Funding programme

‍Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) is the EU's funding programme for citizens' engagement and the implementation of EU rights and values.

‍

Call overview

This call aims to protect, promote and raise awareness of rights by providing financial support to civil society organisations active at local, regional, national and transnational level.

‍

Objective

The objective of this call is to protect, promote and raise awareness of rights by providing financial support to civil society organisations active at local, regional, national and transnational level in promoting and cultivating those rights.

The call thereby also aims at strengthening the protection and promotion of Union values including respect for the rule of law and contributing to the construction of a more democratic Union, democratic dialogue, transparency as well as good governance.

The call intends to support the 2026 annual work programmes of framework partners (European networks, civil society organisations active at EU level and European think tanks), and to increase the capacities of the framework partners to contribute actively to the development and implementation of EU policies.

‍

Scope

Framework partners are expected to help to achieve at least one of the following objectives:

• Building the capacity of national, regional or local organisations working in the areas covered by the grant;

• Building and increasing the capacity of network partners to develop coherent and coordinated activities that promote the relevant policy objectives;

• Expansion of the network's reach, including new partners;

• A measurable increase in the impact of the network's activities in the relevant policy areas;

• Providing a link between research and policymaking at European level, which helps find solutions to problems;

• Facilitating interaction between citizens, academia and decision-makers.

Under the re-granting option, network members that receive a grant from a framework partner are expected to help to achieve at least one of the following objectives:

• Strengthened capacity to protect and promote rights and EU values;

• A more supportive environment for CSOs and human rights defenders, such as national human rights institutions;

• A more developed advocacy and watchdog role for CSOs;

• Increased involvement of CSOs in policy- and decision-making processes with local, regional, and national governments;

• Increased citizen awareness of EU rights and values;

• Strengthened national, regional and local cooperation within civil society.

‍

Eligibility

Nota bene: for this call, proposals for operating grants (CERV-2025-OG-SGA) should be submitted in parallel with proposals for Framework Partnership Agreements (CERV-2025-OG-FPA). You must first submit the FPA proposal and then use your FPA submission number in the SGA proposal.

Only applicants who have a signed Framework Partnership Agreement are eligible to receive an operating grant.

In order to be eligible, applicants must:

• be legal entities (private bodies).
• be non-profit organisations.
• be established in one of the Member States of the European Union (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)).
• be a European network, or a civil society organisation active at EU level, or a European think tank.
• have signed a Framework Partnership Agreement for the same priority within the Call CERV-2025-OG-FPA.
• be a single applicant; in case of European networks: only the network may submit an application; the member organisations are not eligible to apply

Check full eligibility details in the call document.

‍

Consortium composition

Only applications by single applicants are allowed (single beneficiaries; affiliated entities and other participants are NOT allowed).

‍

Budget

Total budget: EUR 36 000 000