Comprehensive and inclusive support for women and girls' victims of GBV

Cascade sub-grants under the CoPower project (CERV-2025-DAPHNE, grant agreement 101254774) will fund grassroots civil society organisations legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain to deliver inclusive, survivor-centred services addressing gender-based violence. The national calls allocate a total of €900,000 across two streams (enhanced protection response and reduction of harmful practices) with typical individual awards ranging from €5,000 to €50,000 and project durations of 6–20 months. Selection follows administrative checks, eligibility verification, final assessment and due diligence, and the first submission deadline is 23 November 2026 (second cut-off 1 March 2027). Implementing partners include Oxfam Italia ETS, ActionAid Hellas, Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo and WeWorld-GVC, and applicants should consult the CoPower portal for country-specific guidance and application materials.

What it funds

Scope

Cascade sub-grants to civil society organisations to strengthen inclusive, intersectional protection and prevention services for women, girls and children affected by gender-based violence. Two streams: 1) enhanced protection response (safe houses, medical/psychological assistance, tailored survivor support) and 2) reduction of harmful practices (prevention, awareness, legal/education measures).

Total budget:€900,000 available through the CoPower project across national calls (Italy, Greece, Spain) distributed between the two streams (€540,000 for protection response; €360,000 for harmful practices) ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: Small and medium grassroots civil society organisations legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain (women’s rights organisations, anti-violence and anti-trafficking centres, human rights, LGBTIQ+, child rights, disability, migrant/refugee organisations, etc.).
2. 2Project duration: 6 to 20 months depending on submission round.
3. 3Grant sizes (per country, example allocations): First round awards include grants of €50,000, 50,000, 20,000 (stream 1) and 50,000, 25,000, 5,000 (stream 2); second round awards include 30,000/30,000 (stream 1) and 20,000/20,000 (stream 2).

Selection:administrative check, eligibility shortlisting, final assessment, due diligence and agreement signing. Technical support, mentoring and capacity-sharing will be provided to selected CSOs by project partners.

Apply via national CoPower pages; information sessions planned online and in-person. Contact: infocopower@oxfam.it. Full call details on the project website CoPower and the EU portal Call page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Source: CoPower cascade funding call information and EU Funding & Tenders Portal call entry CERV-2025-DAPHNE. Full details and application materials available at the project website and EU portal links above.

Key facts and call overview

Call title:Comprehensive and inclusive support for women and girls' victims of GBV. Project acronym: CoPower. Full project: Connecting Power: Scaling and Sharing Sub-Granting Experiences to Prevent and Combat Gender-Based Violence Across Europe. Grant agreement number: 101254774. Framework: CERV-2025-DAPHNE. Total cascade funding available for these national calls: €900,000 in aggregate. Expected duration of participation for awarded projects: from 6 up to 20 months depending on the submission round. Opening date (project portal): 18 September 2026. Two submission cut-offs (multiple cut-off model): 23 November 2026 15:00 CET and 01 March 2027 15:00 CET. The CoPower parent project runs 01 March 2026 to 28 February 2029.

Primary implementing organisations:Oxfam Italia ETS, ActionAid Hellas, Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo (ABD) and WeWorld-GVC are the implementing partners responsible for managing national cascade calls and providing technical capacity-sharing support.

Objectives and strategic scope

Purpose:to directly fund small and medium-sized grassroots Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offering comprehensive, inclusive, and survivor-centred responses to gender-based violence (GBV) affecting women, girls and children, adopting an intersectional approach and strengthening access to protection and prevention across different contexts. The scheme combines direct financial support (sub-grants) with technical assistance, capacity sharing, mentoring, training, and national and transnational workshops to promote implementation of the EU Violence Against Women Directive and to foster cross-country cooperation and learning.

