Design Wings has been selected as one of Lithuania’s two national winners of the 2025 European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA). Out of 11 projects submitted from across the country, only two were chosen to represent Lithuania at the European level: Design Wings and U(In)Power. The national selection was coordinated by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania.

Our project, implemented by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, has been recognised in the category of Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship – a perfect reflection of our mission to foster sustainable, socially conscious design through meaningful collaboration between young designers, businesses, and NGOs.

"This nomination is a major recognition not only for the project but for the entire community working to create positive change through design. We're proud to represent Lithuania at the European level with an idea born from collaboration between creatives, businesses, and society,” – says Gabija Vanagė, Project Lead of Design Wings.

According to Vice-Minister of the Economy and Innovation Agila Barzdienė, “Lithuania's entrepreneurship ecosystem is maturing – we see more and more initiatives that not only create economic value but also address social, educational, and climate challenges. This year’s national winners demonstrate that Lithuania is capable of delivering European-level solutions that are innovative, sustainable, and impactful.”

The selected projects will now be evaluated by the international EEPA jury, which will identify the top European initiatives this autumn. The final winners will be announced in November during the SME Assembly in Denmark, where national champions from across Europe will gather.

The European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) have been organised by the European Commission since 2005, recognising the most impactful entrepreneurship initiatives across Europe. The 2025 edition marks the 20th anniversary of the awards.

The competition is held in two stages – national and European. Only projects selected through the national round are eligible for the EU-level evaluation. In Lithuania, the national selection process is organised by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation.