News
Nominations are Open: CEB Award for Social Cohesion 2026
28 October 2025
Paris (28 October) – The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has launched today the seventh edition of the CEB Award for Social Cohesion, to be awarded in March 2026 - a symbolic year marking the Bank’s 70th anniversary.
The annual prize, worth €45,000, recognises outstanding initiatives that address critical social challenges, strengthen community bonds and improve lives across Europe. Open to organisations and individuals in the CEB’s 43 member countries, the Award celebrates projects that deliver measurable social impact and promote inclusion, particularly of vulnerable or marginalised groups.
“Enhancing social cohesion lies at the heart of the CEB’s mission,” said Governor Carlo Monticelli. “As we mark seventy years of social investments in people and communities in 2026, the 7th edition of the Award is a vivid reminder that lasting progress starts with compassion and solidarity at the local level.”
Alongside the main prize, two runners-up will each receive €5,000 to support their contribution to social cohesion.
Nominations are open until 2 January 2026 (23:59 CET, Paris time). All submitted projects will first be reviewed by a panel of CEB staff with expertise in project management, sustainability and evaluation. The most promising entries will then be assessed by an independent Jury of experts drawn from academia, social entrepreneurship, and partner institutions.
The 2026 Award ceremony will take place on 16 March in Warsaw, Poland, during the Joint Meeting of the CEB’s Governing Bodies, where the winner will be officially announced.
Eligibility
The competition is open to organisations and individuals (aged 18+) based in the CEB’s 43 member countries across Europe. Nominated projects must be ongoing (projects that are already completed or have not yet started will not be accepted).
For more information on eligibility, selection criteria, and previous winners, please visit award.coebank.org.
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate from its 43 member countries. The CEB finances investment and provides technical assistance in social sectors such as education, health and affordable housing, while focusing on the needs of vulnerable people, as well as on the social dimensions of climate change and the environment. Borrowers include governments, local and regional authorities, public and private banks, non-profit organisations and others. The CEB, which has a triple-A credit rating, funds itself through international capital markets. In addition, the CEB receives funds from donors to complement its activities.