Countering the spread of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in democratic debate and processes

CERV-2026 is a CERV 2026 call managed by EACEA to fund transnational projects countering disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) that undermine democratic debate and processes. The topic has an indicative budget of €10,000,000 within a €30,000,000 call envelope, funds are awarded as lump sum CERV grants with a minimum request of €75,000 and project durations normally of 12–24 months. Eligible lead applicants are non-profit private legal entities or public universities with at least one co-applicant from a different eligible country, proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 29 April 2026 at 17:00 CET. Proposals are evaluated on Relevance, Quality and Impact with an overall pass threshold of 70/100 and require compliance with EU values, ethical standards, child protection where relevant, and lump sum output deliverables including event reports and an EU survey milestone.

Countering disinformation and FIMI in democratic debate and processes

Call at a glance

CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV-ENGAGEMENT-DISINFOFIMI

What it funds: projects that strengthen resilience of democratic debate by reinforcing situational awareness and response capacity to safeguard the information space; support free and independent media; protect elections and democratic institutions; and boost citizen engagement specifically to counter disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

Available budget and instrument:Total call envelope €30,000,000. Topic 3 (DISINFOFIMI) indicative allocation €10,000,000. Grants awarded as lump sums; minimum EU grant per project €75,000. Projects typically 12–24 months ¹.

1. 1Deadline: 29 April 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission)
2. 2Who can apply: lead applicants must be legal entities established in eligible CERV countries (for this priority typically non-profit private legal entities or public universities); co-applicants non-profit organisations or international organisations. Minimum consortium: lead + at least one co-applicant from a different eligible country (transnational).
3. 3Eligible activities: situational monitoring tools, digital/media literacy, AI/detection tools, support for public bodies with evidence-based responses, trainings, awareness campaigns, SLAPPs support and media resilience actions.

Form of grant and key conditions: CERV Lump Sum Grants (CERV-LS). Applications submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the CERV application templates. Proposals must respect page limits and include required annexes; financial and operational capacity checks apply during grant preparation.

Eligibility highlights:Lead applicant: non-profit private legal entities or public universities (for sub-priorities 1.1, 2.1 and 3). For public-authority-focused sub-priorities different lead types apply (national or local/regional public bodies). Activities must take place in eligible CERV countries; projects must be transnational (min. two applicants from two different eligible countries) except where the topic allows national projects. Minimum grant request €75,000.

Evaluation and timing: proposals assessed on relevance, quality and impact (individual relevance threshold 25/40; overall pass 70/100). Publication/opening: 3 March 2026. Submission deadline: 29 April 2026. Evaluation May–October 2026; information to applicants October 2026; grant signature from January 2027.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call document, budget tables, templates and lump-sum rules are available in the call fiche and call document on the Funding & Tenders Portal Call document and annexes.

Countering the spread of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in democratic debate and processes — CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV-ENGAGEMENT-DISINFOFIMI

Programme: Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) — Citizens’ engagement and participation 2026. Type of action: CERV-LS (CERV Lump Sum Grants). Model Grant Agreement: CERV Lump Sum Grant [CERV-AG-LS]. Opportunity type: Call for proposals. Opening date: 03 March 2026. Deadline: 29 April 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Submission: via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV-ENGAGEMENT-DISINFOFIMI. Call document and templates: Call fiche (PDF); Application form templates: Part A/B template overview.

Objectives and Scope (Priority 3: DISINFOFIMI)

This priority supports projects that counter disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) affecting democratic debate and processes across the EU. It aims to enhance societal resilience, protect the integrity of the information space, and empower citizens to critically navigate and engage in public discourse. Projects should directly involve citizens and link to EU policymaking, while contributing to EU values, rule of law, gender equality, and fundamental rights.

