EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS)

The EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme ESF-2026-EURES-TMS is an ESF+ EaSI call funding transnational consortia to deliver tailored recruitment, matching, training and placement services and direct financial support to facilitate approximately 4,000 placements across EU/EEA countries. The call has a total budget of €17,000,000 with expected grants of €2,000,000–6,000,000 per project, a funding rate of up to 95% for 24-month projects, and requires activities to be implemented in at least five eligible countries. Eligible applicants are consortia led by non-profit EURES National Coordination Offices or EURES members/partners and must dedicate a minimum of 70% of total eligible costs to financial support to jobseekers and SMEs. The electronic submission deadline is 26 May 2026, 17:00 CET via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and proposals are evaluated on relevance, quality (design and team) and impact with an overall threshold of 70/100.

EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) — Call ESF-2026-EURES-TMS

What it funds

Scope at a glance

Grants to implement the EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme combining tailored recruitment, matching, training, pre/post placement support and direct financial incentives (interview/relocation/language/recognition allowances and SME training support) to place mobile jobseekers in hard-to-fill vacancies, traineeships or apprenticeships across EU/EEA countries.

Deadline:26 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (call opened 10 March 2026) ¹.

Available budget and scale:Indicative call budget €17,000,000; expected to fund 3–4 projects. Typical project budget range €2,000,000 to €6,000,000; project duration typically 24 months.

Who can apply

Only consortia are eligible. Lead applicants must be non-profit EURES National Coordination Offices or EURES members/partners whose main mission is employment and placement services. Consortia must include at least two EURES member/partner organisations established in different EU/EEA countries and implement activities in at least five EU Member States (geographical coverage requirement).

Eligibility highlights

1. 1Consortia of minimum two beneficiaries (both EURES members/partners in different EU/EEA countries).
2. 2Coordinator must be a non-profit EURES National Coordination Office or equivalent EURES organisation.
3. 3Projects must target jobseekers aged 18+, prioritise shortage occupations and set quantified placement targets (TMS aims for ~4 000 placements across funded projects).
4. 4Consortium activities must be carried out in at least five EU Member States; duration normally 24 months.

Selection and key administrative points

Evaluation uses relevance, quality (design and team) and impact criteria. Individual thresholds and an overall pass score apply (overall threshold 70/100). Applications submitted online via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the ESF application forms; Part B limited to 70 pages.

Apply and consult full call documentation and Implementing Guide for mandatory technical, eligibility and financial rules, application templates and award criteria. Use the Submission System on the Funding & Tenders Portal to submit before the deadline ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call document and Annex I (Implementing Guide) available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Call fiche and documents.

EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) — Call for Proposals ESF-2026-EURES-TMS

The European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), has launched the EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) call under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) EaSI strand. The action funds transnational employment services and targeted financial support to help mobile jobseekers and recruiting employers, with a particular focus on shortage and hard-to-fill occupations across the EU and EEA. The 2026 call aims to deliver around 4,000 placements in jobs, traineeships, or apprenticeships and to strengthen the EURES network’s capacity through innovative matching, recruitment and training services.

Applicants must propose integrated, result-oriented projects combining information, matching, recruitment and placement services; pre- and post-placement support; and direct financial support to jobseekers and SMEs in line with the Implementing Guide. Projects must be carried out transnationally and demonstrate robust labour-market analysis of shortage occupations within the consortium’s geographical coverage.

Official sources:Topic page and submission: EU Funding & Tenders Portal — ESF-2026-EURES-TMS. Call document: Call fiche ESF-2026-EURES-TMS (PDF). Implementing Guide 2026: EURES TMS Implementing Guide 2026. Model Grant Agreement: ESF/SOCPL MGA.

Key Facts and Timeline

Scope, Objectives and Activities

The call funds integrated, transnational employment services and targeted financial support to address labour and skills shortages, enabling fair intra-EU labour mobility and supporting the EURES network’s service catalogue and public-private partnerships. Projects must be quality-oriented and outcome-driven, with clear labour-market rationale and quantified placement targets.

