Five European Commission Calls for Funding

The European Commission has rolled out two calls for proposals under its 2024 Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV). CERV’s objective is to sustain and develop open, rights-based, democratic, equal, and inclusive societies based on the rule of law. This includes a vibrant and empowered civil society, encouraging people’s democratic, civic, and social participation, and cultivating the rich diversity of European society, based on common values, history and memory.

 

First Call – CERV European Remembrance (CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM)

This call aims to support projects that commemorate, research, and educate about defining experiences in modern European history and to raise  awareness among European citizens of their common history, cultural heritage and values to enhance their understanding of the European Union and the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance.

Type: Single stage

Opening date: 05 March 2024

Deadline date: 06 June 2024 17:00:00 Brussels time

Total budget (for all four topics): EUR 14 000 000 (The EU grant applied for cannot be lower than EUR 50 000)

Scope:

The call intends to support the implementation of the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life 2021-2030, EU anti-racism action plan for 2020-2025, EU Roma strategic framework on equality, inclusion and participation, and No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred. Integrating a gender perspective in the proposal will promote a more nuanced understanding of historic events as well. It is important to reflect on the proposal from whose perspective history is narrated and whose experiences are deemed important or whose experiences are omitted.

Each project application under the call must address only one of these topics:

1. CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM-TRANSITION – Democratic transition,(re-)building and strengthening society based on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights
2. CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM-HOLOCAUST (Topic 2): Strengthening the remembrance of the Holocaust, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity to reinforce democracy in the EU
3. CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM-HISTMIGRATION (Topic 3): Migration, de-colonisation and multicultural European societies
4. CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM-EUINTEGRATION (Topic 4): European integration and its defining achievements.

Activities that can be funded:

• Link different types of organisations to create synergies
• Develop different types of activities (training activities, publications, online tools, (provenance) research, non-formal education, public debates, exhibitions, awareness-rising, collection and digitisation of testimonies, innovative and creative actions, etc.), also by using new methods of teaching and new technologies;
• Establish and conduct trainings for rights defenders, civil servants, members of the judiciary, law enforcement officials and policymakers;
• Provide opportunities for inter-generational exchanges between witnesses and future generations;
• Involve people from different target groups and gender, including, where possible, people facing racism, antisemitism, antigypsyism or other forms of discrimination and intolerance.

In addition, projects should have a European dimension and preferably, will be implemented on a transnational level (involving the creation and operation of transnational partnerships and networks). Design and implementation should also promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming.

Expected impact:

• Contribution to the implementation of EU policies mentioned above
• Engagement of Europeans from different backgrounds and gender – including young people and people who are multipliers in advocating, strengthening and supporting democratic institutions and structures based on the rule of law;
• Digitisation of historical material and testimonies of eyewitnesses for education and training purposes;
• Inclusion of a European dimension in relevant national and international debates on important historical events and moments of recent European history;
• Identification, safeguarding and availability in particular online, of archival material, testimonies and authentic sites for education purposes, commemoration and research;
• Better awareness of rights and achievements of European integration. Anchoring a sense of belonging among Europeans towards the European project;
• Engagement of Europeans in combating racism, antisemitism, antigypsyism and all types of intolerance; Engagement of Europeans in ensuring Holocaust remembrance, both offline and online;
• Stronger awareness of the historical roots of racism, antisemitism and antigypsyism, as well as of colonialism and slavery as important factors that are embedded in and have shaped European history;
• Stronger awareness of the contribution of minorities such as Roma to the cultural richness, diversity and common history of Europe;
• Building of transnational coalitions on European memory;
• Combating of historical distortion, revisionism and negationism

Who can apply: The applicants (lead applicants “Coordinator”, co-applicants and affiliated entities) must

1. For lead applicants (i.e., the “Coordinator”): be non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or an international organisation.
2. For co-applicants: be non-profit or for profit legal entities (public or private bodies). Organisations which are for profit may apply only in partnership with public entities, private non-profit organisations or with international organisations.
3. Be formally established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

− EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))

− non-EU countries:

− countries associated to the CERV Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries)

Other eligibility conditions:

− Activities must take place in any of the eligible countries.

− The EU grant applied for cannot be lower than EUR 50 000.

− Projects can be either national or transnational.

− The application must involve at least two applicants (lead applicant and at

least one co-applicant, not being an affiliated entity or associated partner).

How to apply:

All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are NOT accepted.

