Best Practice in Politics
We curate exemplary political work that successfully tackles today’s most pressing issues. This platform is a hub of tried and tested best practices in politics.
#aktivizIM App – Empowering Women and Youth in Politics
The #aktivizIM App empowers Albanian women and youth to increase political participation through an engaging digital platform.
School Participatory Budget in Krakow
The School Participatory Budget in Krakow empowers students to make real decisions about their school environment through a structured, democratic process.
The Fabric of Life: Solidarity Laundry in the Valencia floods
After the catastrophic floods in Valencia in October 2024, thousands of residents lost their clothing to mud and contamination. An innovative industrial laundry solution was launched to recover and restore textiles on-site, providing free services to those affected and helping them reclaim dignity, memories, and identity.
The Counter Disinformation Network (CDN)
The Counter Disinformation Network (CDN) builds cross-border collaboration among democracy defenders to expose, dismantle, and prevent influence operations targeting European elections and civic integrity.
Warehouse 51: Zero-Waste Humanitarian Aid System in Valencia’s Floods
After the devastating floods in Valencia in October 2024, GBGE and Paiporta City Council launched a large-scale humanitarian aid response, establishing Warehouse 51 as the central distribution hub and implementing the Circular Solidarity system to minimise waste and maximise aid distribution efficiency.
Breaking the Silence – Óbuda-Békásmegyer’s Domestic Violence Victim Support Programme
The Óbuda-Békásmegyer Domestic Violence Victim Support Program provides Hungary’s first municipality-led, comprehensive support system for survivors, addressing national service gaps through direct aid, systemic reform, and public awareness.
Supp_Optimal – Food For Everyone
Supp_optimal is a community-driven initiative that fights food waste and food insecurity by serving free, nutritious vegetarian meals made from rescued food, while fostering social inclusion and climate awareness.
Recipe for Wellness – Connecting Health Centres and Civic Spaces for Community Well-Being in Vitoria-Gasteiz
This project connects health centres with Civic Centres to promote holistic well-being through personalised activity prescriptions.
Forum against Fakes – Together for a Strong Democracy
The Forum against Fakes – Together for a Strong Democracy fosters a nationwide, inclusive debate to combat disinformation and strengthen democratic trust in Germany.
Health on Wheels: Mobile Screening Across Budapest
Budapest’s Screening Bus program brings free health screenings directly to residents to improve life expectancy.
Driving STEM in the Midlands of Ireland
Ireland’s Midlands is creating the nation’s first regional STEM ecosystem—uniting local government, educators, industry, and communities to equip the next generation for the future of work.
Active Citizen Academy
Active Citizen Academy in Kraków empowers residents with skills and tools to shape their local communities.
Unlocking Potential – Empowering Roma Youth and Women through Skills and Entrepreneurship
This project empowers Roma youth and women through skills training, entrepreneurship support, and tailored tools to boost employment and foster social inclusion.
The Franxini Project – Science Meets Democracy
The Franxini Project fosters mutual understanding between science, politics, and society by equipping researchers to engage effectively in democratic decision-making processes.
Wrocław Urban Farm
Wrocław’s Urban Farm integrates sustainable food production with social inclusion, creating a large-scale, professional cultivation model that supplies fresh produce to public nurseries while empowering marginalised individuals.
e-IDDEEA: Your Mobile Gateway to Government Services
e-IDDEEA is a mobile app that enhances access to government services and enables secure remote digital signing for citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cascais’ Circular Economy Model: Smart Used Cooking Oil Collection System (Sistema de Recolha de Óleos Alimentares Usados)
Cascais’ Circular Economy Model leverages smart technology and community engagement to transform used cooking oil disposal, advancing circular economy principles and environmental sustainability.
Expanding Horizons – Supporting Vulnerable Children in Rural Odobesti
The Day Care Center Model in Odobești tackles child poverty and educational inequality in rural Romania by combining tailored support services with community and political engagement.
Vienna’s Mini-Forests (Wiener Wäldchen)
Vienna’s Wiener Wäldchen initiative introduces dense, fast-growing mini-forests to mitigate urban heat, improve air quality, and enhance green spaces citywide.
