Call for proposals: second round in microfinance for coding and programming projects within the framework of EU Code Week

This summary covers a grant opportunity titled "Code4Europe - empowering the new generation of Young Digital Europeans," focused on promoting coding and programming projects aligned with the EU Code Week initiative. The grant, available through JA Bulgaria, totals €10,000 and is set to support local projects aimed at enhancing digital skills among youth aged 6 to 25. The application period opens December 19, 2025, and closes on February 19, 2026, with project implementation expected to last until June 30, 2026.

Eligible applicants primarily include educational institutions, NGOs, community organizations, and potentially individual educators, particularly those involved in coding education. While a consortium is not required, projects demonstrating collaboration within local communities will be favorably evaluated. The geographical focus of the initiative is largely within Bulgaria, where JA Bulgaria administers the program.

The grant supports activities that integrate programming and algorithmic thinking into educational settings, fostering STEM engagement among young learners, especially girls. Financial support is intended to cover direct project costs, including materials and limited administrative expenses, with a specific cap on administration costs at 10% of the total requested amount.

Project proposals must be submitted via an online form and should detail objectives, implementation plans, budgets, and organizational backgrounds. Evaluations will assess alignment with Code Week priorities, the quality of programming and algorithmic training included, expected impact on student participation, proposal quality, and clarity of presentation.

The funding opportunity explicitly states that it is not an EU action; instead, it is a national initiative managed by JA Bulgaria. No co-funding requirement is mentioned, and applicants are advised to seek confirmation regarding eligibility and details directly from JA Bulgaria. The grant aims to cultivate sustainable digital education initiatives that can extend beyond the Code Week period, promoting diversity and inclusion within STEM fields.

This is a call for proposals for microfinance for coding and programming projects within the framework of EU Code Week. The call is titled "Call for proposals: second round in microfinance for coding and programming projects within the framework of EU Code WeekCode4EuropeGrantCascade funding".

The opening date for submissions is December 19, 2025. The deadline for submissions is February 19, 2026, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The deadline model is single-stage. The expected duration of participation is until June 30, 2026. The total funding available is 10,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is Code4Europe. The full name of the EU funded project is Code4Europe empowering the new generation of Young Digital Europeans. The grant agreement number is 101158834. The topic is DIGITAL-2023-SKILLS-04-BOOSTINGDIGIT Boosting Digital Skills of young pupils, in particular girls.

Eligibility of costs: Purchase of materials and equipment is allowed provided that these costs are proven to be related to the direct implementation of activities aimed at the final beneficiaries of the financing (the purchase of equipment as part of administrative costs is not allowed). Administrative costs (project management costs, including financial management and communications, office supplies or other office costs) are eligible, but they cannot be more than 10% of the requested amount.

Evaluation criteria: All proposals that pass the eligibility check will be evaluated using criteria in five categories:
1. Compliance with the program design of the initiative: compliance with the goals and priorities of Code Week; feasibility of activities, taking into account the schedule of activities and available professional, organizational and technological resources.
2. Programming and Algorithmic Thinking Training: prioritising programming and algorithmic thinking, and will look at the extent to which these elements are at the heart of the activity through the approaches used (such as block programming, programming without devices, etc.), programming languages and learning aids.
3. Impact: the participation of more students, classes, schools, young people from the local community, as well as taking into account the local context. Special attention will be paid to girls' participation and the promotion of education in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
4. Quality of the proposal:
 (1) Availability of educational elements such as methodological approaches and the relationship of the proposal with core academic disciplines (reading and mathematical literacy, data skills, digital literacy);
 (2) use of impact assessment tools;
 (3) building partnerships and joining forces within local communities, establishing cooperation networks to improve the efficiency of the initiative and involving the various stakeholders;
 (4) sustainability of the idea - it will be evaluated positively if the idea has a long-term perspective and goes beyond the time range of the "week" itself;
 (5) share resources and materials in order to promote sustainability (the possibility of implementing activities elsewhere, as well as openness of events to the local community).
5. Presentation of the idea: clarity and comprehensiveness.

All other things being equal, priority will be given to projects involving the upper grades of secondary schools, as well as those involving leading teachers in CodeWeek.

Application Process: Project proposals should be sent by 23:59 on February 19, 2026, by filling in the application form. Each applicant must submit via this form:
Description of the project, its objectives and expected impact.
Details of the implementation plan, timeline, and resources required.
Information about the applicant organization, including relevant experience.
Each applicant must also attach a Project Budget as well as a Declaration of Consent. A sample of both documents can be downloaded from the links below:
The budget is applied in excel format, without a signature on it (a signed original will accompany the financing contract concluded with the approved applicants); Link to the table
The declaration of consent is attached with the signature of the representative, scanned. Declaration link

This call (as well as the financial support that will be provided through it) is NOT an EU action. This call is launched solely by DZHUNIAR ACHIYVMANT BALGARIYA (JA BULGARIA). The financial support to the selected successful applicants will be provided directly by JA BULGARIA in its own name and under its own responsibility. JA BULGARIA'S own responsibility includes the preparation and drafting of this call as well as the selection of successful applicants that will receive the said financial support. The publication of this call in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is made solely for information purposes with the aim to increase the visibility of this call to the general public, including to potential applicants (i.e. students). The said publication shall not be construed as direct or indirect approval of the content and conditions of this call by the relevant EU authorities or as any form of waiver from the above-described responsibility of JA BULGARIA.

