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. Read more about CERV here.

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Call overview

This call aims to support projects promoted by transnational partnerships and networks directly involving citizens.

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Objective

Promoting citizens' and representative associations’ participation in and contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union by making known and publicly exchanging their views in all areas on Union action.

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Scope

This call aims to support projects promoted by transnational partnerships and networks directly involving citizens. These projects will gather a diverse range of people from different backgrounds in activities directly linked to EU policies, giving them an opportunity to actively participate in the EU policymaking process and thus contribute to the democratic and civic life of the Union. The projects will encourage citizens’, including young persons, understanding of the policymaking process, showing in practice how to engage in the democratic life of the EU and enabling them to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action.

The call provides an opportunity to broadly cover a variety of policy areas and contribute to the promotion of EU values, the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy.

Projects should support democratic participation, including by stimulating and organising reflection, debates or other activities. They should also propose practical solutions that can be implemented through cooperation or coordination at European level, support the sharing of good practices, and ensure a practical link with the policymaking process.

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Priorities

While maintaining a bottom-up approach, there will be a specific focus on the priorities outlined below:

1. Promoting democratic participation through debating the future of Europe

2. Engaging citizens and communities in discussions and action related to our climate and environment

3. Engaging citizens and communities in discussions and action related to solidarity

4. Countering disinformation and other forms of interference in the democratic debate and promoting media literacy

This list of priorities is not exhaustive. Applicants may address other priorities in all areas of Union action as long as these priorities are in line with the call objective to promote citizens engagement and participation.

Please see the call document for more information.

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Expected Impact

• Boosting citizens' awareness of rights and EU values and increasing their engagement in society and with the EU;
• Enabling people to deepen their knowledge of EU institutions and policies and better understand the EU's achievements and benefits;
• Strengthening democratic participation, with a special focus on inclusion of younger and older people, women in all their diversity, mobile EU citizens and people with disabilities;
• Reaching those citizens not active in civic participation in their everyday life;
• Making it possible for citizens to communicate their views and concerns to policy makers at all levels.

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Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the applicants (lead applicants (Coordinator), co-applicants and affiliated entities) must:

+ Lead applicants (i.e. “Coordinator”) must be non-profit private legal entities or public universities

+ Co-applicants must be non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or an international organisation

+ 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 75 000
• The project must be transnational; the application must involve at least two applicants (lead applicant and at least one co-applicant not being affiliated entity or associated partner) from two different eligible countries

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Consortium composition

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of minimum 2 applicants (lead applicant and at least one co-applicant not being affiliated entity or associated partner) from 2 different eligible countries.

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Duration

Projects should normally range between 12 and 24 months (extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment).

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Budget

The available call budget is EUR 25 400 000.