Eligibility and target applicants

Primary eligible applicants:small and medium-sized grassroots Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) legally registered in the target countries listed below. Target organisations include womens rights organisations, anti-violence centres, anti-trafficking centres, human rights organisations, LGBTIQ+ rights organisations, child rights organisations, social inclusion and disability organisations, elderly support organisations, migrant and refugee organisations. Emphasis is placed on groups operating in rural, peripheral or marginalised areas. The call is designed for single applicants (individual CSOs) submitting proposals for small-scale grants; partnerships are not mandatory unless otherwise specified in national application guidance. Informal activist groups may participate if they can meet legal registration and reporting requirements; FAQs on the project website provide clarifications.

Eligible applicant types (detailed):Eligible applicant types include: nonprofit CSOs and NGOs (including womens rights organisations, anti-violence and anti-trafficking centres), small and medium-sized civil society entities, community-based organisations, associations legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain, organisations working on child protection, social inclusion, disability support, migrant/refugee support, LGBTIQ+ rights and related human rights fields.

Geographic and programme scope

National cascade calls:Italy, Greece and Spain. Transnational calls (planned under broader CoPower project): Italy–Serbia, Spain–Romania and Greece–Albania. The national open calls described here apply only to CSOs legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain. The overall CoPower programme spans six European countries (Italy, Greece, Spain, Serbia, Romania and Albania) and intends to fund national and cross-border initiatives.

1. 1Primary countries for these national calls: Italy, Greece, Spain
2. 2Transnational country pairings in the wider project: Italy–Serbia, Spain–Romania, Greece–Albania
3. 3Broader geographic involvement of the CoPower project: Italy, Greece, Spain, Serbia, Romania, Albania

Funding streams, available grant amounts and distribution

The cascade funding calls are organised into two thematic funding streams. Budgets shown are totals across the three national calls (IT, GR, ES) unless otherwise specified, and available awards per country vary by submission round.

1. 1Stream 1 Enhanced protection response (total budget for the 3 countries: €540,000). Focus: intersectional protection services for women, girls and children survivors of GBV, including tailored support such as safe houses, medical and psychological assistance, legal and referral services, and measures to reduce barriers to access.
2. 2Stream 2 Reduction of harmful practices (total budget for the 3 countries: €360,000). Focus: prevention and response to harmful practices (female genital mutilation, intersex genital mutilation, forced abortion, forced sterilisation, child and forced marriage, honour-related violence, forced medicalisation of transgender women), awareness raising, education, legal framework strengthening and community interventions.

Available grants per country and per round (explicit award amounts listed by round and stream):

1. 1First Round (per country): 6 projects awarded per country across streams: Stream 1: one grant €50,000; one grant €50,000; one grant €20,000. Stream 2: one grant €50,000; one grant €25,000; one grant €5,000.
2. 2Second Round (per country): 4 projects awarded per country across streams: Stream 1: one grant €30,000; one grant €30,000. Stream 2: one grant €20,000; one grant €20,000.

Total number of projects targeted and expected beneficiaries under the CoPower scheme:national calls aim to fund at least 10 projects in Italy, 10 in Spain and 10 in Greece (minimum 30 nationally funded projects across the three countries). Combined with transnational calls, the project expects to fund at least 45 projects and engage a minimum of 60 CSOs overall. Aggregate cascade fund for the national calls described here is €900,000.

Project maturity and eligible activities

Expected project stage:implementation/delivery of services and local interventions. Activities should be ready for immediate implementation or at an advanced development stage where local service delivery, pilot operations, outreach, training and community interventions can commence within the 6 to 20 month project duration. Eligible activities include establishment or expansion of protection services, safe housing interventions, medical and psychosocial support, case management, awareness campaigns on harmful practices, community education, legal advocacy, capacity building, and monitoring and reporting activities aligned with child protection and gender mainstreaming.

Funding type, nature of support and co-funding

Primary funding type:grant (cascade/sub-granting mechanism). Nature of support: monetary sub-grants to CSOs complemented by non-monetary technical assistance, mentoring, training, and capacity-sharing services delivered by implementing partners. The call documentation and FAQs do not explicitly state a mandatory co-funding requirement for applicants for these cascade grants; applicants should verify the Management and Reporting Guidelines for specific eligible costs and any required co-financing. In practice, small grants of the listed amounts are intended to fully fund discrete activities; any co-funding expectations or allowance for co-financing must be clarified in the call guidance and national application pages.

