Inspirational Practices, Tools

Co-creation sprints: a practical guide for organisations

Year of production: 2026

PRP cover methodology

Why co-creation matters for organisations

Democratic participation is a fundamental horizontal priority within the Erasmus+ (E+) and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes. It encourages individuals and communities to take an active role in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Participation is understood not only as a political principle, but as a lived practice grounded in compassion, respect and social responsibility.

Yet, how can such a practice be truly put into action? It requires methodologies capable of navigating the complex, uncertain and interdependent real-life challenges faced by National Agencies, project teams and beneficiaries of E+ and ESC programmes.

In this spirit, the co-creation process embodies the very essence of democratic participation. As Rizzo et al. (2018) describe it, co-creation is “a non-linear process involving multiple actors and stakeholders in all phases of ideating and implementing new products, policies and systems with the aim of improving their efficiency and effectiveness under the maxim of satisfaction of all those who participate in the process.”

In simpler words, co-creation means working together with everyone affected by a challenge (from start to finish) so that everyone has a voice in creating solutions.

When organisations, end-users, external experts, and other stakeholders are invited to design and shape projects together, they engage in shared decision-making and collective ownership. This inclusive process strengthens responsibility, trust and a sense of belonging within the group or community, as everyone’s contribution becomes visible and valued. In doing so, design processes become living examples of democracy in practice.

Co-creation is equally valuable for participatory project management. Whether you are designing a national strategy, preparing a Transnational Cooperation Activity, or planning to write a project application, co-creation helps uncover the real needs, challenges and motivations of your target groups. It allows project teams and beneficiaries to shape objectives and activities together from the very beginning.

In this article find step by step guidance on how to organise this participatory approach in your project or organisation, as well as ready-made templates for using the methodology.

Canva Whiteboard Template
Canva Whiteboard Template
Canva Pitch Template
www.canva.com

Understanding what the problem is and who’s affected by it

From our experience in the New Power in Youth partnership, many challenges that organisations face in fostering youth participation originate from different sources. Some are about organisational culture — how teams work and make decisions. Others relate to human capacity, such as staff workload or limited facilitation skills. Still others concern infrastructure or systems, like digital tools, processes or support structures. Each requires different approaches and resources, including, at times, external expertise.

Some challenges are difficult to see, others harder to name, and many are tough to resolve precisely because they are entangled with other equally complex issues. So, where do we begin?

By comparing perspectives collected from your organisation and participants, and by identifying shared ideas, you will build a deeper understanding of the urgency of the issues you can work on. Based on this understanding, you can apply co-creation at three complementary levels:

Internally, within your team, to solve operational and coordination challenges.
With participants, to design better programmes/initiatives/projects and activities that respond to real needs.
Cross-sectorally, with other organisations, project partners and stakeholders from different fields, to build stronger and more connected ecosystems of participation.

How you can start small to gain comfort around co-creation methodology

Begin with one challenge that keeps coming up, something you genuinely want to explore. For instance, if you are preparing a project application, a short co-creation activity can help you clarify the underlying needs and expectations of your target group before defining objectives and activities. Check whether others see it too: talk with colleagues, ask participants, or scan notes and feedback you already have. Shared curiosity is the best place to start.

Co-creation doesn’t mean putting everyone in one room and expecting immediate results. It means setting the right conditions so people feel comfortable, listened to and ready to contribute, with a clear sense of how outcomes might be integrated into their everyday practice. This takes some preparation, perhaps a short survey to test interest, a few one-to-one conversations to build trust, or a simple hybrid setup if people can’t meet in person. This will already help reveal recurring patterns: topics and pain points that point us toward the real challenges underneath the surface. But remember, complex problems bring different viewpoints. Each of us sees the world through our own lens, shaped by our roles, experiences and responsibilities. Co-creation works when we recognise these lenses and learn to look through them together, embracing a plural, non-linear way of understanding problems and possibilities.

Every co-creation needs a starting point; someone or some organisation has to take the initiative, i.e. co-creation leads. But leading doesn’t mean carrying the whole weight. The goal is to create a shared space where decision-makers and end-users (the ones that will use the final co-created result) can explore ideas openly. When that happens, ownership becomes collective and solutions become stronger.

From our experience, here’s what we’ve learned:

Not everyone needs to know everything. We depend on each other’s expertise and build trust throughout the process. We solve challenges together.
There is no single right way. To do things well, we need to try, test, learn, and try again. Real feedback matters more than assumptions.

