The premiere edition of the Next Gen Design Competition invites all creatives aged 18-35 across Europe to explore bold, regenerative, and inclusive design solutions.

Under the theme “Redesign Tomorrow, Today,” this competition empowers the next generation to tackle the pressing challenges of our time with ingenuity and imagination.

Submit your innovative ideas addressing sustainability themes like circular products, eco-friendly textiles, solutions to food waste, urban farming, and more. Up to 5 entries are welcome.

Details about the 2025 theme are available on the official website.

Design can push bold visions of a regenerative future. We’ve asked young Europeans their concerns and what, according to them, should be prioritized. They shared and highlighted critical areas of focus for designing this future, including improving air quality, implementing effective waste treatment, reducing single-use plastics, expanding green spaces, and enabling eco-conscious education. Over 60% of young people we have surveyed also emphasized the need for support in transitioning to sustainable lifestyles, from reducing food waste to embracing sustainable fashion and eco-friendly alternatives.

This competition is your chance to push boundaries, experiment with traditional and futuristic approaches—from circular materials and AI to biomimicry and local crafts—and craft designs that build a more resilient tomorrow. We seek youth-focused solutions tailored to address this generations’ needs, aspirations, and challenges, fostering their engagement, empowerment, and active participation in sustainable living and community building.

In terms of the awards, the Next Gen Design competition includes the Next Gen Design Traveling Exhibition, Next Gen Design Residency Program and 5 monetary awards.

The Next Gen Design Traveling Exhibition

Winning works selected by the International Jury will be included in the Next Gen Design Traveling Exhibition touring Europe from May to November 2025 at 5 partner festivals:

• Mikser Festival, Belgrade Serbia: 29 May – 1 June, 2025
• What Design Can Do, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 2 – 6 June, 2025
• Vienna Design Week, Vienna, Austria: 26 September – 5 October 2025
• Barcelona Design Week, Barcelona, Spain: 7 – 17 October, 2025
• Skopje Design Week, Skopje, North Macedonia: November 2025

The Next Gen Design Residency Program

Single authors of the selected entries or team leaders of the winning teams will participate in the 4-6-day Next Gen Design Residency Program with covered expensesat one of the 5 above-mentioned festivals. The programme will consist of: Next Gen Design upskilling programs, collaborative practical assignments in local problem-solving, and the Next Gen Design Exhibition Opening Ceremony.

The organizers will provide reimbursement for the following expenses: Travel – up to 400 EUR; accommodation: affordable local lodging (hostels or rental apartments) – up to 50 EUR per night; Boarding costs, daily meals – up to 50 EUR per day.

Five Monetary Awards

The best residency project at each festival will receive the Next Gen Design Residency Award and a monetary prize of 2,000 Euro per each winning residency team. The Next Gen Design Award Ceremony will take place at the end of the Next Gen Design exhibition/residency cycle, in November 2025 at Skopje Design Week.

About Next Gen Design

Next Gen Design is a three-year program of co-learning, research, design competitions, workshops and exhibitions connecting 5 prominent European design festivals – Mikser Festival in Belgrade, What Design Can Do in Amsterdam and 3 Design Weeks, in Vienna, Barcelona and Skopje – aiming to encourage young creatives living in Europe to create, adopt and disseminate green and sustainable design that contributes to European Green Deal.

No Entry Fee!

It’s free to enter.