Advancing Social Cohesion in the Face of Polarized Public Discourse

The European Union is offering a grant opportunity titled PPPA-2026-SOCIAL-COHESION-PPD under the Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA) Programme. This initiative aims to fund projects focused on advancing social cohesion amidst polarized public discourse in the EU. The goal is to develop actionable outcomes that help address the drivers of political polarization while safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting balanced, evidence-based public debates. This aligns with the broader Democracy Shield initiative aimed at enhancing democratic resilience.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, civil society organizations, technology providers, media organizations, and fact-checkers. The funding type is a grant structured as a PPPA Project Grant, specifically a budget-based action grant. A consortium approach is encouraged, emphasizing cross-sector partnerships among various stakeholders.

The geographical scope is limited to the European Union and its Member States, with a particular focus on multi-linguistic and cross-national collaboration. The target sectors involve media, technology, and civil society, specifically dealing with online political discourse analysis, disinformation detection, media literacy, and democratic participation.

Projects should focus on three key areas: developing a scientifically validated methodology for monitoring and analyzing online political discourse, creating advanced AI-powered tools for multilingual analysis of polarization, and formulating evidence-based mitigation strategies to counter disinformation. Additionally, a pan-EU regional conference is planned within the project's timeline to bring stakeholders together and foster knowledge exchange.

The budget for this call is approximately €785,000, and it is expected that only one grant will be awarded. The application process is single-stage, with submissions opening on February 12, 2026, and the deadline set for March 31, 2026. Success rates are not explicitly stated, but historical trends indicate competitive funding environments.

Co-funding requirements are not clearly mentioned in the provided information, suggesting that potential applicants should verify details in the full call document. Overall, this grant opportunity represents a significant chance for researchers and organizations to contribute to societal resilience in the face of political division through innovative and collaborative approaches.

The European Union is offering a grant opportunity, PPPA-2026-SOCIAL-COHESION-PPD, under the Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA) Programme. This call, titled "Advancing Social Cohesion in the Face of Polarized Public Discourse (PPPA-2026-SOCIAL-COHESION)", aims to fund projects that can provide concrete and actionable outcomes to help the EU better understand and address the drivers of political polarisation. The goal is to safeguard freedom of expression and support balanced, evidence-based public debate, ultimately contributing to the Democracy Shield initiative and strengthening social cohesion and democratic resilience.

The expected impacts of the projects include:

1. Development of a neutral, scientifically validated methodology for monitoring and analysing online political discourse across different Member States and languages. This methodology should provide policymakers and stakeholders with reliable data and insights into how polarising narratives develop, spread, and interact online.

2. Creation of advanced AI-powered tools and techniques for multilingual sentiment, discourse, and network analysis. These tools must be designed and tested to ensure transparency, neutrality, and compliance with GDPR and the Digital Services Act, while also being adaptable for future research and policy needs.

3. Formulation of evidence-based mitigation strategies and recommendations that translate analytical findings into practical measures for countering polarisation and disinformation online. These strategies must fully respect freedom of speech and the diversity of political expression in the EU.

4. Establishment of cross-sector collaboration networks that bring together technology experts, fact-checkers, researchers, media organisations, and civil society actors. This collaboration should create a strong foundation for sustained knowledge-sharing, policy support, and alignment with broader EU initiatives such as the Democracy Shield, particularly with the announced common research framework.

The scope of the projects should cover the following areas:

1. Analysis and Monitoring Methodology and Innovative Tools for Understanding Polarisation: Proposals should outline how they will combine advanced sentiment, discourse, and network analysis to map trends, narratives, and influential actors that contribute to political polarisation across the EU. The methodology must be demonstrably objective, covering a balanced spectrum of political viewpoints and ensuring that data collection and analysis are transparent, reliable, and unbiased.

2. European Regional Knowledge Exchange and Implementation Pathways for Social Cohesion: The initiative includes a pan-EU regional conference in Month 3 of the project, designed to surface, validate, and cross-pollinate effective on-the-ground de-polarisation and social cohesion initiatives, informing the project’s methodology and tooling. This conference and the necessary preparations will run in parallel with the development of the Analysis and Monitoring Methodology and Innovative Tools for Understanding Polarisation. The conference will serve as the joint starting point for activities 1 and 2, where actors from the field will present their ideas, and the initial concept of the methodology and tools will be presented and discussed with participants.

3. Collaboration and Practical Mitigation Strategies: Proposals should demonstrate how they will work with trusted partners—fact-checkers, researchers, media organisations, technology providers, civil society actors, and other relevant EU initiatives (including the Democracy Shield)—to develop, test, and scale realistic mitigation strategies that counter harmful effects of polarisation without restricting open, democratic debate. Sharing lessons learned and best practices will help ensure that project results inform future EU policy and strengthen societal resilience across Member States.

The call is a PPPA Project Grant (PPPA-PJG) with a PPPA Action Grant Budget-Based [PPPA-AG] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). It follows a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date for submissions is 12 February 2026, and the deadline for submissions is 31 March 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 785,000 EUR, and it is expected that one grant will be awarded.