Policy alignment required:Projects should prioritise the 2025 European Democracy Shield and related initiatives on free and fair elections, free and independent media, societal resilience, and citizens’ participation. Complementary alignment with the 2023 Defence of Democracy Package, EU Citizenship Package, anti-SLAPP Recommendation 2022/758, Political Advertising Regulation (EU) 2024/900, and other listed EU strategies is encouraged, as long as the core focus remains on strengthening democracy, resilient information ecosystems, and citizen empowerment.

Activities that can be funded under DISINFOFIMI:• Develop and disseminate knowledge, resources, and tools that help citizens identify organised, manipulative disinformation campaigns and techniques (including AI-generated or manipulated content), understand platform algorithms and recommender systems, and exercise their rights. • Design, implement, and roll out digital tools (including AI) to monitor, detect, analyse, and react to organised FIMI and disinformation campaigns online. • Provide competent public bodies with evidence-based information on online disinformation campaigns to enable rapid, efficient interventions within their legal mandates. • Develop, implement, and disseminate media and digital literacy programmes and tools for citizens of all ages and socio-economic profiles to critically evaluate online information and exercise relevant rights. • Conduct public awareness campaigns on the risks of disinformation and promote responsible use of online technologies (including AI). • Organise trainings, exchanges of best practice, and engagement of relevant actors for reporting, monitoring, and countering Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), including actions supporting independent media outlets and journalists.

Expected impacts for DISINFOFIMI:• Greater citizen access to a diversity of trustworthy information sources, especially online. • Safer, more transparent information environments where citizens can express views and participate in democratic debate. • Increased public understanding of manipulation techniques, platform functioning (including recommender systems), and how hostile actors can exploit them to interfere with democracy. • Citizen empowerment to recognise artificial manipulation, assess why certain content is shown, and rely on trustworthy sources (e.g., independent media). • Improved resilience and preparedness among citizens, particularly vulnerable or marginalised groups, to assess and counter disinformation and FIMI. • Enhanced stakeholder awareness and capacity to counter SLAPPs while protecting freedom of expression.

Essential Call Facts

• Call ID: CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV
• Topic: CERV-2026
• Deadline model: Single-stage submission and one-step evaluation
• Evaluation period: May–October 2026; information to applicants: October 2026; Grant Agreement signature: January 2027
• Overall call budget: €30,000,000; Topic 3 (DISINFOFIMI) budget: €10,000,000
• Project duration: 12–24 months
• Minimum grant amount: €75,000; maximum: no formal upper limit (granting authority may award less than requested)

Eligibility and Consortium Composition

General rules for Priority 3 (DISINFOFIMI):

• Applicants must be legal entities. Natural persons are not eligible.
• Lead applicant (Coordinator): non-profit private legal entity or public university established in an eligible country.
• Co-applicants: non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or international organisations established in eligible countries.
• Minimum consortium: at least 2 applicants from 2 different eligible countries (transnational projects).
• Activities must take place in eligible countries.
• CERV eligible countries: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and non-EU countries associated to CERV, or in ongoing association negotiations that enter into force before grant signature. See the dynamic list on the call portal.
• International organisations are eligible; EU bodies (except the EC Joint Research Centre) are not eligible as consortium members.
• Entities subject to EU restrictive or conditionality measures are excluded.

Ethics, EU values, and child protection:Projects must respect highest ethical standards, EU values (Article 2 TEU and Article 21 EU Charter), and all applicable EU, international, and national law (including GDPR). Gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming are required. Where activities involve children, private entities must provide a Child Protection Policy aligned with the Keeping Children Safe standards; public entities must provide a declaration of honour or a CPP.

Financial and Legal Set-up

Form of funding and budgeting:Lump sum grant under the CERV Lump Sum Decision. The project budget is established in Part A of the application by defining work packages and a beneficiary calculation sheet. One lump sum equals one work package labelled as an “event” comprising one or several activities within a defined timeframe aimed at engaging citizens and stakeholders. The lump sum per work package is parameterised by the number of direct participants and the number of eligible countries covered by the event. Double counting of direct participants across overlapping work packages is not permitted. EU officials’ participation does not count towards thresholds.