Proposed focus for members: We would like to draw your attention to two particular topics under this call – Topics 3 and 4:

1. Topic 3 – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV) European Remembrance – 2024 (CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM) Migration, de-colonisation and multicultural European societies

This priority focuses on the need to have discussions and debates about migration, colonisation, slavery, and imperialism, their long-term consequences and lessons for future generations. This call posits that prejudices and stereotypes can be addressed by acknowledging the historical roots of racism, including from an intersectional perspective.  Moreover, forced migration, internal displacement, and expulsion are shared experiences of many Europeans. Thus, ensuring remembrance is an important part of encouraging inclusion and understanding.

Objectives:

• To explore the legacy of colonialism, inside and outside Europe, and its impact on contemporary multicultural European societies.
• To raise awareness of Roma history and culture as a way to contribute to strengthening multicultural European societies
• To link common European experiences of migration to multitude of events such as wars, transition moments, colonisation and de-colonisation, economic impacts, persecution, or others

Budget: For Topic 3, the budget is EUR 2.060.000

Eurodiaconia’s work on Roma inclusion promotes the empowerment of Roma people as a cross-cutting issue, focusing on access to education, housing and social and health care services. We invite you to revisit the Guidelines for Diaconal Organisations on Roma Participation.

Members’ current work on migration has a special focus on integration services that empower female migrants and highlights the role of local communities in making integration and inclusion work for both migrants and host societies.

2. Topic 4 – CERV European Remembrance – 2024 (CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM) – European integration and its defining achievements

This topic underscores the advancement and protection of rights of people in all EU countries as a result of European integration. Both institutional processes and advancement of people and movement at various moments towards integration have substantially transformed the life of Europeans.

Testimonies of witnesses could be a particular valuable resource for making the experience tangible and provide an intergenerational perspective.

Objectives:

• To explore and promote to all generations the defining moments and reference points of European integration, its history, and how these changes have in practice affected the daily lives of Europeans (i.e. focus on specific rights granted in the EU such as freedom of movement, specific achievements, or defining moments

Budget: For Objective 4, the budget is EUR 1.550.000

More information about his call can be found here.

Second call – Call for proposals to promote civil society organisations’ awareness of, capacity building and implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI)

The CERV-2024- CHAR-LITI aims to promote civil society organisations’ awareness of, capacity building, and implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This is part of CERV’s objective to sustain and develop open, rights-based, democratic, equal and inclusive societies based on the rule of law, which includes a vibrant and empowered civil society, encouraging people’s democratic, civic and social participation, and cultivating the rich diversity of European society, based on common values, history, and memory.

Type: Single stage

Opening date: 23 April 2024

Deadline date: 18 September 2024 17:00 Brussels time

Budget: The total budget for the call is EUR 16 000 000 divided among five topics.

 

Objectives and scope:

• To promote rights and value by empowering civil society actors to work together at the local, regional and national levels on the fields covered by the programme
• To help in creating a channel of communication with the EU level to report on the state of the civic space in their countries and voice their concerns

Five topics/priorities under this call: Each project application under the Call must address only ONE of these topics representing a specific priority:

 

1. CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI-CHARTER (Topic 1): Capacity building and awareness raising on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights;
2. CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI-CIVIC (Topic 2): Promoting rights and values by empowering the civic space;
3. CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI-LITIGATION (Topic 3): Strategic litigation;
4. CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI-SPEECH (Topic 4): Protecting EU values and rights by combating hate speech and hate crime;
5. CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI-WHISTLE (Topic 5): Supporting an enabling environment for the protection of whistleblowers.

Activities that can be funded:

1. Capacity-building and awareness raising on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
2. Promoting rights and values by empowering the civic space

• Strategic litigation

1. Protecting EU values and rights by combating hate speech and hate crime
2. Supporting an enabling environment for the protection of whistleblowers

 

How to apply:

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal

Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposed focus for members:

For this particular call, we would like to bring attention to two (2) topics that Eurodiaconia members might consider:

Topic 1: Capacity building and awareness-raising on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Funded projects under this topic are meant to raise the fundamental rights knowledge of relevant actors, with civil society organisations and human rights defenders having the central role. National, regional and local authorities can be involved as partners (co-applicants).

