A new phase for Networking European Civic Education

With the support of the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung – bpb), which established NECE (Networking European Civic Education) in 2005, THE CIVICS Innovation Hub has had the opportunity to build on its foundations and further develop the network since 2022.

Over the past four years, NECE has evolved into a more continuous, participatory and interdisciplinary platform for European civic education. Alongside the annual NECE Festival, which has explored the themes of FUTURES!, BORDERS, HOPE and now TRUST, we have introduced new opportunities for learning, exchange and collaboration through the NECE Campus, locally anchored Labs and the NECE Magazine. Research, mapping and other knowledge-sharing initiatives have further contributed to connecting practitioners, organisations and expertise across Europe and beyond.

These developments have been made possible through close collaboration with our partners and peers, whose expertise, contributions and continued engagement have shaped NECE and strengthened its community.

As the current funding arrangement with bpb concludes at the end of 2026, NECE is preparing to enter a new phase.

We are deeply grateful to bpb for its support and for the trust placed in THE CIVICS to develop this work over the past four years. This partnership has enabled many meaningful encounters, collaborations and contributions to the European civic education field.

While the funding framework that has supported NECE is changing, our commitment to the community and to the purpose behind NECE remains.

THE CIVICS is currently exploring how to carry this work forward in alignment with our Strategic Framework 2030, which places particular emphasis on strengthening connections, sharing knowledge and building the long-term capacity of the European civic education field.

The shape and scale of future activities will depend on the partnerships, resources and opportunities we develop. We will share further information as these plans take shape.

For now, our focus is on the NECE Festival 2026 in Portugal – an opportunity to come together, explore the dimensions of TRUST in democratic society and for civic education, reflect on the work and relationships developed over the past years, and continue the conversations that make NECE so valuable.

Over the past four years, NECE has grown into a community – one shaped by shared experiences and challenges, mutual learning and relationships that extend well beyond individual events and projects.

We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this community in the years ahead, building on trust, knowledge, and our deep connections.

THE CIVICS Innovation Hub

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