Payments and reporting:Typical pre-financing is 60% of the maximum grant amount; pre-financing guarantees may be requested. Final payment is based on achievement of agreed milestones and deliverables. Mandatory deliverables include a report on implementation for each work package/event. A mandatory milestone requires inviting attendees to complete the EU Survey on Justice, Rights and Values. Projects must keep appropriate records and comply with no-profit and no double-funding rules.

Co-funding and rates:The funding rate is set in the Grant Agreement following evaluation of the lump sum budget proposed. The call does not fix a single co-funding percentage for DISINFOFIMI; applicants should plan for co-funding in line with CERV rules, and note that the granting authority may reduce requested amounts during grant preparation.

Submission, Evaluation and Award

How to apply:Apply via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page. Submission is electronic only. Proposals must use the specific online forms and templates available inside the Submission System.

Application package:• Part A: Administrative data for all participants and lump-sum budget (completed online). • Part B: Technical description of the project (download template from the system, complete, and upload as PDF). • Part C: KPI tool with additional project data (completed online). • Mandatory annexes: list of previous projects (last 4 years; n/a for newly established orgs); child protection policy or declaration where applicable; any call-specific annexes indicated in the Submission System. Other annexes beyond those requested are not considered.

Page limits and format:Part B must not exceed 70 pages. Documents must be readable, accessible, and printable. Excess pages will not be evaluated.

Evaluation process and criteria:Single-stage evaluation by an evaluation committee assisted by independent experts. Proposals are checked for admissibility and eligibility, then evaluated on operational capacity and the following award criteria: 1) Relevance (max 40; min threshold 25), 2) Quality (max 40), 3) Impact (max 20). Overall threshold: 70/100. Ties are resolved by prioritising higher Relevance, then Quality, then Impact scores within the topic budget envelope.

What Applicants Can Do Under DISINFOFIMI

• Citizen-facing toolkits to spot manipulation: practical guides, fact-checking aids, AI-content detection explainers, rights-handbooks on platform reporting and redress.
• AI-enabled monitoring and analysis: dashboards, classifiers, and detection tools for coordinated inauthentic behaviour, covert influence networks, deepfakes, synthetic media, and cross-platform amplification patterns.
• Evidence services for public bodies: structured incident briefings, periodic situation reports, forensic analyses, and early warnings compatible with competent authorities’ mandates.
• Comprehensive media and digital literacy programmes: curricula for schools and adults, modular micro-learning, community workshops, accessible materials for people with disabilities, multi-language resources.
• Awareness campaigns: multi-channel, accessible outreach that avoids amplification of falsehoods, includes prebunking and debunking strategies, and communicates platform transparency features under EU law.
• Anti-SLAPP capacity: training programmes for journalists and CSOs, legal defence networks, monitoring repositories, and guidance for media outlets.

Categorisation and Structured Extraction

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible for Priority 3 as coordinator: non-profit private legal entities and public universities. Eligible as co-applicants: non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) and international organisations. Typical types include: NGO, nonprofit, foundation, association, charity; university and higher education institution; non-profit research institute; public sector bodies operating on a non-profit basis (e.g., agencies, institutes, authorities) as co-applicants; international organisations. For-profit entities and natural persons are not eligible beneficiaries under Priority 3.

Funding Type:Grant — CERV Lump Sum Grant (CERV-LS) with lump sum budgeting per work package/event as authorised by the CERV lump sum decision CERV Lump Sum Decision.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required. Minimum 2 applicants from 2 different eligible countries. Transnational projects are mandatory for Priority 3; single-applicant submissions are not permitted.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and non-EU countries associated to the CERV Programme or in ongoing association negotiations entering into force before grant signature. Activities must take place in eligible countries. International organisations are eligible regardless of establishment, but EU bodies (except JRC) are not.

Target Sector:Democracy and civil society; media and journalism support; education and digital literacy; ICT and online platforms; security/cybersecurity; artificial intelligence; civic tech; governance and public policy engagement; human rights and rule of law.