The admissibility conditions for proposals include requirements for proposal page limits and layout, which are described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligibility criteria related to eligible countries and other conditions are detailed in section 6 of the call document. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are outlined in section 7 of the call document. The submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are detailed in section 9 of the call document. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4 of the call document. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document.

Applicants should consult the call document, application form templates (available in the Submission System), and the General Model Grant Agreement (MGA). Additional documents include the COMMISSION DECISION of 18.3.2025 on the financing of pilot projects and preparatory actions in the field of "Communications Networks, Content and Technology" and on the adoption of the work programme for 2025, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are partner search announcements available for those seeking collaborators. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact CNECT-I4@ec.europa.eu. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and IT Helpdesk are also available for technical questions. The Online Manual provides a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this EU grant opportunity seeks to fund a project that will develop methodologies, tools, and strategies to combat political polarisation within the EU, while upholding freedom of expression. The project should involve a multidisciplinary approach, combining technology, research, and collaboration with various stakeholders to create a more resilient and cohesive society. The successful applicant will receive 785,000 EUR to implement their project, contributing to the EU's Democracy Shield initiative and promoting balanced public debate.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity details do not explicitly list eligible applicant types. However, based on the scope and the need for collaboration, eligible applicants could include fact-checkers, researchers, media organisations, technology providers, civil society actors, and other relevant EU initiatives. This suggests a broad range of potential applicants, including research institutes, media organizations, technology companies, NGOs, and potentially governmental bodies.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a PPPA Project Grant (PPPA-PJG) under the Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA) programme. The grant is budget-based.

Consortium Requirement: The call emphasizes the importance of cross-sector and cross-border partnerships. While it doesn't explicitly state that a consortium is required, the nature of the project, which involves collaboration with fact-checkers, researchers, media organisations, technology providers, civil society actors, and other EU initiatives, strongly suggests that a consortium approach is highly encouraged, if not implicitly required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility appears to be focused on the European Union, as the project aims to address political polarisation across the EU, develop a methodology for monitoring and analysing online political discourse across different Member States, and foster collaboration networks within the EU.

Target Sector: The program targets several interconnected sectors: Communications Networks, Content and Technology, social cohesion, democracy, media, technology, and research. It focuses on addressing political polarisation, disinformation, and promoting balanced public debate.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on the European Union as a whole.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on development, validation, and demonstration. The call aims to develop a methodology, create AI-powered tools, and test mitigation strategies, suggesting that the projects should move beyond the initial research phase and focus on practical implementation.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic PPPA-2026-SOCIAL-COHESION-PPD is EUR 785,000. The indicative number of grants is 1.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 1, suggesting a low success rate, likely below 10%, depending on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information provided does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA) programme, specifically targeting the advancement of social cohesion in the face of polarised public discourse within the European Union. The call, titled PPPA-2026-SOCIAL-COHESION-PPD, seeks projects that can develop concrete, actionable outcomes to help the EU better understand and address the drivers of political polarisation while safeguarding freedom of expression and supporting balanced, evidence-based public debate. The initiative aims to contribute directly to the Democracy Shield and strengthen long-term social cohesion and democratic resilience.

The key objectives of the projects should include:

1. Developing a neutral, scientifically validated methodology for monitoring and analysing online political discourse across different Member States and languages. This involves combining advanced sentiment, discourse, and network analysis to map trends, narratives, and influential actors contributing to political polarisation. The methodology must be objective, transparent, reliable, and unbiased, covering a balanced spectrum of political viewpoints.

2. Creating a set of advanced AI-powered tools and techniques for multilingual sentiment, discourse, and network analysis. These tools should be designed and tested to ensure transparency, neutrality, and compliance with GDPR and the Digital Services Act, and should be adaptable for future research and policy needs.

3. Developing evidence-based mitigation strategies and recommendations that translate analytical findings into practical measures for countering polarisation and disinformation online, while fully respecting freedom of speech and the diversity of political expression in the EU.

4. Establishing cross-sector collaboration networks that bring together technology experts, fact-checkers, researchers, media organisations, and civil society actors. This aims to create a strong foundation for sustained knowledge-sharing, policy support, and alignment with broader EU initiatives such as the Democracy Shield.

The initiative includes a pan-EU regional conference in Month 3 of the project to surface, validate, and cross-pollinate effective on-the-ground de-polarisation and social cohesion initiatives, informing the project’s methodology and tooling.

The call is a single-stage application process with a deadline of 31 March 2026. The total budget for the topic is EUR 785,000, and it is expected that only one grant will be awarded. The call encourages collaboration and partnerships between various stakeholders, including fact-checkers, researchers, media organisations, technology providers, and civil society actors. Applicants are expected to submit their proposals electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call falls under the broader scope of Communications Networks, Content and Technology, and aligns with the EU's efforts to promote democracy, combat disinformation, and foster social cohesion.