Vienna Climate Law
Vienna’s Climate Law sets a binding framework to guide the city’s climate neutrality efforts by 2040, implementing practical measures, climate impact assessments, and community engagement to ensure effective climate action.
Territorial Valorisation Network – Co-creating Local Solutions in Cascais
The Territorial Valorisation Network is a municipal public policy in Cascais that strengthens democratic planning in critical urban areas through structured citizen participation and collaborative problem-solving.
KidsLikeUs: Empowering NGOs & Public Institutions in Helping Children Overcome Migration Traumas
KidsLikeUs supports displaced and vulnerable children by creating inclusive Superhero Sensory Gardens that promote healing, emotional well-being, and social integration through nature-based engagement.
My first pages
My First Pages ensures equal access to books and promotes literacy from birth through targeted book distribution and family engagement activities.
Campus Rural: Revitalising Rural Spain Through Student Internships
Campus Rural connects university students with rural communities to boost local development and counter demographic decline.
ISPADIF: A European Game-Changer in Fighting Against Medicine Shortages
ISPADIF is a digital system that uses AI to monitor and predict medicine shortages, ensuring reliable drug supply in Greece.
A Council that Cares: Including Care Experienced Young People in Local Democracy
This initiative by Cumberland Council champions care-experienced children and young people, tackling inequalities and empowering their voices across employment, education, and community opportunities.
The Loop – East London’s Circular Economy Hub
The Loop is a circular economy hub in Hackney Wick, East London, that repurposes an underutilised warehouse into space for circular and creative businesses, fostering local economic growth while promoting waste reduction and sustainable practices.
48er-Tandler – A Circular Economy and Re-Use Initiative of the City of Vienna
The 48er-Tandler is a modern reuse shop initiative by the City of Vienna, promoting circular economy principles and waste prevention while making reuse attractive and accessible to a broad audience.
VITALISE: eValuating the ImpacT of urbAn mobiLIty measureS on air quality and public hEalth
The VITALISE project develops advanced, high-resolution models that evaluate how traffic management policies affect air quality and public health in Barcelona, supporting data-driven urban planning and pollution reduction.
Office for Participation and Empowerment – City of Vienna
The Office for Participation and Empowerment is a key institution of the City of Vienna dedicated to advancing participation and democracy by fostering co-creation and inclusive collaboration.
RE-USE Charity Shop
The RE-USE charity shop in Hradec Králové reduces waste by selling refurbished items and uses the proceeds to fund urban greenery projects.
Just Energy Transition Fund for Families (Fundo Verde de Apoio às Famílias de Cascais)
Cascais’ Just Energy Transition Fund for Families provides financial support, technical assistance, and community engagement to help low- and middle-income households reduce energy costs, improve comfort, and adopt sustainable energy solutions.
CALIOPE: Real-Time Air Quality Forecasting
CALIOPE is an advanced air quality monitoring and forecasting system that provides real-time, high-resolution data and insights to support public health protection and regulatory compliance.
Cascais Mental Health Initiative (Cascais Mentalmente)
The Cascais Mental Health Initiative improves equitable access to diverse mental health services for vulnerable groups.
GPB + Youth: Young Voices, Real Choices
GPB + Youth is a participatory democracy mechanism with a deliberative nature, giving young people in Gaia – aged 13 to 30 – the power to decide how municipal public funds should be invested.
Economies for Healthier Lives
Salford bridges health and economy to empower communities and tackle inequality through innovative social enterprise.
Puntos Vuela: Bridging the Digital Divide in Andalusia’s Rural Communities
The Puntos Vuela network bridges the digital divide in rural Andalusia, empowering communities with free digital skills training and access to technology for social and economic development.
Manresa Il·lumina Business Energy Community
Manresa Il·lumina Business Energy Community brings together companies in the Bufalvent industrial estate to implement a collaborative solar energy model, promoting local generation, reducing costs, and enhancing business resilience.
Your Ideas, Our Actions: A Participatory Budget for Laeken
In Laeken, residents are taking the lead in deciding how public funds are spent to shape their own neighborhood.