Mentioned Countries:Regionally, the opportunity targets EU and associated countries under CERV. Countries explicitly mentioned in the call materials: Hungary (in the context of EU conditionality measures) and Russia (as an example of a hostile actor in FIMI). The CERV National Contact Points page shows various national listings; however, applicant eligibility follows the CERV participating countries framework.

Project Stage:Projects are expected to focus on development, validation, and deployment/implementation of tools, methods, trainings, and campaigns; evidence services; and demonstration activities that directly involve citizens and stakeholders. Fundamental research is not the focus.

Funding Amount:Total call budget: €30,000,000. Topic 3 (DISINFOFIMI) budget: €10,000,000. Minimum grant per project: €75,000. No formal maximum per project is specified; the granting authority may award less than requested. Funding is provided as lump sums per work package/event.

Application Type:Open call with single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Topic Q&A and updates are posted on the topic page; an online info session was held on 12 March 2026 EACEA Info Session page.

Nature of Support:Financial support (grant money through lump sums). Non-monetary support is not a core feature of this topic, though the programme provides guidance via manuals, MGAs, and NCPs.

Application Stages:1 stage: single-stage submission followed by one-step evaluation.

Success Rates:Not specified in the call documentation. Applicants should plan for competitive selection aligned with award criteria thresholds and topic budget envelope.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding is typically required under CERV and is embedded in the lump sum and funding rate set during grant preparation. The precise co-funding rate for DISINFOFIMI is not fixed in the call text; applicants should propose realistic budgets and expect the granting authority to adjust amounts to ensure sound financial management. No-profit and no double-funding rules apply.

Evaluation, Timetable and Budget Overview

Templates and Application Structure

Part A (online forms):• General information (topic, title, duration, keywords, abstract; prior submissions). • Declarations and compliance confirmations. • Participants section for each entity (PIC, legal status, contacts, departments). • Budget: lump sum set-up per work package and beneficiary. • Other questions: ethics and security tables.

Part B (Technical Description) — outline:1. Relevance: background; objectives; needs analysis with sex-/age-/disability-disaggregated data where possible; complementarity and EU added value; innovation; links to prior EU projects; countries and locations. 2. Quality: concept and methodology (including ethics and safety); consortium set-up and roles; project teams and experts (with gender-balanced composition); management and decision-making; project management, QA, monitoring and evaluation strategy with gender-responsive indicators; risk management including inclusivity/access barriers; cost effectiveness and financial management (n/a for prefixed LS where indicated). 3. Impact: short-, medium-, long-term effects; target group benefits; changes expected; contributions to gender equality and non-discrimination; communication, dissemination, and EU funding visibility; sustainability and continuation. 4. Workplan: list of work packages; per WP: objectives, tasks, roles, milestones, deliverables with due months and dissemination levels. For Lump Sum Grants: 1 WP = 1 event; include timetable. 5. Other: ethics and EU values; security (if applicable). 6. Declarations: double funding; financial support to third parties (not allowed here). Annexes include Lump Sum detailed budget/calculator (if required by system), CVs (if requested), annual activity reports (if requested), list of previous projects.

Mandatory deliverables and milestones:• Per-WP implementation report using the Event description sheet template (CERV REM, CIV, NETW). • Milestone: EU Survey on Justice, Rights and Values — beneficiaries must invite event attendees to complete it and may use project-level results for evaluation.

Key compliance reminders:• Each project may address only one topic/priority; the same application can only be submitted to one topic. • A lead applicant cannot submit more than one application across all priorities in this call; multiple submissions by the same lead lead to rejection of all. • Financial support to third parties is not allowed. • Subcontracting must be limited and justified; no subcontracting of coordinator tasks. • Associated partners bear their own costs. • Register entities in the Participant Register and complete validation steps.

Help and Support

• Topic page with Q&A and updates: see the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page.
• Online Manual and Portal FAQ: process, submission, and reporting guidance.
• IT Helpdesk: for account, roles, and technical submission issues.
• Non-IT queries: CERV National Contact Point for your country, or EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu with subject “CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV”.
• Programme overview and NCP list: CERV Programme overview; CERV National Contact Points.

