, including local authorities, associations of local authorities, and civil society organisations, coming from more than 45 countries in the enlarged Europe. ALDA is funded through membership fees, as well as project funding from the European Commission, the Council of Europe and other public and private donors.

MERAKI is a non-profit organisation located in Valencia (Spain). It was constituted in 2017 by a group of committed professionals in the fields of education, digitalisation and technology and learning processes. The organsiation was created in 2018 by professionals with more than 15 years of experience in the field of education, tecnhnology adapted to education, European projects and entrepreneurship.   WHAT WE DO Our main strength is to facilitate learning processes and the transition from the face-to-face to the on-line environment, in a smooth and friendly way. Our experience in organisation and project management and in learning processes are two key points, essentials in this field.   OUR VALUES We believe that education should be accessible for everyone, since it is the tool enabling personal and social transformation and scientific and technological advances. From that perspective, we povide individual support for those organisations willing to change to the digital environment and to education centres that need to adapt their teaching methodologies. We also provide high-quality trainining mainly in the fields of digital tools for education, learning methodologies and European cooperation. Social innovation is embedded in our NGO, since it was created to solve an existing problem in the field of education. We want to enhance and improve education and society by facilitating contact networks with other European schools, associations, sport clubs and other organisations. Meraki also provides its expertise in various fields to improve education systems and society in general.

Toute l’Europe is the leading francophone website dedicated to European topics. It provides educational content regarding the politics and operation of the European Union and offers an in-depth analysis of European news (political, economical, social, historical and cultural). Touteleurope.eu broadcasts educational information in many forms such as articles, videos, charts, comparative maps, podcasts and fact checking.

About the Finnova Foundation FINNOVA is a European not-for-profit foundation whose main purpose is to seek international funding related to new technology transfer, modernisation, training and innovation. It also seeks to promote international and interregional cooperation through networks and events, its main fields of work being innovation and the financing of innovative projects with resources; FINNOVA's objectives are to promote public-private cooperation through innovation to address social challenges such as employment, training, entrepreneurship, the UN SDGs, the circular economy, etc. In its commitment to innovation, Finnova has been organising the StartupEuropeAwards since 2016, an initiative of the European Commission's DG Connect. Finnova, headquartered in Belgium and Spain, has its own delegations in Chile and Panama. In Spain, it is present in the Comunidad Valenciana, País Vasco, Andalucía, Madrid , and Islas Canarias. Head office: Avenue des Arts, 56, 1000 Brussles (Belgium). Comunidad Valenciana:  Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Nº 5, planta 5, puerta 15. E-46002 Valencia (Spain). Sevilla: Torneo Parque Empresarial. Calle Biología, 12. Edificio Vilamar II. 2ª planta, módulo 11-D. E-41015. Sevilla (Spain).   About Startup Europe Awards Startup Europe Awards is a methodology of DG CONNECT of the European Commission, implemented by Finnova Foundation since 2016. The SEUAs are an open innovation tool to identify disruptive startups that promotes public-private collaboration and raises awareness of the importance of self-entrepreneurship as a driver of employment. In addition to generating alliances that help to meet the SDGs of the United Nations and the actions of the European Green Pact, thus contributing to the circular economy, the fight against climate change and sustainable tourism. About StartupEuropeAccelerathon Startup Europe Accelerathon () aims to identify innovative ideas eligible for funding from the European Union, such as LIFE, Green Deal, Horizon 2020 or NextGenerationEU. StartupEuropeAccelerathon follows the indications of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, contributing from each challenge to the proposed SDGs; in the framework of the StartupEuropeAwards methodology of DG CONNECT of the European Commission, which was born from DG Research and Development in 2020 with the pan-European campaign Hackthevirus. It has been successfully carried out with governments such as that of the Valencian Community with the challenge of industrial polluting waters or the Andalusian Regional Government with the challenge of the fight against climate change, forest management and innovation in the prevention, fight against fires and regeneration of burnt areas.

AGE Platform Europe is a European network of non-profit organisations of and for people aged 50+, which aims to voice and promote the interests of the 200 million citizens aged 50+ in the European Union and to raise awareness on the issues that concern them ;Our work focuses on a wide range of policy areas that impact on older and retired people. These include issues of anti-discrimination, employment of older workers and active ageing, social protection, pension reforms, social inclusion, health, elder abuse, intergenerational solidarity, research, accessibility of public transport and of the build environment, and digital technologies (ICT).We seek to give a voice to older and retired people in the EU policy debates, through the active participation of their representative organisations at EU, national, regional and local levels, and provides a European platform for the exchange of experience and best ;We furthermore inform older people on their rights as EU citizen or resident and on EU policy making processes and recent EU policy development.Through our involvement in several EU projects, we also seek to promote older people's participation in the development of projects and devices intended for them ('user involvement').

