Funding programme

The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) aims to support member states and regions to improve employment and education opportunities, to enhance social inclusion and to tackle poverty.

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Call overview

This call aims to contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its Action Plan, ensuring just transitions, protecting livelihoods, boosting employment, reducing poverty and inequalities and creating opportunities for all.

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Call detail

The Employment and Social Innovation ("EaSI") strand of the ESF+ provides funding to achieve high employment levels, fair social protection, a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the future world of work, inclusive and cohesive societies and the eradication of poverty.

In line with the operational objectives of the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand, this call will support networking at Union level and dialogue with and among relevant stakeholders in the policy areas of employment and social inclusion and build up the institutional capacity of these stakeholders.

This call is linked to the parallel call ESF-2025-OG-NETW-NGO-FPA for 4-year framework partnership agreements (FPAs) with EU-level networks and organisations whose activities contribute to the implementation of the programme's objectives in the following areas: policy advice and support, analytical activities, training and capacity building, mutual learning and exchange of good practices, awareness raising, information, communication and dissemination with EU added value.

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Operating grants

Operating grants provide general financial support to organisations whose statutory activities serve the strategic objectives of EU policies (mainly non-profit organisations, voluntary associations, foundations, NGOs or similar). They do not support a specific project (like action grants), but the annual operating budget of the organisation (or part of it). Operating grants are always mono-beneficiary grants supporting the work programme of activities of only one organisation.

Operating grants may be awarded every year to framework partners to finance their activities, insofar as these are in line with the programme's objectives in the area concerned and the policy priorities that may be established by the Commission. The costs of general administrative expenditure necessary for the running of these organisations may also be covered.

This call aims to award operating grants for 2026 to partners that have first signed a framework partnership agreement.

‍Read more in the call document.

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Expected Outcome

This call will contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its Action Plan, ensuring just transitions, protecting livelihoods, boosting employment, reducing poverty and inequalities and creating opportunities for all. They particularly focus on principles aiming at ensuring access to adequate social protection throughout the life cycle and tackling barriers to social inclusion of certain particularly disadvantaged groups such as the inclusion of people with disabilities and housing and assistance for the homeless.

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Scope

The expected results are:

• (a) improved awareness about EU policies and funding among the network’s members;
• (b) increased awareness of EU and national authorities about the needs and potential of organisations represented by the networks;
• (c) increased capacity of the networks and their members to support policy making in their respective areas;
• and (d) enhanced research and availability of data about the fields in which the networks operate.

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Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

− be legal entities (public or private bodies)

− be 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 ESF+ (list of participating countries)

− be non-governmental, non-profit-making, and independent of industry, commercial and business or other conflicting interests;

− have statutory aims falling under the objectives and scope of the priorities of this call for proposals;

− have national member organisations in at least fourteen (14) Member States of the European Union;

− have members that are mainly non-profit organisations;

− be mandated by their members, through a Management Board or other administrative forum, to represent these members at the EU level and to be responsible for the activities of the network.;

- be organisations that have first been awarded a framework partnership (see call ESF-2025-OG-NETW-NGO-FPA)

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Consortium composition

Only applications by single applicants are allowed.

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Duration

12 months.

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Budget

The estimated available call budget is EUR 13 250 000.

Project budget:

The annual budgets of operating grants are expected to range indicatively between EUR 100.000 and EUR 1.250.000 per work programme.