The activities that can be funded specifically for Topic 1 are:

• Awareness raising and capacity building activities aiming to increase the knowledge of civil society organisations in particular, but also human rights defenders and other key partners, on the use of the Charter, especially on its scope of application and the rights it contains;
• Facilitating cooperation between civil society organisations and other key actors on enforcing the Charter, such as national human rights institutions (NHRIs), equality bodies, Ombuds institutions and Member State authorities (at national, regional and local level);
• Training and train-the-trainer activities for professionals (such as experts, lawyers and legal advisers, communicators, policy and advocacy advisers, professionals from national, regional and local authorities), including through operational guidance and learning tools;
• Mutual learning, exchange of good practices, development of working and learning methods, including mentoring programmes that may be transferable to other countries, methods for fundamental rights impact assessments and for stakeholder consultation;
• Analytical activities, such as sex-disaggregated data collection and research, and the creation of tools or data bases on fundamental rights (e.g. databases of jurisprudence);
• Communication activities, including dissemination of information and awareness raising about the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter and redress mechanisms, relevant to the priorities of the call;
• Development of procedures, guidelines, technical benchmarks and tools, including for algorithm-audits, to help to protect fundamental rights, including gender equality and non-discrimination, where automation is used.

The expected impact of the intervention include:

• Increased awareness on the Charter and the fundamental rights it enshrines by CSOs, NHRIs, equality bodies, Ombuds institutions, other rights defenders, and other relevant partners, including authorities at national, regional and local levels;
• Increased capacity of the above actors to apply the Charter and the fundamental rights it enshrines in daily work,
• Improved cooperation between CSOs, NHRIs, equality bodies, Ombuds institutions, other rights defenders and authorities at national, regional and local levels on fundamental rights issues;
• Increased prevention of fundamental rights breaches and improved knowledge of available redress mechanisms, including – where relevant – the preliminary ruling mechanism under national and EU law, and how they can be used for the benefit of various rights holders and rights holder groups, including people and groups in vulnerable situations;
• Improved accountability of the development and use of automated systems, including specific algorithms and their output;
• Increased capacities to mitigate or otherwise address discriminatory biases in automated systems;
• Improved knowledge of fundamental rights, including gender equality and non-discrimination law, the legal requirements associated with the development and use of automated systems, and of practical approaches to ensure compliance.

Topic 4 – Protecting EU values and rights by combating hate speech and hate crime

The project intends to contribute to the increased EU effort to fight hatred in all its forms due to the increased hate speech and hate crime in the EU, both physical and online attacks targeting the Jewish and Muslim communities. The call emphasises the crucial role of civil society in combating hate speech and hate crime. Projects under this topic should aim to enable civil society organisations to establish mechanisms of cooperation with public authorities to support reporting of hate crime and hate speech, to ensure victim support, to support law enforcement and to focus on activities that counter hate speech online (e.g. reporting to IT companies, designing counter-narratives, awareness-raising and education activities).

The activities that can be funded specifically under Topic 4 have the following components/objectives:

• to increase the general awareness of the societal consequences of hatred and polarisation, and to address their root causes, particularly in the fields of teaching and education;
• to enable civil society organisations to work in synergy with competent authorities to support the reporting and recording of episodes of hate, including with a focus on specific grounds, and to contribute to the creation of data collection methodologies and mechanisms;
• to ensure support to victims of hate speech and hate crime, encouraging reporting, providing practical help in seeking redress and gender-sensitive and psycho-social support;
• to support the enforcement of existing legislation prohibiting hate speech and hate crime, including through training for law enforcement and justice professionals;
• to elaborate national or local coalitions or action plans against hate speech and hate crime, and to establish or reinforce mechanisms of structured cooperation, particularly between civil society organisations and public authorities in the area of tackling hate crime and hate speech, including to support investigation and prosecution and to protect victims;
• to enhance the resilience of civil society organisations working on combating racism, antisemitism, hate speech and hate crime in all its forms, against threats and in particular cyber-attacks;
• to tackle hate speech online, in particular to monitor the prevalence of hate speech on social media and the “ecosystems” of hatred online, to report hate speech content to IT companies, and to design effective initiatives to prevent and combat hate speech.