Quick co-creation sprint format in six steps

An example of how we did it

In September 2025, the New Power in Youth (NPiY) partnership implemented a co-creation sprint that brought together the NPiY Pool of Experts and Trainers with project partners.
The sprint aimed to:

Encourage experts and trainers to learn from each other and build knowledge on youth participation.
Strengthen collaboration and networking within the Pool and the partnership.
Co-design ideas that could guide the future of NPiY activities.

Before launching the sprint, project partners were invited to share the challenges they were facing. These were compiled and sent to the Pool of Experts and Trainers as a starting point for reflection. The sprint then unfolded over two days of ideation and prototyping, followed by a presentation and validation session with the wider partnership. A similar process can be easily adapted by project teams or organisations preparing funding applications or strategic plans. Several ideas were adopted, and some are already moving into implementation. This is proof that even a short, well-structured process can lead to lasting impact, wouldn’t you agree?

So, how can you do it yourself? The effectiveness of co-creation sprints lies in their adaptability. With the right structure and preparation, any organisation or team can use this method to turn complex challenges into tangible and actionable solutions.

How you can do it

This co-creation sprint follows six steps with nine exercises in total. It can be completed over two days or extended across several sessions, depending on how deeply you wish to explore each phase and the resources you have available.

Step 1: Setting the stage

Before the sprint, co-creation leads (the ones who have initiated and coordinated the co-creation process) gather key challenges. During the session, these challenges are presented, reviewed and complemented with any missing ones. Similar topics are then grouped together, and everyone votes on which to prioritise. A challenge needs at least two votes to move forward (you decide the threshold). Based on interest and ambition, participants are divided into several co-creation teams, ideally with four to five people per team to keep collaboration focused and effective.

Step 2: Framing the challenge

Teams ask: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
They then prepare two to five questions for people affected by the challenge and reach out to them directly by phone, message or short interview. This step is crucial: you need real input from real people, not assumptions.

Step 3: Reframing the challenge

Teams choose one tool: either “5 Whys” (asking “why” repeatedly to uncover the root cause) or “How Might We”(turning the challenge into opportunities). They use the insights gathered from their earlier conversations to sharpen their understanding of the real problem. Often, the first problem identified isn’t the actual one. For example, one selected challenge was: We need to “walk the talk.” National Agencies and SALTOs need to involve their target groups in decision-making. Using the 5 Whys method led to a redefinition of the challenge: Organisational change takes time, requires capacity-building, and often depends on policy direction. Without clear frameworks and incentives, experimentation with new participatory approaches can seem risky.

An example of the 5 WHYs tool filled out

Step 4: First solution ideas

Teams use the “Crazy Sudoku” method: they write the challenge in the centre of a page and brainstorm eight unconventional solutions around it. They consider different perspectives in policy, structure, people, culture and mindset. Drawings and sketches are welcome.

Step 5: Solution ideas and prototyping

Teams define their idea in a few sentences: what it is, who it’s for, where and when it’s used, why it matters, and what kind of solution it is.
Then they choose one of the following prototyping methods:

If–Then Logic — to test cause and effect.
Mock-up — to make a tool or method tangible.
Storyboard — to visualise the journey over time.
User Journey — to map each step from the user’s perspective.

The prototype doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be clear enough to invite feedback.

Step 6: Storytelling and pitching

Teams prepare a short pitch using a shared Canva template and present their ideas to peers and facilitators. Feedback focuses on three points: what works, what questions arise, and what could make it stronger.

Whether you do it at the end of the sprint or as a follow-up activity, make sure to plan concrete next steps. Clarify together:

How will we continue?
Who will do what?
When will we meet again?
How will these ideas feed into our programmes?

Important things to remember

Before you start, make sure that everyone affected by the challenge or the potential solution is

Resources and templates

A set of ready-to-use templates has been developed within the New Power in Youth partnership to help National Agencies, project teams and programme beneficiaries plan and run their co-creation sprint. These templates can be used both for internal development work and for participatory project design, including the preparation of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps applications. These include:

Canva Whiteboard Template – a step-by-step guide with exercises and timing suggestions (make a copy to edit)
Canva Pitch Template – a visual overview you can adapt for your own sessions (make a copy to edit).

We also warmly invite your feedback and reflections. Every sprint, every experiment and every lesson learned helps us all get better at addressing the complex democratic challenges facing society. Please share your experiences, insights, or examples of practice with us at SALTO Participation & Information Resource Centre at saltoparticipation@harno.ee .

This article and the co-creation methodology described were developed and implemented by Olga Glumac and Eleni Stamouli, co-creation sprint facilitators. It was coordinated by SALTO Participation & Information Resource Centre and SNAC New Power in Youth with support from JUGEND für Europa.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.