Swimming Towards Inclusion – Swimming Lessons for Children from Low-Income Families and Children with Disabilities
This inclusive swimming programme in Kosovo offers children from low-income families and those with disabilities equal access to recreation, empowerment, and community integration.
Breaking the Cycle – Empowering Domestic Violence Survivors through Financial Support
Kosovo’s first municipal financial aid programme for domestic violence survivors tackles economic dependency by providing direct monthly support to promote long-term safety and independence.
Schlaraffenband – The Edible City Trail Project
The Schlaraffenband Ruhr is transforming the Ruhr’s cycle paths into vibrant edible landscapes that nourish both body and community.
Educate, Empower and Include: A Socially-Driven Pedagogical Health Clinic
This pioneering partnership is transforming physiotherapy education and community care by placing students at the center of an inclusive clinic that delivers vital services to underserved populations in Cascais.
ALLES CLARA: Digital Relief and Care Counselling for Family Carers
Alles Clara provides digital support to Austria’s unpaid family carers, strengthening both individual resilience and the national care system.
#aktivizIM App – Empowering Women and Youth in Politics
The #aktivizIM App empowers Albanian women and youth to increase political participation through an engaging digital platform.
School Participatory Budget in Krakow
The School Participatory Budget in Krakow empowers students to make real decisions about their school environment through a structured, democratic process.
The Fabric of Life: Solidarity Laundry in the Valencia floods
After the catastrophic floods in Valencia in October 2024, thousands of residents lost their clothing to mud and contamination. An innovative industrial laundry solution was launched to recover and restore textiles on-site, providing free services to those affected and helping them reclaim dignity, memories, and identity.
The Counter Disinformation Network (CDN)
The Counter Disinformation Network (CDN) builds cross-border collaboration among democracy defenders to expose, dismantle, and prevent influence operations targeting European elections and civic integrity.
Warehouse 51: Zero-Waste Humanitarian Aid System in Valencia’s Floods
After the devastating floods in Valencia in October 2024, GBGE and Paiporta City Council launched a large-scale humanitarian aid response, establishing Warehouse 51 as the central distribution hub and implementing the Circular Solidarity system to minimise waste and maximise aid distribution efficiency.
Breaking the Silence – Óbuda-Békásmegyer’s Domestic Violence Victim Support Programme
The Óbuda-Békásmegyer Domestic Violence Victim Support Program provides Hungary’s first municipality-led, comprehensive support system for survivors, addressing national service gaps through direct aid, systemic reform, and public awareness.
Supp_Optimal – Food For Everyone
Supp_optimal is a community-driven initiative that fights food waste and food insecurity by serving free, nutritious vegetarian meals made from rescued food, while fostering social inclusion and climate awareness.
Recipe for Wellness – Connecting Health Centres and Civic Spaces for Community Well-Being in Vitoria-Gasteiz
This project connects health centres with Civic Centres to promote holistic well-being through personalised activity prescriptions.
Forum against Fakes – Together for a Strong Democracy
The Forum against Fakes – Together for a Strong Democracy fosters a nationwide, inclusive debate to combat disinformation and strengthen democratic trust in Germany.
Health on Wheels: Mobile Screening Across Budapest
Budapest’s Screening Bus program brings free health screenings directly to residents to improve life expectancy.
Driving STEM in the Midlands of Ireland
Ireland’s Midlands is creating the nation’s first regional STEM ecosystem—uniting local government, educators, industry, and communities to equip the next generation for the future of work.
Active Citizen Academy
Active Citizen Academy in Kraków empowers residents with skills and tools to shape their local communities.
The Winners
of the Innovation in Politics Awards 2024
Foodcard: dignified state food aid for people in need
The Foodcard is an innovative solution which gives people the freedom and dignity to choose what food and necessities to buy, and from where.
SeaProtectorOne, Aarhus
The SeaProtectorOne robot is installed at the river mouth in Aarhus, where the river flows into the harbour, removing rubbish before it enters the sea.
B-MINCOME: guaranteed minimum income & active social policies in deprived urban areas
B-MINCOME effectively improves the well-being of families in socially excluded and deprived areas by combining minimum income guarantees with inclusion policies.