The expected impact of the intervention include:

• Increased awareness about the societal effects of hate speech and hate crime, including more effective outreach to individuals and groups at risk of hate victimisation, thereby raising awareness of their rights, including through schools and educational activities;
• Increased knowledge of EU and national hate crime and hate speech legislation;
• Strengthened national or local actions to enhance the capacity of authorities, in particular law enforcement agencies to detect bias indicators and to effectively investigate and prosecute offences, including through multi-stakeholder cooperation;
• Enhanced hate crime recording and data collection methodologies;
• More effective mechanisms to report hate speech and hate crimes and to empower victims and witnesses to come forward;
• Enhanced assistance to victims to access specialist support, providing both victims and witnesses with emotional support, practical help and information;
• Increased knowledge on the prevalence and “ecosystems” of hatred on the different online platforms, in the various national and linguistic contexts;
• Increased effectiveness of notice and action mechanisms by online platforms to enable a prompt assessment and removal of hate speech content;
• Increased awareness among the general population about hate speech and its negative effects on democracy and pluralism;
• Enhanced resilience of civil society organisations to carry out their work against hateful groups and greater capacity to respond to attacks.

The project design and implementation are expected to promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming. Unintended negative effects of the intervention on either gender should be avoided (do no harm approach). Applicants are expected to design and implement their communication and dissemination activities in a gender-sensitive way. Proposals that integrate a gender-perspective across all their activities will be considered of higher quality.

 

Third call – ESF+ Social Innovation+ Initiative - Innovative Approaches Tackling Long-Term Unemployment

This call for proposals aims to contribute to tackling Long-Term Unemployment under the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) Social Innovation+ (SI+) initiative. The objective of this Call is to transfer or scale up proven and promising social innovations aimed at the integration of the long-term unemployed into the labour market and fostering their social inclusion.

The Lithuanian European Social Fund Agency implements the European Social Fund Plus Social Innovation Plus Initiative on behalf of the European Commission (“Granting Authority”).

Opening date: 18 April 2024

Deadline date: 30 September 2024 at 5:00 PM CEST time zone

Grant size: Between EUR 1 000 000 and EUR 3 000 000 constituting no more than 80% of the total project budget. A co-financing of at least 20% must thus come from other sources than the EU budget.

Indicative overall grant budget: EUR 23 000 000

Expected duration of a project: 36 months

Who can apply: Only consortia are eligible

Projects are expected to reflect all three key areas:

(1) cooperation with local employment stakeholders and partnerships between local employers and communities,

(2) improving the mobilisation (mapping and outreach) of long-term unemployed persons (including those facing the

most barriers, such as persons with disabilities), and

(3) providing an individualised, accessible, and inclusive approach for long-term unemployed persons

Applicants must propose projects that include at least the following six predefined mandatory categories of activities. Each category is outlined with exemplary activities, however, applicants can propose new activities or additional categories of activities that complement these examples, provided that they are in line with the aim of the Call.

1. Strengthening of collaboration and capacity building

• Building of the capacity of key stakeholders to implement an innovative approach/model for the benefit of long- term unemployed persons
• Facilitating collaboration among various employment actors (for example through the setting up of a local employment committee, other network structures or formal/informal arrangements at local/regional/national level)

2. Fostering partnerships with local communities and local employers

• Fostering community-driven job creation initiatives that add value to the community while addressing the challenges of long-term unemployment (e.g. offering tailored job opportunities that are aligned with the abilities of long-term unemployed persons (such as the creation of community gardens, resale shops, recycling initiatives, bicycle repair services, deliveries, mobile and/or social grocery shops, sewing clubs and other initiatives))
• Collaborating with local employers to identify job opportunities suitable for long-term unemployed persons, fostering inclusive and accessible hiring practices, and providing support for skill development and on-job training.
• Developing training programmes that integrate elements of social entrepreneurship or community service, where long-term unemployed can apply their skills to address local needs or contribute to social causes.
• Partnering with local businesses and entities to create innovative job-sharing or flexible work arrangements that prioritise inclusiveness, work-life balance, and community involvement
• Establishing mentorship programmes that pair long-term unemployed persons with experienced professionals or community leaders who can provide guidance, support, and networking opportunities

3. Mapping and reaching out to the target group

• Research activities helping to target long-term unemployed persons, including those facing the most barriers to employment, such as persons with disabilities (market research, accompanying research, and evaluation; research about the target group needs, appropriate methodologies; etc)
• Mapping of target groups, their needs, barriers to employment they face, support needed, and already available support with the aim to implement complementary solutions
• Reaching out to the long-term unemployed, including those facing barriers to accessibility and inclusion in typical outreach measures, motivating them, and providing them with guidance

4. Empowering the long term unemployed and enhancing employability and social inclusion through tailored support and guidance