The Political Festival of Europe is a yearly democracy festival that aims to gather citizens of Europe over the course of four days to discuss politics and embrace Europe’s rich history and cultural heritage. The Political Festival of Europe takes place in a town called Mariager – also known as the city of roses – an old, idyllic medieval town with crooked houses, cobblestoned streets and timber framed houses. With a modest population of just over 2,500 inhabitants, Mariager town will soon become the place where European democracy will come to life gathering hundreds of thousands of Europeans who want in on the future of Europe. Our mission is to be a place of: Courage – where we dare discuss the future of Europe “Peoplelization” – where we build communities as well as celebrate, showcase, and spread insights to local, regional, and national cultures Inspiration – where we establish debates, dialogues, hearings, and citizen involvement Accessibility – where we create an informal environment for citizens, politicians, and business leaders to meet Anchoring – where we anchor and raise the importance of our democracy for the future of Europe at a local level  In line with our missions, our vision is to “peoplelize” European politics and become a platform, where we strengthen democracy and unity in Europe. We aspire to become the political Olympic Games, where everyone has the possibility of participating in creating the future of Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all the more reason to create a platform, where we together can discuss European politics and its future. A platform, where people actively can get involved in developing European democracy. The inspiration behind Political Festival of Europe comes from the Nordic tradition of folkemøder –  a concept we want to take to the next level and raise from national settings to a pan-European setting in order to discuss matters that influence everyone in Europe. What is a Folkemøde?  The Danish tradition of Folkemøde [Folk – people; møde – meeting] is a public meeting that dates back to 1839. It is a political event that gathers people with different political views and positions in the interest of democracy. A Folkemøde takes form of informal discussions and speeches across opinions and hierarchy that strengthens active involvement of all participants – every one has a say, every one is heard. After the concept faded away in the 1940s, neighboring Sweden’s own form of folkemøde – Almedalsveckan introduced in 1968 – became the inspiration and groundwork for Denmark to revive the concept on the island of Bornholm in 2011 with their very own annual Folkemøde. It took on popularity fairly fast and has generated thousands of national visitors ever since. So far held at national levels, we aim to expand this concept to the whole of Europe. Here is why. What the purpose of a Folkemøde? The Danish model of Folkemøde is the cornerstone for democracy and pays tribute to the community. The foundation of a Folkemøde lies in dismantling barriers between citizens, politicians and decision-makers in order to bring politics closer to the people and to make society a better place for everybody.  The aim is to lead discussions about how to improve the future of the society and have citizens participate in shaping change. A “folkemøde” aims to: o   Inspire and challenge political views and visions o   Let people meet and listen to politicians they voted for o   Let people have a say and be heard o   Increase trust between citizens and decision-makers and hold politicians accountable o   “Peoplelize”, ;build a community where culture is showcased and celebrated o   Facilitate meaningful debates and anchor them in the political agenda  As cultural heritage is also celebrated in a Folkemøde, entertainment and good food are an integral part of such an event. Hence, at the Political Festival of Europe, you will be able to find arts and crafts, music and gastronomy, alongside the political debates, speeches, workshops, hearings etc.

CECOP is the European Confederation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives.It represents the voices of worker cooperatives, social cooperatives, and independent workers’ cooperatives. CECOP works to create a supportive environment for cooperatives, so that they can operate to their full strength and fulfil their mission of providing sustainable jobs and high-quality services to communities. Our aim is to build a fairer Europe and contribute to sustainable economic growth, to bring democracy and solidarity to the workplace.

Fastest growing start-up in Europe, making business travel suck less.

Acavent is a worldwide organizer of scientific conferences, workshops, and exhibitions. Our international company headquarters is based in Vilnius, Lithuania and we already have 10 years of experience in the events industry. Acavent is specialized in creating an academic environment for those who seek new ideas, new achievements, highly skilled academic people, and colleagues all over the world. As a Professional Conference Organizer, Acavent creates, organizes and plans conferences and events in various fields of science. Acavent also offers a thorough list of services required in organizing and holding in-person and online conferences for organizations, companies, and academic institutions. At Acavent, we gather professors, scholars, students, scientists, profit and non-profit organizations, research centers, fast-growing startups, and policymakers, to share ideas, knowledge and skills, to network and foster collaborative interdisciplinary research.

