The European Commission has published the first call for entries for the Simone Veil Prize, a new annual European award recognising cultural projects that bring heritage and places of memory to life through civic participation and intergenerational dialogue. The call opened on 18 May 2026; the deadline for applications is 31 July 2026 at 23:59 CET.
The prize, funded under the EU's Creative Europe programme, is named after Simone Veil (1927–2017), the French Holocaust survivor who became the first president of the directly elected European Parliament in 1979 and spent her subsequent career campaigning for human rights and European unity. The award was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Euro-Chanukah celebration in Brussels on 17 December 2025, fulfilling a public pledge she made at the event.
The Commission selected a consortium comprising GOPA Com, GOPA Pace, and the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ) to design and administer the prize. The group will oversee up to three annual editions between 2026 and 2028.
Applications are organised across five award categories: Shared Histories; Heritage for Dialogue; Living Heritage; Cross-Border Cooperation and Shared Narratives; and Next Generation, Youth Engagement and Education. Up to 25 finalists will be selected across all categories, with one Grand Prix winner named in each. Each Grand Prix winner receives €10,000.
Eligible projects must be local or cross-border initiatives completed between January 2023 and January 2026. Applicants must be legal or natural persons registered in a country participating in the Culture Strand of Creative Europe — encompassing all EU member states as well as associated third countries.
Evaluation of applications will take place between August and October 2026, with finalists announced in October 2026. The award ceremony is scheduled for December 2026 in Brussels, at which time the five Grand Prix winners will be announced. Jurors — who serve on a voluntary basis — are required to commit to the full evaluation period from July to December 2026 and are offered travel and accommodation expenses for the ceremony.
Application forms and the Code of Ethics can be downloaded from the Simone Veil Prize website. Completed submissions must be sent by email to applications@simoneveilprize.eu.
