Join our “Innovation for Democracy” Pitch Competition, Leuven, 3 to 5 October 2025!
Apply to be a participant of our “Innovation for Democracy” Pitch Competition, an exciting initiative by the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) to reimagine the future of European democracy through the lens of cutting-edge technology.
Taking place from Friday evening 3 October to Sunday, 5 October 2025, this 48-hour competition in Leuven (Belgium) will bring together civic tech developers, democracy advocates, and technology experts—including specialists in AI, Metaverse, Blockchain, Data science and other emerging fields—to co-develop actionable proposals aimed at enhancing democratic processes across Europe.
The winning team proposal will be awarded a €2,000 prize and will be integrated into a growing community of digital democracy practitioners. Travel and accommodation will be covered by ECAS (within Europe).
Far too often, dialogue around innovation in democracy remains confined to narrow expert domains. Our goal is to bridge the gap between civic insight and technical expertise. By assembling interdisciplinary teams and encouraging them to pitch forward-thinking democratic solutions, we aim to foster collaboration that leads to real impact—both in the short and long term.
30 selected participants will be randomly divided into 10 interdisciplinary teams— each team composed of experts in different fields, for example:
At the end of the event, each team will pitch their most innovative, tech-enabled vision for upgrading European democracy to a panel of renowned experts in democracy and technology and EU institutional actors.
(More details on the methodology of the competition itself will be given once the selection process is over.)
To apply, please send to nicolo.triacca@ecas.org your CV and a short motivation letter (half a page) explaining:
Deadline for application: 31/08/2025
Join us as we explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can shape the democracies of the future!
This activity is part of the EURECA project, co-funded by the European Union.