Euclid Network -  the European Social Enterprise Network  (EN), is the leading European Network for Social Enterprise Support Organisations (SESOs), founded in 2007. EN is a member-driven network and represents and supports, with its members, close to 100,000 social innovators and social enterprises across Europe driving positive change in the sector and beyond through research, capacity-building, providing access to finance and markets, policy advice and ;EN is a strategic partner of the European Commission and Social Enterprise World Forum, observer at the UN Task Force for the Social and Solidarity Economy, member of the World Economic Forum Global Alliance of Social Entrepreneurship. In addition, EN partners with the private sector ( and SAP) and national and local governments ( ImpactCity, the Municipality of The Hague) to further drive positive change and ;Today, the network is growing fast and consists of 46 member organisations that are headquartered in 26 countries (20 EU Member States) with activities in 61 countries.Working with members and partners across Europe and beyond, EN:  Creates connections between networks, policy-makers, investors, researchers and support organisations in the Social Economy sector;  Shares and produces thought-leadership, professional and entrepreneurial knowledge and insights; Engages in capacity-building of SESOs to enable them to perform their role to contribute positively to Social Economy ecosystem building and development of actors in their community;   Increases access to markets and access to funding for EN members, partners and beneficiaries; Influences European and local policy and funding and strengthen members’ and network participants’ EU and government engagement; Raises the visibility and understanding of social enterprise, social innovation, social finance and relevant related concepts in business, academia, government and the wider society

entreTime is a new entrepreneurship education service aimed at upskilling educators within higher education institutions and upgrading their pedagogical tools on this domain by providing a comprehensive training package. Following our specific philosophy which considers entrepreneurship as a holistic pedagogical teaching method (“teaching through entrepreneurship”), a unique academic platform for spreading entrepreneurial teaching and co-creation, also outside the traditional domain of business schools and economic faculties, will be set up and validated throughout three years of activity, engaging top-level educators across Europe.

The Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR) is one of the leading centres of excellence in peacebuilding, peace support operations, prevention and post-war stabilisation and peace consolidation. The Institute works globally upon request. PATRIR was awarded the 2011 World Vision International Peace Prize and the 2017 Luxembourg International Peace Prize for 'Outstanding Organisation'​. PATRIR is made up of 3 Departments: The Department of Peace Operations (DPO), the International Peace and Development Training Center (IPDTC) and the European Peace Department (EPD). The Department of Peace Operations supports organisations, missions and governments as well as local, national and international civil society organisations involved in mediation, early warning and prevention, peacebuilding and post-war stabilisation and peace consolidation. The Department provides front-of-field peace support for mediation and peace processes. The International Peace and Development Training Centre (IPDTC) is one of the world's leading capabilities for training, professional development and capacity building. IPDTC provides Advanced Certificate and Executive Leadership Programmes, coaching and institutional development support for Ministries, Agencies, IGOs, UN Missions and Institutions and 'full spectrum'​ support to improve capabilities in the field. The European Peace Department works in Romania and across the EU and European Neighbourhood to address challenges to peace, good governance, democracy and citizens'​ rights in Europe and our neighbouring countries. Its mandate includes the strengthening of positive engagement for peace domestically in Europe and fostering innovation in governance and civic engagement. Program Areas: peace operations, peacebuilding, prevention, early warning, youth, women and peace, gender, addressing radicalisation and violent extremism, peace consolidation, good governance, migration and refugee support.

We are a non profit organization hat seeks the empowerment of citizens from the knowledge of their abilities and competences and the awareness of their rights, through the use of innovative and creative communication and learning tools.To this end, we develop awareness and training activities, promoting the development of social and cultural projects, within the framework of European programmes and other types of public interventions.Our final objective is to provide feedback on activities for the improvement of public policies, seeking bidirectional communication between administration and citizenship, from a local approach.

Equipo Europa is a Spanish pro-European and non-partisan youth association, whose objectives are to bring the European Union closer to young people and to encourage the participation of young people in the European arena. It emerged in 2019 from the #ThisTimeImVoting campaign, launched by the European Parliament to promote participation in the European elections. Since then, Team Europe has carried out multiple initiatives and projects, such as #ATreeForEurope, Europe in the Classroom, Forum for the Future of EU. The association is currently composed of more than 3000 members and has 600 ;

The European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP) represents over 45 national statutory social insurance organisations (covering approximately 385 million citizens) in 17 EU Member States and Switzerland, active in the field of health insurance, pensions, occupational disease and accident insurance, disability and rehabilitation, family benefits and unemployment insurance. The aims of ESIP and its members are to preserve high profile social security for Europe, to reinforce solidarity-based social insurance systems and to maintain European social protection quality. ESIP builds strategic alliances for developing common positions to influence the European debate and is a consultation forum for the European institutions and other multinational bodies active in the field of social security.

The Platform for electromobility unites 40+ organisations from across civil society, industries, cities and across all transport modes. Our members are committed to promote electromobility and strive to collectively develop solutions to electrify European transport, and to promote those solutions to the EU institutions and Member States.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization working to empower people in the world’s poorest communities to overcome the chronic lack of decent housing. Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We are therefore constantly looking for new solutions that would make adequate housing accessible and affordable for all.