Launch of the Third Place Formula 2025 contest

The Blagosphere Center and the community of public space managers announce the start of applications for the II All-Russian contest "Third Place Formula 2025".

The competition is designed to recognize the contribution of business and regional/municipal authorities to the support and development of public spaces. Applications for the competition will be accepted until July 31, 2025.

Who's the contest for?

The competition is open to commercial companies or regional, city, municipal authorities that support and develop public spaces.What kind of public spaces are we talking about?

Community centers, art centers and creative clusters, social co-working spaces, neighborhood theaters, open public spaces. And also well known cultural institutions (museums, libraries, cultural centers), which have outgrown their original concepts and have become real centers of cultural life, good neighborhoods, gas pedals of civic initiatives and producers of local projects.

We are NOT talking about open urban public spaces - parks, embankments, squares, etc. - but only spaces "under the roof". Announcement of winners

The winners will be announced at the IX All-Russian Annual Conference "Factory of Spaces" on October 15-16, 2025 in Moscow.

Winners receive a Badge of Recognition on behalf of the public space community. This is a kind of "quality mark" from the professional workshop and public gratitude.

The recognition sign was designed specifically for the Third Place Formula. Its idea belongs to architect and designer Olga Rokal. The prize is a sphere made of wood (a warm and "touching" material) on a triple brass support. After all, public space is the sphere of our interests, where we create warmth, atmosphere and literally hold its audience in our hands with the support of partners.Winners 2024

Winners of the I contest "Third Place Formula" have been announced in October 2024 also at the conference "Factory of Spaces". The winners included: Nizhny Novgorod City Administration, Pyatyorochka retail chain, MMC Norilsk Nickel, the Government of Kaliningrad Region, Neighborhood Center Limited Liability Company (Tyumen), Novosti Yugra Publishing House, Metalloinvest Company.Who can apply for the contest?

The application can be submitted either directly by a commercial organization or authority, or by a public space that receives support from a commercial organization or authority and nominates them for this competition. Nomination of individuals is not foreseen.Initiators of the competition

The competition was established in 2023 by the community of managers and founders of public spaces from different regions of Russia, which was formed from the participants of the All-Russian annual conference "Factory of Spaces" of different years since 2017.

The organizer of the conference and the "Third Place Formula" contest on behalf of the community is the Blagosphere Center. The Contest Council includes space managers from different cities of the Russian Federation.5 NOMINATIONS OF THE CONCURSE

"The best integrated program of the company in support of public spaces"

This nomination will recognize commercial organizations that take a comprehensive approach to the development and support of public spaces. This is not only financial support for specific spaces on the territory, but also support and development of personnel for the spaces, promotion of replication of best practices, support for initiative groups that develop ideas for public spaces, and communities that fill these spaces with life. Most importantly, for a commercial organization it should be a conscious strategic goal, not a single experience.

 "Best integrated regional/municipal program in support of public spaces"

This nomination recognizes regional and municipal authorities that invest in the emergence and development of public spaces in their territories for a comprehensive approach to supporting public spaces.

This could be, for example, a regional ministry of youth supporting the creation of youth cultural centers, co-working spaces, or a district municipality supporting local activists creating public spaces, and so on.

"Sustainable Space Development."

This nomination recognizes commercial organizations or regional/municipal authorities for their long-term contribution to the development of a specific public space. Provided that this space remains active, continues to be attractive to audiences, supports new initiatives and communities, and opens new areas of activity.

"Discovery of the Year."

This nomination recognizes both commercial organizations and regional/municipal authorities for new public spaces opened with their support during the year preceding the closing date for applications.

"Event of the Year."

The "Event of the Year" nomination recognizes events held in public spaces in partnership with a commercial organization or regional/municipal authorities that were significant for the development of these spaces. For example, thanks to this event, the space was able to significantly expand the audience of visitors, supporters, open a new area of activity, attract new partners, and contribute to the development of the territory.

Application form and details on the page contests