• Offering tailored support to address the specific challenges faced by long-term unemployed persons, focusing on motivation, individual guidance, on-job training, accessibility and other important aspects. Ensuring that persons with disabilities have access to, participate or advance in employment (so-called ‘reasonable accommodation’ in employment)
• Incorporating a strong emphasis on the development of general and transferable skills to enhance long-term unemployed persons’ adaptability and competitiveness in the labour market
• Implementing measures to actively involve the unemployed through the creation of personalised service provision
• Developing coaching services
• Providing ongoing mentorship and guidance to assist them in navigating workplace challenges, career advancement opportunities, and maintaining job stability
• Offering continued support services aimed at addressing any emerging needs or barriers that may arise during the employment phase.
• Collaborating with employers to create supportive and inclusive work environments
• Providing ongoing individualised support to enhance long-term unemployed person’s confidence and capabilities, increasing their employability within the regular labour market

5. Offering various working options and opportunities for long-term unemployed persons

• Establishing or developing social enterprises (only remuneration costs) employing long-term unemployed persons to pursue activities that generate income to (partially) fund their social causes
• Adopting subsidised employment for long-term unemployed persons
• Offering job creation and/or job carving29 options. Creating, modifying, or adapting a job so that it can be performed by a person with or without a disability, while meeting the needs of the employer

6. Participating in mutual learning events

Expected outcomes:

1. The capacities of participating entities built to provide sustainable solutions to reducing long-term unemployment
2. Enhanced stakeholder diversity and collaboration in addressing long-term unemployment
3. Reduced long-term unemployment in the area targeted by the project
4. Strengthened forms of personalised coaching service provision for long-term unemployed persons

All applications must cover ALL of the following elements:

1. Conceptual framework
2. Relevance of social innovation
3. Transnational partnership
4. Diversity of stakeholders
5. User-centred approach
6. Impact measurement and management
7. Dissemination

How to apply:

An applicant (the project coordinator) should demonstrate financial and operational capacity as outlined in the call document and should not fall under any of the exclusion criteria.

The application shall be filled in online and submitted together with other supporting documents, electronically via the Portal by the deadline date. An application submitted outside the Portal or after the deadline will not be accepted.

An online session on 28 May 2024 will offer a chance to ask any questions about the call, while a match-making session will also be organised to facilitate the creating of new partnerships to build projects. Information on both sessions will be made available on the webpage for the call.

Fourth Call – European Social Fund + (ESF) EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) (ESF-2024-EURES-TMS)  Employment and Social Innovation – EaSI strand

This call for proposals is financed under the Employment and Social Innovation (“EaSI”) strand of the ESF+, a European-level financing instrument managed directly by the European Commission. The EURES TMS aims to address skills shortages by helping individuals in accessing transnational job opportunities where their skills are most in demand and in equipping the workforce with the necessary skills.

Type: Single stage

Opening date: 19 March 2024

Deadline date: 04 June 2024 17:00 Brussels time

Budget: The estimated available call budget is EUR 16 000 000

Who can apply: Only consortia are eligible.

Objectives: The overall objective is to ensure around 4 000 placements for mobile candidates especially young people. The action targets the filling of hard-to-fill vacancies and labour shortages as identified in national/EU labour market studies or other data sources. Specifically, the action aims to:

• reach the target groups aged over 18 and seeking a job, traineeship, or apprenticeship in another EU/EEA country;
• address labour mobility obstacles, such as the cost of moving abroad, lack of language knowledge, integration of mobile workers in destination countries, as well as the need for specific training programs;
• contribute to reducing labour market imbalances and address hard-to-fill vacancies, particularly in sectors with identified labour shortcomings based on recent national/EU labour market studies or other relevant data sources

The activities that can be funded are:

• information, matching, recruitment and placement (e.g. innovative approaches and matching/recruitment methods to identify and reach individuals with particular skills, qualifications or profiles in line with the needs of specific labour sectors affected by labour shortages, in identified area)
• pre- and post-placement support to customers (e.g., profiling and pre-selection of candidates, assessment of training needs and skills development, providing interview preparation support, offering information and assistance, addressing challenges that may arise during the early stages of employment, regular monitoring and assessing the performance and satisfaction of placed individuals and employers)
• direct financial support to candidates to contribute to interview and relocation trip expenses, language training, and recognition of qualifications
• direct financial support to SMEs for training programmes for newly recruited individuals.

