Bridging historical past and future potential through conservation, preservation, and adaptive use of Europe’s contentious and dissonant heritage

The main goal of this opportunity is to create a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda focused on the preservation, conservation, and adaptive reuse of contested and dissonant heritage across Europe. It aims to foster open dialogues on difficult historical legacies and provide actionable recommendations for managing such heritage. The opportunity also seeks to use these cultural assets for education and sustainable tourism, while promoting inclusivity, gender equality, and innovative approaches for long-term preservation. The focus covers heritage linked to colonial, totalitarian, and authoritarian histories. Projects should engage with European Member States, Associated Countries, and related EU initiatives, with international cooperation encouraged (except with China for Innovation Actions).

• Explore multi-perspective approaches to heritage tied to political oppression, colonialism, authoritarian regimes, and contested public narratives.

• Develop participatory governance models to engage communities in inclusive heritage preservation and interpretative practices.

• Integrate gendered and intersectional considerations to foster inclusive and equitable heritage interventions.

• Investigate the interface of cultural heritage and environmental values, particularly in the stewardship of cultural landscapes.

• Assemble multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral teams (e.g. anthropology, history, heritage science, communication, political science) across Europe.

• Generate actionable policy and governance insights for managing contentious heritage assets and promoting reconciliation.

Examples:

• A European university network developing guidelines for managing sites linked to colonial history, following the required application format.
• A partnership of museums and NGOs proposing a participatory approach to adaptive reuse of dissonant heritage, with all costs presented as a lump sum.
• A cross-border team creating educational tools for sustainable tourism at sites with controversial legacies, adhering to the 33-page limit and eligibility rules.

• Personnel costs directly related to the project
• Travel and subsistence for project staff
• Costs for organizing workshops, conferences, and stakeholder meetings
• Consultant and subcontractor fees for expert services
• Development and production of educational or communication materials
• Equipment and materials needed for project activities
• Costs for data collection, analysis, and digital tools
• Dissemination and outreach activities
• Project management and coordination expenses

All expenses must be included in a single lump sum and comply with Horizon Europe’s lump sum funding rules.

• Budget for this Call: 3.500.000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 1
• MAximum value per project: 3.500.000€
• Minimum value per project: 2.500.000€

• Consortium must have at least three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries, with at least one in an EU Member State

• All partners must be from EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries and show sufficient financial and operational capacity

• Action type is Coordination and Support Action (CSA)

• Project must focus on conservation and adaptive reuse of contentious or dissonant heritage (e.g. colonial, authoritarian, neglected sites)

• Must involve multidisciplinary approaches and participatory governance, including SSH experts and civil society

• Gender, intersectionality, and inclusion must be addressed in the heritage narrative

• Proposals should follow Open Science and FAIR principles, using European research infrastructures where relevant

• Standard Horizon Europe rules on ethics, conflicts of interest, exclusions, data protection, and legal compliance apply