Summary Explanation

This opportunity funds transnational, citizen-involving projects that strengthen EU democracies by countering disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). Under the CERV programme’s Citizens’ engagement and participation strand, Priority 3 focuses on practical, implementable actions: citizen-facing literacy tools and programmes; AI-enabled detection and analysis systems; evidence services supporting competent public bodies; awareness campaigns; and anti-SLAPP capacity-building for independent media and journalists. Projects must be led by non-profit private legal entities or public universities, with non-profit co-applicants or international organisations, and must include at least two applicants from two different eligible countries. Funding is provided via lump sums per work package/event, calibrated to participant numbers and country coverage, with mandatory deliverables and an EU survey milestone. Ethical compliance, EU values, gender equality, and inclusiveness are integral throughout. Proposals are submitted in a single stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, evaluated on Relevance, Quality, and Impact, within a €10 million topic budget. The minimum grant is €75,000, with project durations of 12–24 months. In essence, this call supports concrete solutions that improve the integrity and transparency of the information space, empower citizens to resist manipulation, and bolster institutions and media to safeguard democratic debate across the Union.

CERV 2026 Citizens Engagement and Participation Call - Priority 3 Analysis

Funding Opportunity Overview

This call supports projects countering the spread of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in democratic debate and processes. Priority 3 is one of three priorities under the broader CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV call, managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme.

Call Reference:CERV-2026

Programme:Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) 2021-2027

Key Dates and Deadlines

Funding Budget and Amounts

The total estimated budget available for the entire CERV-2026-CITIZENS-CIV call is €30,000,000. This budget is distributed across three priorities. Priority 3 (Countering FIMI) is allocated €10,000,000. The call reserves the right not to award all available funds or to redistribute them between call topics and priorities depending on proposal quality and evaluation results.

Grant Parameters per Project:Minimum grant amount €75,000. Maximum grant amount is unlimited, but actual awards may be lower than the amount requested depending on evaluation and available budget.

Objective and Scope

The call aims to promote 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. It seeks to empower strong and resilient democracies by supporting initiatives that reinforce situational awareness and support response capacity to safeguard the integrity of the information space, strengthen democratic institutions, free and fair elections and free and independent media, and boost societal resilience and citizens' engagement ¹.

Priority 3 specifically addresses the challenges posed by disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference and their impact on democratic debates and processes. It seeks to enhance the resilience of democratic processes against disinformation and maintain the integrity of public discourse.

Eligible Activities

Projects must address Priority 3 activities only. Activities related to specific European Citizens' Initiatives or those designed to gain citizens' support on a specific theme only will not be supported. The focus should be on discussing, debating, and finding common solutions rather than rallying around a specific cause or topic. Activities that support specific political parties or proselytising activities will not be funded, regardless of their objectives ².

Eligible activities for Priority 3 include the following:

• Developing and disseminating knowledge, resources and tools to help citizens identify and recognise organised, manipulative disinformation campaigns and manipulative techniques online and exercise their relevant rights. This includes helping them recognise whether they interact with real humans, whether content has been generated or manipulated by AI, and understanding how algorithms and recommender systems function and can be manipulated to artificially amplify content.
• Developing, implementing and disseminating digital tools including AI to monitor, detect, analyse and react to organised FIMI and disinformation campaigns online.
• Supporting competent public bodies in having evidence-based information about online disinformation campaigns, enabling them to rapidly and efficiently address these issues using their powers.
• Developing, implementing and disseminating media and digital literacy programmes and tools for citizens of all age and socio-economic categories, helping them critically evaluate the online information environment and exercise their relevant rights.
• Engaging in public awareness campaigns to highlight the risks of disinformation campaigns and encourage the responsible use of online technologies including AI.
• Organising trainings, exchanges of best practices, engaging relevant actors in reporting and monitoring Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and actions supporting independent media outlets and journalists against SLAPPs.