Consortium requirement and partnerships

Consortium requirement:single applicant model is permitted and partnerships are not mandatory for the national calls. The scheme allows single CSOs to apply as lead applicants. Coordination with informal networks or collaboration with unregistered activist groups is possible only to the extent that project reporting, contracting and legal requirements are met; FAQs address common scenarios. Transnational calls (in the wider CoPower programme) will involve cross-country collaborations between paired countries and therefore will require partners across those countries as specified in the transnational call guidance.

Application process, stages and evaluation

Application type:open national call with multiple cut-off submission rounds (two deadlines specified for these rounds). Application and selection follow a multi-stage process: administrative checks, eligibility verification and shortlisting, final assessment and selection, pre-notification and due diligence, confirmation and signing of grant agreement. Information sessions (online and in-person) will be held in each country to support applicants.

1. 1Stage 1 Administrative check (completeness and basic formal requirements)
2. 2Stage 2 Eligibility requirements verification and shortlisting (legal registration, target area, applicant suitability)
3. 3Stage 3 Final assessment and selection (quality assessment against criteria defined by the implementing partner)
4. 4Stage 4 Pre-notification and due diligence (vetting, safeguarding checks, financial and operational due diligence)
5. 5Stage 5 Confirmation and signing of the agreement (grant contract signature and mobilisation of funds)

Application submission is via the national project portal pages (CoPower website provides country-specific application links and guidance). For detailed application and technical questions, applicants should consult the national application page and attend the scheduled information sessions. Contact for queries: infocopower@oxfam.it. Further details and downloadable documentation are available on the project website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal CoPower project site EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹

Application materials, templates and recommended structure

Application templates and detailed Management and Reporting Guidelines are published on the CoPower call pages. While country pages may include slightly different forms, applicants should prepare the following common components and ensure alignment with safeguarding, child protection and gender mainstreaming requirements:

1. 1Administrative form: legal name, registration details, tax identification, bank account information and proof of legal registration in the applicant country.
2. 2Project proposal narrative: context and needs analysis, objectives, target groups (disaggregated by age, gender, other relevant characteristics), detailed activities, timeline (Gantt or phasing consistent with 6–20 months), expected results and indicators.
3. 3Methodology and capacity statement: description of the applicant's experience in GBV service provision, safeguarding procedures, child protection measures, staff qualifications, experience working with marginalized groups, and risk mitigation strategies.
4. 4Budget and financial form: detailed budget lines (personnel, travel, operational costs, equipment, subcontracts), justification of costs, and budget summary matching the requested grant amount. Applicants should follow eligible cost categories specified in the Management and Reporting Guidelines.
5. 5Monitoring and evaluation plan: indicators, data collection methods, reporting cadence, safeguarding incident reporting mechanisms and consent/data protection measures.
6. 6Partnership letters or cooperation agreements (if relevant): memoranda of understanding or letters of support from local partners, referral networks, or service providers.
7. 7Safeguarding and due diligence documents: child protection policy, anti-fraud measures, safeguarding focal points, evidence of transparent governance and financial controls.
8. 8Supporting documents: proof of previous relevant projects, CVs of key staff, recent annual report or financial statements, bank statements if required.

Applicants are advised to consult the country-specific call page for the exact application package, templates, submission portal and any country or stream-specific requirements.

Selection criteria and assessment focus

While the precise scoring criteria are published in the call documentation, selection is based on relevance to the stream and target groups, quality and feasibility of the proposed activities, capacity of the applicant to implement (including safeguarding and child protection measures), cost-effectiveness and value for money, sustainability and alignment with intersectional approaches. Projects that demonstrate inclusive design for marginalised groups and evidence of local partnerships and referral pathways are prioritised.