The purpose and scope of this call is to identify and support projects at local level, aligned with EU Code Week's mission to promote programming, algorithmic thinking and digital skills of young people aged 6 to 25. It aims to enable the development of innovative and flexible digital skills development activities, support initiatives that integrate coding into the educational context and foster engagement, foster community participation and foster stakeholder cooperation, and prioritize projects that offer an equal start between the sexes and promote diversity in STEM education.

In summary, this opportunity is a microfinance grant offered by JA BULGARIA, not the EU directly, to support local projects that promote coding, algorithmic thinking, and digital skills among young people aged 6 to 25, aligning with the EU Code Week initiative. The total funding available is 10,000 EUR, and the application deadline is February 19, 2026. Projects will be evaluated based on their compliance with Code Week's goals, their focus on programming and algorithmic thinking, their potential impact, the quality of the proposal, and the clarity of the presentation. Priority will be given to projects involving upper secondary school students and leading CodeWeek teachers. The grant aims to foster innovative digital skills development, integrate coding into education, encourage community participation, and promote gender equality and diversity in STEM.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the call aims to support projects at the local level and mentions involving students, classes, schools, and young people from the local community. It also mentions information about the applicant organization, including relevant experience, must be submitted. Therefore, eligible applicants could include schools, educational organizations, local community groups, and potentially other organizations with relevant experience in delivering coding and digital skills projects to young people. The mention of "leading teachers" suggests that individual teachers might also be involved, possibly in collaboration with an organization.

Funding Type: The funding type is a microfinance grant. The call is described as a "second round in microfinance for coding and programming projects." The total funding available is 10,000 EUR, which suggests that individual grants will be relatively small, fitting the definition of microfinance.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if single applicants are allowed. However, the evaluation criteria mention "building partnerships and joining forces within local communities, establishing cooperation networks to improve the efficiency of the initiative and involving the various stakeholders." This suggests that while a consortium may not be strictly required, projects that demonstrate collaboration and partnership will be viewed favorably. Therefore, both single applicants and consortia are potentially eligible, with a preference for collaborative projects.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but the call is aligned with EU Code Week's mission. Given that the call is launched by JA BULGARIA and the project name is Code4Europe, it is likely that the beneficiary scope includes at least Bulgaria and potentially other European countries participating in the EU Code Week initiative. The mention of Brussels time for the deadline further suggests a European focus.

Target Sector: The target sector is education and digital skills, specifically focusing on programming, algorithmic thinking, and digital literacy for young people aged 6 to 25. The call is aligned with EU Code Week and aims to support initiatives that integrate coding into the educational context and foster engagement in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), with a particular emphasis on girls' participation.

Mentioned Countries: Bulgaria is explicitly mentioned as the country where JA BULGARIA, the organization launching the call, is located. The project name "Code4Europe" suggests a broader European scope, but no other specific countries are mentioned.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is likely at the development or validation stage. The call aims to support projects at the local level and enable the development of innovative and flexible digital skills development activities. This suggests that applicants should have a concrete project idea and a plan for implementation, rather than being at the very early research or idea stage. The focus on integrating coding into the educational context and fostering engagement implies that the projects should be ready for practical application and testing.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 10,000 EUR. This suggests that the funding range for individual projects will be under 10,000 EUR, and likely significantly less than that, given that it is described as microfinance. Therefore, the funding range is under €50k, and more specifically, under €10k.

Application Type: The application type is an open call. The text states that "Project proposals should be sent by 23:59 on February 19, 2026, by filling in the application form," indicating that anyone who meets the eligibility criteria can apply.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a microfinance grant. The text explicitly states that "The financial support to the selected successful applicants will be provided directly by JA BULGARIA."

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage. The deadline model is described as "single-stage," meaning that applicants submit a full proposal by the deadline, and there is no preliminary expression of interest or concept note stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, the evaluation criteria mention "share resources and materials in order to promote sustainability," which could imply that leveraging existing resources or securing additional funding would be viewed favorably. Nevertheless, there is no explicit requirement for co-funding.

Summary: This opportunity is a microfinance grant call launched by JA BULGARIA, aiming to support local projects that promote programming, algorithmic thinking, and digital skills among young people aged 6 to 25, in alignment with the EU Code Week initiative. The total funding available is 10,000 EUR, and the call is open to schools, educational organizations, community groups, and potentially other entities with relevant experience. While collaboration and partnerships are encouraged, it is not explicitly stated whether single applicants are allowed. The projects should be at the development or validation stage, ready for practical implementation and testing. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of February 19, 2026. The funding is intended to enable innovative and flexible digital skills development activities, integrate coding into education, foster community participation, and promote diversity in STEM, particularly for girls. The call is not an EU action, and JA BULGARIA is solely responsible for the selection and funding of successful applicants.