Expected Impact of Priority 3 Projects

• Increased access for citizens to a diversity of trustworthy information sources, notably online.
• Increased possibility for citizens to express their views and take part in democratic debates in an information space which is transparent and safe.
• Increased support for people's awareness of manipulative techniques, the functioning of social media platforms such as recommender systems, and how hostile actors can exploit these models to manipulate public opinion and interfere with democracy.
• Increased empowerment for citizens to better recognise artificially manipulated techniques and understand whether they are interacting with real humans online, understand why they are exposed to certain content, and know how to rely on trustworthy information sources such as free and independent media.
• Increased resilience and preparedness of citizens, particularly those from vulnerable and marginalised groups, to critically assess online information and counter disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference.
• Increased awareness and empowerment of stakeholders on the necessary tools and strategies to combat SLAPPs and strengthen their resilience against legal intimidation while protecting freedom of expression.

Who Can Apply

Priority 3 requires applications from a transnational consortium of at least two applicants from two different eligible countries. Eligible beneficiaries must be non-profit private legal entities or public universities from eligible countries. Applicants must have legal entity status and be registered in the Participant Register before proposal submission ³.

Lead Applicant Requirements:Must be a non-profit private legal entity or public university from an eligible country. The lead applicant cannot submit more than one application under this call across all priorities.

Co-applicant Requirements:Must be non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or international organisations from eligible countries.

Eligible Countries:EU Member States including overseas countries and territories; non-EU countries associated with the CERV Programme or countries in ongoing negotiations for association where the agreement enters into force before grant signature. Applicants should check the regularly updated list of participating countries.

Ineligible Applicants:Natural persons, EU bodies with exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre, entities subject to EU restrictive measures under TEU Article 29 or TFEU Article 215, and entities subject to EU conditionality measures under Regulation 2020/2092.

Eligibility Conditions

Lump Sum Grant Methodology

Priority 3 projects are funded through lump sum grants. The lump sum calculation is based on two parameters: the number of direct participants and the number of eligible countries per work package or event. Work packages must be structured as events involving direct and verifiable participation of citizens or stakeholders. One lump sum must correspond to one work package, which equals one event, which can include one or several activities such as conferences, workshops, trainings, seminars, debates, webinars, or surveys ⁴.

To be eligible for funding, the total number of direct participants involved in the work package or event must comply with minimum requirements specified in the lump sum decision. Double counting of participants is not allowed. Direct participants can be counted only once for the entire work package or event even if they participate in several activities. EU officials shall not be counted for purposes of calculating lump sum thresholds, though they may participate in events as long as they are not the intended target group.

Application and Submission Process

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Proposals must be submitted before the deadline of 29 April 2026 at 17:00 CET Brussels time. After this deadline, the system closes and no further submissions are possible.

Pre-Submission Requirements:Create an EU Login user account and register your organisation in the Participant Register to obtain a 9-digit participant identification code (PIC). All participants must complete this registration before submitting the proposal.

Proposal Components:Submit in four parts: Part A contains administrative information and lump sum budget filled directly online; Part B is the technical description of the action downloaded as a Word template, completed, and uploaded as PDF; Part C is the KPI tool containing project data related to EU programme key performance indicators to be filled online; Annexes include mandatory supporting documents such as child protection policies if applicable and letters of support where required.

Page Limits:Part B is limited to a maximum of 70 pages. Excess pages will be disregarded by evaluators. Minimum font size Arial 9 points, page margins at least 15mm on all sides.

Mandatory Deliverables and Reporting

All projects must include mandatory deliverables consisting of reports on the implementation of work packages, one report for each work package or event. All projects must complete a milestone related to the EU Survey on Justice, Rights and Values, where beneficiaries will ask event attendees to participate in this survey to allow the granting authority to monitor training, mutual learning and awareness-raising events.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Proposals are evaluated on three award criteria with the following points distribution:

Proposals must pass both the individual threshold for Relevance (25 out of 40 points) and the overall threshold (70 out of 100 points) to be considered for funding within the limits of available budget. Other proposals will be rejected.

