Replicability

Is your knowledge easy to pass on to others? Can another library easily adopt or adapt your workshop?

Sustainability

Does your idea use circular/regenerative principles such as upcycling, repair, or open-source tools?

Regional Diversity

Does your proposal share "ways of knowing and doing" new to where you plan to travel?

Can it help foster new connections between different regions or Pilots?

Inclusivity

Does your project make creative technologies accessible to everyone, promote diversity, and keep the public library a safe, welcoming space?

Aesthetic & Purpose

Does your idea find a creative and aesthetic way to combine traditional crafts with modern digital tools?

The make-a-thek Mobility Scheme is hosted by participating Pilot libraries and make-a-thek local partners. During the application process, you will be asked to indicate your first and second preferred destinations from the list below.

As this is an annual rolling programme, hosting opportunities may be updated throughout the year as Pilot libraries confirm their participation. While we will always aim to match you with one of your preferred destinations, final placements depend on host availability, scheduling and the best overall fit.

Flexible hosting: Activities may take place at the Pilot library or at a partner venue, makerspace, festival or other community location within the host region.

Current Mobility Scheme Pilot destinations (Track A):

🡪 Antwerp (Belgium)

🡪 Barcelona (Spain)

🡪 Berlin (Germany)

🡪 Budapest (Hungary)

🡪 Helsinki (Finland)

🡪 Kranj (Slovenia)

🡪 Milan (Italy)

🡪 Opole (Poland)

🡪 Reykjavík (Iceland)

🡪 Kyiv (Ukraine)*

🡪 Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine)*

Knowledge Exchange Programme 2026 (Track B):

Cohort #1 🡪 Barcelona

Between end of November and start December 2026.

Knowledge Exchange Programme 2027 (Track B):

Cohort #2 🡪 Berlin

re:publica event

9-13 May 2027

• 01 Eligibility check

  🡪 Before applying, you must ensure you meet the residency requirements. You must be a legal resident of an EU Member State, a Horizon Europe associated country, or one of the international pilot countries (Ghana, South Africa, Indonesia, Philippines, or Chile).

  02 Selecting your track and thematic(s)

  🡪 You must choose the programme that best fits your experience level and align with at least one core theme.

  03 Application submission

  🡪 Applications are submitted through the Open Call typeform. In your application, you should suggest which pilot library you would like to visit (Track A) or which cohort meet-up you wish to attend (Track B).

• 04 Evaluation and consensus

  🡪 Applications are reviewed in batches by a Selection Panel made up of consortium partners. The evaluation process includes verifying completeness and eligibility, individual assessment based on the criteria, consensus meeting to finalise selection decisions and ensure a balanced regional representation across the pilot network.

  05 Contact participants

  🡪 Once notified, you must confirm your participation in writing within two weeks. This formal step is required to secure your place in the programme.

06 Host matching

🡪For Track A: The organising team will coordinate with your suggested host to finalise the specific placement, satellite locations, and dates for your visit. If a match cannot be finalised with your first choice, the panel may offer an alternative placement at another pilot site.

🡪 For Track B: You will receive a participant guide containing all essential information regarding your cohort meet-up.

07 Travel and Participation

🡪 Once confirmed, you will receive a flat stipend (€1,000 for Track A or €850 for Track B) to cover travel and lodging. You then travel to execute your workshop or participate in the intensive group sessions.

08 Post-travel requirements

🡪 To conclude the exchange, you must complete the following:

All participants must submit a short online experience report within one month of finishing their trip.

Participants from Track B only, must organise a local knowledge-sharing activity (like a talk or demo) for at least 6 people in your home community within one months of returning.

Workshop guides or materials created must be licensed under Creative Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)

You may be invited to participate in an interview for a "Community Learning Journey" case study to be featured in the make-a-thek’s open repository.

Eligibility & Residency: You must be a legal resident of an EU Member State, a Horizon Europe associated country, or one of the international pilot countries (Ghana, South Africa, Indonesia, Philippines or Chile) specifically involved in the make-a-thek international rollout.

Role Exclusivity: To ensure the project meets its community reach targets, one individual cannot represent both the make-a-thek Trainer/Expert and the Ambassador roles for the same pilot entirely. These roles are designed to be complementary, where a local Ambassador organises the event while a visiting MAT Expert delivers technical content.

Confirming Your Participation: If selected, you must confirm your participation in writing within two weeks so we can secure your place and provide the financial support as soon as possible for you to make travel and accommodation arrangements.

Alternative Placements (Plan B): If a match or scheduling cannot be finalised with your chosen host library/satellite location due to logistical or regional constraints, the Selection Panel reserves the right to offer you a placement at an alternative partner library/satellite location.

Original Work & Open Licensing: All ideas and materials you share must be your own and respect intellectual property standards. Any educational content, workshop guides, or tools developed through this funding must be licensed under an open license (e.g., Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 4.0) as Open Educational Resources (OER) to benefit the public.

Compliance with Programme Conditions: Participants are expected to fulfil the commitments described in this Entry Guide, including delivering the agreed activity (Track A) or participating in the agreed exchange (Track B), submitting the required report(s), and complying with the programme rules. Where financial support has been provided in advance, participants who withdraw without justified reason or fail to fulfil these commitments may be required to repay part or all of the awarded stipend. Exceptions may be considered in cases of force majeure or other exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the make-a-thek consortium.

Sharing Your Work (Media Release): By participating, you grant the consortium permission to use photographs, videos, and written materials of your activities on our website and social media to inspire the wider community.

Data Privacy (GDPR): We protect your personal data in strict compliance with European privacy laws. Your data will only be used for the evaluation, organization, and reporting of the exchange programme. For inquiries, please contact our Data Protection team at info@makeathek.eu.

Tax Responsibility: The awarded funding is a flat stipend. Recipients are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with their local national tax and social security regulations regarding this stipend.

Visibility and Acknowledgement: Because this programme is EU-funded, you must display the make-a-thek project logo, the EU emblem ("Funded by the European Union"), and the host library’s logo on any public communications about your exchange. When posting, please tag @makeathek and use the hashtags #makeathek and #europeanunion.