The European Union Prize for Citizen Science consists of three main awards. A Grand Prize of 60,000€, as well as two additional prizes to projects that best demonstrate how citizen science can be used to promote Diversity and Collaboration and Digital Communities, both of which will be awarded 20,000€.

But we also know that there is so much great citizen science happening in Europe right now, so IMPETUS will give honourable mentions to 27 additional projects, who will have their work showcased alongside the winners of the three prizes at the 2025 Ars Electronica Science and Technology Festival, on September 3-7, 2025.

The Prize is open to initiatives operating within a wide-ranging scope of scientific and social activities that engage citizens and aim to deliver scientific advancement and social benefits, support communities, and foster an open and inclusive civil society.

The Prize is awarded annually by Ars Electronica on behalf of the European Commission. The Prize ceremony takes place at Ars Electronica Festival in September. No fees are charged to enter the competition. Each application has to refer to a project that, at the time of submission, is either completed or advanced enough as indicated by e.g. preliminary outcomes to allow the jury to assess its merit. In addition, the submitted initiatives/projects should not be older than two years or, if completed more than two years ago, must still show a significant update or further development through active work within the last two years.

Eligibility criteria

1. The competition is open to Citizen Science Initiatives in the European Research Area. This includes the European Union and third countries in Europe that are associated to Horizon Europe or negotiating an association agreement with Horizon Europe. A list of all eligible countries is available on the IMPETUS website.
2. The competition is open to applications from natural persons (such as individual researchers, creatives, artists, and other individuals), groups of natural persons, legal entities (such as associations, research and higher education institutions, public bodies, NGOs, companies, and other legally established organizations), and groups of legal entities (such as research consortia).
3. Community initiatives may be submitted only by an authorized representative. This may be an individual or an organization as specified above.
4. Initiatives must be at the time of submission either be ongoing, completed or far enough along in their design for the jury to be able to assess their quality and impact and the likelihood of being successfully implemented. The same applies to collaborative arrangements - at the time they are submitted, they must already be up-and-running and in the implementation stage. No consideration will be given to entries that are purely concepts, ideas or proposals for collaboration. Entries must be no older than two years or, if completed more than two years ago, must still show a significant update or further development through active work within the last two years.
5. Initiatives that have received funding from Horizon Europe or other European Union funding schemes are eligible to receive the European Union Prize for Citizen Science, but European funding is not a requirement for entry.
6. Initiatives participating in the IMPETUS Accelerator Program are eligible to receive the European Union Prize for Citizen Science if they fulfill the eligibility criteria (especially 4., see above).
7. Citizen Science Initiatives consisting of or benefitting entities subject to EU sanctions are not eligible to apply.*

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