Relevance Criterion (40 points):Assesses the extent to which the proposal matches call priorities and objectives, includes clearly defined needs with robust needs assessment, clearly identifies target groups with gender perspective, contributes to EU strategic and legislative context, demonstrates European and trans-national dimension, shows potential for transfer of good practices to other countries, and builds mutual trust and cross-border cooperation while avoiding duplication with previous projects.

Quality Criterion (40 points):Evaluates clarity and consistency of the project design, logical links between identified problems and proposed solutions, feasibility within the proposed timeframe, methodology with gender perspective appropriately taken into account, quality of consortium setup with clear division of roles, adequacy of project teams and staffing, effectiveness of consortium management and decision-making structures, robustness of project management and quality assurance mechanisms, appropriateness of monitoring and evaluation strategy with relevant indicators, ethical considerations and measures to guarantee compliance with EU values, and cost-effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Impact Criterion (20 points):Examines the ambition and expected long-term impact of results on target groups and general public, appropriateness of dissemination strategy for ensuring sustainability and long-term impact, potential for positive multiplier effect, and sustainability of results after EU funding ends.

Financial and Operational Capacity Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement the project and contribute their share. Organisations participating in several projects must have sufficient capacity to implement all projects. Financial capacity checks are normally conducted for coordinators, except for public bodies and international organisations or if the requested grant amount does not exceed €60,000 ⁵.

Operational capacity requires applicants to have the know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement the project, including sufficient experience in projects of comparable size and nature. This is assessed together with the Quality award criterion based on competence and experience of applicants and their project teams, including human, technical and other operational resources. Public bodies, Member State organisations and international organisations are exempted from the operational capacity check.

Grant Agreement and Payment Arrangements

Upon successful evaluation, accepted proposals enter grant preparation where the specific terms of the Grant Agreement are finalised. The Grant Agreement will be based on the CERV Lump Sum Grant Model Grant Agreement.

Project Start Date and Duration:The project starting date will be fixed in the Grant Agreement, normally within six months after grant signature. Retroactive starting dates can be granted exceptionally for duly justified reasons but never earlier than the proposal submission date. Project duration is normally 12 to 24 months.

Prefinancing:Beneficiaries normally receive prefinancing of approximately 60 percent of the maximum grant amount, paid thirty days from entry into force of the Grant Agreement or financial guarantee provision, whichever is later. Exceptionally, less prefinancing or no prefinancing may be provided.

Final Payment:At the end of the project, the final grant amount is calculated. If the total of earlier payments exceeds the final grant amount, beneficiaries must repay the difference. All payments are made to the coordinator.

Prefinancing Guarantees:May be required and will be set during grant preparation. The guarantee should be in euro and issued by an approved bank or financial institution established in an EU Member State. For beneficiaries established in non-EU countries, guarantees from non-EU banks may be exceptionally accepted if they offer equivalent security.

Exclusion Grounds

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in any of the following exclusion situations cannot participate: bankruptcy, winding up, affairs administered by courts, arrangement with creditors, or suspended business activities; breach of social security or tax obligations; guilty of grave professional misconduct; committed fraud, corruption, links to criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour or human trafficking; shown significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under EU procurement contracts or grant agreements; guilty of irregularities; created under different jurisdiction to circumvent fiscal or social obligations; intentionally resisted investigation, checks or audits by EU authorities ⁶.

Ethics, EU Values and Child Protection

Projects must comply with the highest ethical standards and EU values based on Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Projects must respect applicable EU, international and national law including the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679.

Projects must seek to promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming. Project activities should contribute to equal empowerment of women and men in all their diversity, ensure that individuals achieve their full potential and enjoy the same rights, reduce discrimination against particular groups and improve equality outcomes for individuals.