Reporting, compliance and safeguarding

Grant recipients will be subject to reporting obligations as set out in the Management and Reporting Guidelines. This includes financial reports, activity and results reporting, and adherence to safeguarding (including child protection), anti-fraud and transparency obligations. Implementing partners provide due diligence and monitoring. The project publishes reporting channels for reporting abuses and irregularities and uses Oxfam Italy reporting channels; the European Anti-Fraud Office reporting route is also indicated for relevant cases.

Application practicalities, timelines and contact

Key dates for national calls relevant to this cascade:First round opening in late August/early September 2026 (24/08/2026; Greece opening 11/09/2026) with deadline 23/11/2026 15:00 CET. Second round opening 01/12/2026 with deadline 01/03/2027 15:00 CET. Applicants should register, prepare documentation, and attend information sessions. For detailed country application links and FAQs visit the CoPower portal and the specific national application pages. Direct contact: infocopower@oxfam.it.

Unknowns, limits and recommended applicant checks

Items not explicitly stated in the scraped content:mandatory co-financing percentage (if any) is not specified; exact evaluation scoring tables and weightings are available in the published call guidance on the national pages; eligibility of certain cost categories or in-kind contributions should be validated against the Management and Reporting Guidelines. Success rates are not provided in call materials and will depend on the number of applications per country and per round. Applicants must verify final eligibility, required annexes, templates and submission modality on the official call page in their country prior to submission.

Categorisation answers (concise structured responses)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: grassroots Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), nonprofits/NGOs, womens rights organisations, anti-violence and anti-trafficking centres, child rights organisations, LGBTIQ+ rights groups, social inclusion, disability, elderly, migrant and refugee organisations legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain. Small and medium-sized CSOs are prioritised.
2. 2Funding Type: grant (cascade/sub-granting mechanism) with accompanying non-monetary technical assistance (training, mentoring, capacity sharing).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: single applicant permitted for national calls; partnerships are not mandatory. Transnational calls will involve cross-country partnerships as specified separately.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): National calls restricted to CSOs legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain. Wider CoPower programme includes Serbia, Romania and Albania for transnational calls.
5. 5Target Sector: social services / gender-based violence prevention and response, gender equality, child protection, human rights, social inclusion and community health/psychosocial support.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Italy, Greece, Spain, Serbia, Romania, Albania.
7. 7Project Stage: implementation / service delivery and capacity strengthening (projects should be ready for operational delivery within 6–20 months).
8. 8Funding Amount: aggregate €900,000 for the national cascade calls. Per-country award amounts listed by round and stream (see detailed list above). Typical individual award sizes by round range from €5,000 up to €50,000 depending on stream and round.
9. 9Application Type: open national calls with multiple cut-off rounds (two deadlines specified); apply via the CoPower national application pages.
10. 10Nature of Support: combined monetary grants and non-monetary technical support (training, mentoring, workshops).
11. 11Application Stages: 5 stages — administrative check; eligibility verification and shortlisting; final assessment and selection; pre-notification and due diligence; confirmation and signing the agreement.
12. 12Success Rates: not specified in call materials; dependent on number of applicants and per-country quotas. Not provided publicly.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: not explicitly stated in the scraped call summary; applicants should consult Management and Reporting Guidelines and country-specific documentation. The call aims to fully fund discrete activities through listed award amounts, but applicants must confirm if co-financing is required or permitted.

