Europeana STEM Challenge FAQ

Application tips

• This is a short application form - answer your questions precisely.

• Consider your audience and make sure your project is SMART (specific/measurable/achievable/realistic/timely).

• Think carefully about the supporting material you want to upload and how long it might take you to develop the material you need to show us. Make it concise, high quality and visually engaging.

Why does Europeana run challenges?

We believe that the content in Europeana Collections can be used for social, economic and educational impact. Through the Europeana Challenges, we invite creative professionals to show us how they can reuse digital cultural data on a specific topic. Then, we fund the best project ideas.

Why are the challenges themed?

We set a challenge theme to attract proposals that will use the best of Europeana Collections in a really creative and imaginative way.  

This year, the competition reflects the needs of educators for more STEM (science/tech/engineering/math) content and aspires to combine the richness of digital cultural data with the power of modern, visual storytelling to create engaging learning experiences.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from individuals or teams from across the world interested in developing educational videos on STEM topics with Europeana’s openly licensed content. Applicants may be individuals or legal entities and must be over 18 years old.

What do I have to do to apply?

• Provide a short summary of your video project proposal.

• Share with us a maximum of three links to Europeana content you would use.

• Show us your previous work by sharing Youtube or Vimeo links (not mandatory but highly recommended).

• Apply via our submission page.

What type of project is eligible?

Your project proposal must meet our challenge theme and criteria as shown in the challenge terms and conditions.

What content can I use?

You must use openly licensed content (i.e. Public Domain Mark, CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA). We can not fund proposals that do not respect the relevant rights statements.

We recommend using the ‘Can I use it?’ filter when searching on  Europeana Collections to find the material you can use.

What do you mean by 'openly licensed' content?

Not all of the content on Europeana Collections is available to be reused. Freely reusable content with attribution is available under the licences CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA, and the Public Domain Mark.

How do I apply?

Applications must be submitted via the online form. Once you submit your application, you cannot edit your proposal, so please ensure you work on it carefully before submitting.

What language can I write my proposal in?

The text of your online application must be in English. The videos (both the pilot video and the final video project) should be either in English or have subtitles in English (if the creator’s native language is not English).

What supporting attachments should I submit and how many can I add?

Applicants should provide references to the Europeana content that will be used in the video - up to five sample records or links to a maximum of three datasets or content queries.

We also highly recommend submitting a maximum of three links to your previous video work. Unfortunately, we can’t accept attachments to your application by email.

Do I have to deliver within the timeframe set by Europeana? What happens if there are problems?

In your project planning, you should take into account the timeframe for delivery set by Europeana and, of course, thoroughly scope any potential problems and plan additional contingency time. You can deliver early but not late.

Can Europeana give me advice on my proposal?

We are a small team and, out of fairness to all applicants, we can’t review or comment on your application or project idea.

Who assesses the applications?

First, the Europeana Foundation team will check your proposal against the challenge criteria and create a list of applications for assessment by an external jury panel of educational experts. Find out more about the assessment criteria. The panel will then conduct online interviews with the shortlisted proposals and select the winning proposal(s). Please do not approach any panel members for support as this will lead to your disqualification.

Who owns the intellectual property?

You own the intellectual property in whatever you develop. However, the videos must be published under the CC-BY-SA licence and credit Europeana by using the ‘Made with Europeana’ logo in the video.

What happens if my application is unsuccessful?

We will inform unsuccessful applicants by the date shown in the terms and conditions. Please note that the challenge is extremely competitive; for this reason, we won’t be able to provide personal and qualitative feedback to the individual applicants. It is not possible to appeal the final decision of the jury panel.

What happens if I am selected?

To receive the funding, the winner will be required to sign a subcontract with the Europeana Foundation. A staged payment schedule and delivery points will be agreed between the Europeana Foundation and the winning applicant(s).

Will the awarded funding be a net amount?

No, the granted funding is a gross amount and will not cover any taxes. The Europeana Foundation is VAT exempt and the winner(s) is responsible for any VAT or other tax declarations and payments.

Will you have more challenges?

Yes, we host one or two challenges each year. We also work in partnership with others to provide opportunities for the creative reuse of digital cultural heritage content in other ways. Sign up to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter and keep an eye on our website to find out more.