Private entities with activities involving children must provide a child protection policy covering four areas described in the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards. This policy must be available online and transparent, include clear information about staff recruitment including background checks, and include clear procedures and continuous training. Public entities with activities involving children must provide a declaration of honour or their child protection policy if any.

Ineligible Activities and Restrictions

• Activities supporting specific political parties or with proselytising objectives will not be funded regardless of their grounds for applying or stated objectives.
• Activities related to specific European Citizens' Initiatives or designed to gain citizens' support on a specific theme only are not supported.
• Engagement formats lacking representativity or reaching only a very limited range of citizens.
• Activities or actions without concrete or actionable results or no follow-up.
• Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
• Completed projects will be rejected. Projects already started are assessed case-by-case and no costs can be reimbursed for activities prior to the project starting date.
• Multiple proposals submitted by the same lead applicant will result in rejection of all such proposals.

Special Requirements and Conditions

All participants must register in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC before submitting the proposal. All beneficiaries and affiliated entities will be validated by the Central Validation Service. No cumulation of EU funding is permitted except under EU Synergies actions. Cost items may not be declared under two EU grants. Projects must maintain a balanced project budget with sufficient other resources to implement successfully.

Grants may not produce a profit, meaning the surplus of revenues plus EU grant over costs must not be positive. This is checked at the end of the project. Proposals may be changed and resubmitted until the application deadline. By submitting an application, all applicants accept the call conditions set out in the Call document.

Support and Contact Information

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Online Manual for detailed guidance on submission procedures. For call-specific questions, contact the CERV National Contact Point of your country if established, or otherwise email EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu. For technical submission system issues, contact the IT Helpdesk through the portal webform. An online information session was held on 12 March 2026 from 10:00 to 13:00 CET; presentation materials are available on the EACEA website.

Applicants should consult the Call and Topic pages regularly for updates, as the granting authority uses these to publish call updates and information on events. Applicants should also review the Model Grant Agreement, EU Grants Annotated Grant Agreement, CERV Regulation 2021/692, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity Assessment, and the Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual for comprehensive guidance.

Policy Context and Strategic Alignment

Priority 3 projects should prioritise alignment with the European Democracy Shield adopted November 2025, which provides a strategic approach to safeguard, strengthen and promote democracy in the EU through three pillars: safeguarding the integrity of the information space, strengthening free and fair elections and free and independent media, and supporting societal resilience and citizens' participation and engagement ¹.

Projects should also align with the 2023 Defence of Democracy Package recommendations, the 2023 EU Citizenship Package, Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/758 on protecting journalists and human rights defenders, and the 2021 Reinforcing Democracy and Integrity of Elections package. The call also references the EU Strategy for Civil Society adopted November 2025 and numerous other EU strategies including those on Gender Equality, Anti-Racism, Roma Equality, Antisemitism, LGBTIQ+ Equality, Women's Rights, Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and Digital Education, emphasising that projects should remain aligned with relevant policy developments throughout their lifetime.

The European Democracy Shield provides the strategic framework supporting this call. Further information available on European Commission website and in the official communication Join(2025)791 Final.

This restriction ensures that EU funding supports inclusive democratic processes rather than advocacy for particular political positions or causes, maintaining the principle of political neutrality.

All organisations must be registered in the Participant Register before submitting proposals. Registration typically takes several days or weeks depending on complexity of legal entity validation, so applicants are advised to register early.

The lump sum methodology simplifies reporting for beneficiaries as it is based on achieving defined outputs rather than detailed cost documentation. Beneficiaries do not need to document actual costs incurred, but must ensure that the outputs specified in work packages are achieved.

If financial capacity is assessed as unsatisfactory, the granting authority may require enhanced financial responsibility, instalment-based prefinancing, prefinancing guarantees, no prefinancing, or replacement of the applicant, or may reject the entire proposal.

Exclusion grounds are comprehensive and apply to persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners, and persons essential for the award or implementation of the grant. Applicants should verify their eligibility status carefully before submitting proposals.