Actions need to have at least the following six components:

1. Creation of a partnership involving different labour market actors focused on specific work integration areas facilitating inclusion of individuals into employment with a view to tackling labour market imbalances and skills shortages.
2. Establishment of cooperation arrangements within the partnership between EURES member/partner organisations and other labour market actors, in particular private employment services.
3. Provision of services to jobseekers and employers, comprising at least labour market information and assistance with offers and vacancies, matching these with jobseekers and facilitate the placement/recruitment in the countries covered by the action. The provision of support services shall be adapted to the specificity and needs of targeted groups, as well as of the identified job sectors.
4. Identification of relevant economic sectors affected by labour/skills shortages in at least the geographical coverage of the consortium members (i.e. their countries of establishment). Where relevant, analysis may also be extended to the regional level.
5. In the context of the services indicated under point 3) above, provision of measures and direct financial support to both job seekers and SMEs, including the support for training programmes, as laid down in Annex I (“Implementing guide”).
6. Development of post-placement support measures for jobseekers and employers.

 

How to apply:

A consortium of at least two applicants can submit a proposal (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities). Those 2 beneficiaries must be EURES Member/Partner organisations established in at least two different EU/EEA Countries. The consortium needs to show that the proposed activities are fully carried out and implemented in at least five EU Member States or EEA participating countries

All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are NOT accepted. Submission is a 2-step process:

1. create a user account and register your organisation
2. submit the proposal

Unlike the other strand of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) the bulk of the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand is managed by the services of the European Commission. For more information about the EaSI strand of the ESF in your country, please click here.

 

Fifth Call – Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) Climate Governance and Information

The LIFE Programme is the EU Programme for Environment and Climate Action. It is a key contributor to the European Green Deal. The LIFE Climate Change Governance and Information aims to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the Union legislation and policy on climate change, contributing to climate change mitigation and/or adaptation, which includes the involvement of civil society.

 

Type: Single stage

Opening date: 18 April 2024

Deadline date: 17 September 2024 17:00:00 Brussels time

Budget: For the Topic Climate Governance and Information, the indicative budget is EUR 4,980,000, with around EUR 0.7-2 Mln each for four projects.

 

Activities that can be funded: For this call, awareness-raising of certain groups should be complemented by concrete measures that facilitate a change in behaviour or practices and if the project involves tool development or studies, it must include specific and concrete action to implement these during the duration of the project.

The topics under this call for proposals concern LIFE Standard Action Projects (SAPs), or the ‘traditional LIFE projects’ that aim to:

• develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and approaches
• contribute to the knowledge base and to the application of best practice
• support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the EU legislation and policy, including by improving governance at all levels, in particular through enhancing capacities of public and private actors and the involvement of civil society
• catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy related solutions for implementing the EU legislation and policy by replicating results, integrating related objectives into other policies and into public and private sector practices, mobilising investment and improving access to finance.

Who can apply:

−  legal entities (public or private bodies)

− established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)), non-EU countries (listed EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature)

− the coordinator must be established in an eligible country

For Eurodiaconia members, the possible eligible areas of intervention are:

1. Raising awareness, incentivising behavioural change and supporting the

activities of the European Climate Pact, which includes activities that help identify a climate or environmental issue that fails to sufficiently communicate its role in fighting climate change and/or preparing and adapting to its consequences; help increase climate awareness and foster public engagement on climate issues; and which may, in turn, stimulate behavioural change in favour of climate action

2. Green skills & capacity building to implement climate mitigation and

adaptation policies – The increasing complexity of issues calls for wider use of evidence and public participation, innovative policy making and better collaboration across levels and between actors, promoting a whole-of-economy approach

3. Building capacity, raising awareness among end-users and the equipment distribution chain of fluorinated greenhouse gases – Awareness campaigns among end-users and the equipment distribution chain could promote the training need and facilitate an exchange of best practices
4. Support to the development, update and implementation of national, regional or local climate and energy strategies and plans
5. Activities linked to the development and implementation of Sustainable Finance actions – further develop metrics and benchmark, improve transparency, accessibility and comparability of data, develop or promote innovative financial solutions that support a just transition
6. Knowledge-sharing and capacity building on the functioning of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)
7. Climate policy monitoring, assessment and ex-post evaluation

How to apply:

All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are NOT accepted. Submission is a 2-step process:

1. create a user account and register your organisation
2. submit the proposal