Templates and application structure guidance (recommended outline to prepare)

Applicants should prepare documents that mirror typical sub-grant application templates used by CoPower implementing partners. The following structure reflects the application components referenced in the call and FAQs and will speed up completion of the official forms:

1. 1Executive summary (50–200 words): concise description of problem, target group, proposed activities, requested amount and expected impact.
2. 2Context and needs assessment: local context, evidence of need, target beneficiaries (disaggregated), barriers to access, linkage to intersectional vulnerabilities.
3. 3Objectives and outcomes: specific, measurable objectives, short-term outcomes and intended longer-term contribution.
4. 4Detailed activities and workplan: tasks, timelines (month-by-month or phased), responsible persons, milestones and deliverables.
5. 5Methodology and quality assurance: survivor-centred approach, safeguarding and child protection measures, referral pathways, monitoring indicators and data protection.
6. 6Organisational capacity and team: description of the applicant organisation, past experience, CVs of key staff, governance and financial management.
7. 7Partnerships and sustainability: local partners, cooperation mechanisms, how activities will continue or be embedded after grant end.
8. 8Budget and budget justification: itemized budget lines linked to activities, eligible costs explanation, summary and total request (ensure consistency with permitted award sizes).
9. 9Risk assessment and mitigation: operational, safeguarding and reputational risks and mitigation measures.
10. 10Annexes: legal registration, bank details, annual accounts, safeguarding policy, letters of support, any additional evidence.

Note:use the official templates provided on the CoPower country pages; the list above is a recommended preparatory checklist and should be adjusted to the exact fields in the online application form.

Contacts, resources and further information

Primary project site and applicant resources:CoPower project website (country-specific application pages, FAQs, templates and contact details) CoPower project site. Official EU call listing and reference: EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page for the competitive call (reference id shown on portal). Direct contact for queries: infocopower@oxfam.it. Applicants should consult the Management and Reporting Guidelines and attend scheduled information sessions for country-specific clarifications and due diligence requirements.

This opportunity funds frontline CSOs to strengthen inclusive, intersectional responses to GBV, combining small grants and robust capacity-building supports to enhance protection, reduce harmful practices and expand accessible services in marginalised or underserved areas.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary sources: CoPower project site (copower.oxfam.it) and EU Funding & Tenders Portal listing for the competitive call (ec.europa.eu).

This is a cascade funding opportunity under the CoPower project within CERV-2025-DAPHNE, designed to strengthen civil society capacity to provide safe, inclusive and survivor centred services for women, girls and children affected by gender based violence in Italy, Greece and Spain.[2][4]

Opportunity snapshot

Who can apply

The call targets small and medium sized grassroots civil society organisations, particularly those operating in rural, peripheral or marginalised areas. Priority applicant profiles include women's rights organisations, anti violence centres, anti trafficking centres, and organisations working on human rights, LGBTIQ+ rights, child rights, social inclusion and disability, as well as elderly, migrant and refugee groups.[2][4]

• Applicants must be legally registered in Italy, Greece or Spain for the national calls.[2]
• The call is especially relevant for local or grassroots CSOs with direct service experience in GBV response.[2][4]
• Child protection and gender mainstreaming are expected to be integral elements of proposals.[2]
• Partner organisations provide technical support to participating CSOs.[2]

What the funding supports

Proposals must respond to the multidimensional and intersecting needs of women, girls and child survivors of GBV through an intersectional approach, strengthening inclusive and accessible protection systems across different intervention contexts.[2]

Funding structure and amounts

The available public material describes fixed grant amounts rather than a percentage reimbursement rate.[2][4]

The portal states that the call has €900000 available overall, while country specific project pages also describe a €300000 national envelope for the Italian call; applicants should therefore rely on the country specific guidance for the exact envelope that applies to their national strand.[2][4][6]

Application and selection process

1. 1Administrative check.[2]
2. 2Eligibility requirements verification and shortlisting.[2]
3. 3Final assessment and selection.[2]
4. 4Pre notification and due diligence.[2]
5. 5Confirmation and signing of the agreement.[2]

Information sessions are planned online and in person in each country, and questions are directed to infocopower@oxfam.it.[2][4]

Implementation context

CoPower runs from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2029 and is implemented by Oxfam Italia ETS, ActionAid Hellas, Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo and WeWorld-GVC. Beyond the national calls, the wider project also includes transnational calls and a capacity sharing programme covering needs assessments, training, mentoring and workshops across Italy, Greece, Spain, Serbia, Romania and Albania.[2][4]