"**The joint exchange programme “Non-equilibrium dynamics of soft and active matter” (SoftActive) aims at bringing closer communities of physicists working at the forefront of statistical/nonlinear physics of out-of-equilibrium systems. Although many aspects of this very wide topic will be covered, the project is centered on the dynamics and fluctuations in soft and active matter, a subject of crucial importance in quantitative biology/biophysics.**The three countries involved, France, Germany, and Japan, and indeed almost all the participants of SoftActive, have a long history of collaboration on these topics, which are well-developed in each country. But these past and present collaborations have remained, so far, mostly bilateral, and it has become clear that further integration is needed.In particular, the groups involved in this proposal are leaders of the emerging field of ""active matter"" which is so far particularly well represented in France, Germany, and Japan. It is now time to structure international ties, which will strengthen the quality of research and allow for a rapid and organized growth.**The SoftActive project mirrors the “Dynamics of Nonequilibrium Soft and Active Matter” project just approved recently within the “Core-to-Core” program of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). It is divided into four main scientific topics, in parallel to the JSPS-funded Core-to-Core project:-Nonlinear response and non-equilibrium dynamics of liquid crystals and related problems-Slow dynamics of colloids and related problems-Dynamics and fluctuations far from equilibrium-Dynamics of active soft matter**The scientific goals will be reached via the exchange of researchers, notably young ones for long-enough periods of time to insure efficient transfer of knowledge, plus a comprehensive calendar of project-wide events in the form of schools and workshops."