• Objectives: Ensure around 4,000 placements, prioritise filling shortage and hard-to-fill occupations; improve conditions for free movement of workers; enhance EURES service catalogue; foster public-private partnerships within EURES.
• Thematic priorities: Tailored recruitment and matching to identified shortage occupations; innovative outreach to jobseekers; demand-driven services aligned with sectoral and regional shortages.
• Geographic implementation: Activities must be fully carried out in at least five EU Member States or eligible EEA countries within the consortium coverage.
• Mandatory project components: 1) Partnership creation of labour-market actors; 2) Cooperation arrangements with EURES members and other labour-market actors; 3) Provision of services to jobseekers and employers; 4) Identification and justification of shortage sectors; 5) Direct measures and financial support to jobseekers and SMEs; 6) Post-placement support.

Key activities eligible for funding:Information, matching, recruitment and placement services; pre- and post-placement support; targeted financial support to jobseekers (interview travel, relocation, language training, recognition of qualifications) and to SMEs (training for newly recruited TMS candidates and for existing SME staff); communication, dissemination and monitoring as per the Implementing Guide.

Eligibility and Consortium

• Eligible entities: Legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries.
• Eligible countries: EU Member States; EEA countries Norway and Iceland in accordance with ESF+ rules.
• Coordinator (lead applicant): Must be a non-profit entity and one of the following: EURES National Coordination Office; EURES member or partner placed in an organisation whose main mission is employment and placement services, including information, recruitment, matching and pre- and post-placement support.
• Co-applicants (beneficiaries/affiliated entities): EURES member organisations (NCOs, EURES Members and Partners); public or private labour-market actors (including third sector) providing services aligned with the lead’s scope and/or complementary customer-oriented services (information, training, education, career guidance, mentoring, legal advice, integration support or equivalent).
• Consortium requirement: Only consortia are eligible. Minimum two beneficiaries established in different eligible EU/EEA countries, both EURES Member/Partner organisations. All beneficiaries must be actively involved and financially engaged.
• Geographic implementation: Project activities must be fully implemented in at least five eligible EU/EEA countries.
• Exclusions: Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed with no separate legal personality; international organisations not eligible; EU institutions and most EU bodies cannot be beneficiaries. EU restrictive measures apply.

Budget, Funding Rate and Financial Provisions

• Total call budget: €17,000,000.
• Expected project size: €2,000,000 to €6,000,000 per project (requests outside this range are allowed; the Commission may award lower than requested).
• Funding rate: 95% of eligible costs; no-profit rule applies unless otherwise set in the Grant Agreement Data Sheet.
• Minimum allocation to financial support to third parties: At least 70% of total eligible costs must be dedicated to financial support to target groups (jobseekers and SMEs) as per the Implementing Guide.
• Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP): Allowed. Maximum amount per recipient normally up to €30,000; higher amounts only if duly justified in the application because objectives would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult to achieve.
• Eligible cost categories: A Personnel (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons), B Subcontracting, C Purchases (travel, accommodation, subsistence; equipment depreciation; other goods, works and services), D Other (FSTP), E Indirect costs (7% flat-rate on eligible direct costs A-D, excluding volunteers and any exempted categories).
• VAT eligibility: Non-deductible/non-refundable VAT is eligible except for public bodies acting as public authority.
• Payments: For 24-month actions, an initial prefinancing of 40% and a second prefinancing of 40% (subject to 70% consumption rule), with balance at final payment.
• Project duration: Typically 24 months; extensions possible via amendment.
• Indirect costs: 7% flat-rate.
• Subcontracting: Must ensure best value for money and no conflict of interest; normally a limited part of the action.
• Travel and subsistence: EU unit costs apply where covered by Commission decision; otherwise actual costs per beneficiary’s usual practices.

Evaluation and Award

• Single-stage submission and evaluation.
• Award criteria and thresholds (max 100 points; overall threshold 70/100; individual thresholds apply):

Proposals meeting all individual thresholds and the overall threshold are considered for funding within the call budget ceiling. The Commission may request adjustments during grant preparation.

Admissibility and Submission Requirements

• Electronic submission only via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions not accepted.
• Application package: Part A (administrative and summary budget online); Part B (technical description uploaded as PDF); required annexes.
• Page limit: Part B maximum 70 pages; excess pages are disregarded.
• Declarations: At submission, lead confirms mandate and compliance; declarations of honour required before grant signature for each beneficiary and affiliated entity.
• Key annexes: CVs of core project team; list of previous key projects related to free movement of workers or EURES in the last 3 years. Activity reports are not applicable; detailed budget calculator not applicable unless otherwise required by the system.
• Participant registration: All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must have a valid PIC and pass Central Validation (legal status and origin).

Application portal and support:Submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal: Topic page. General ESF+ queries: EMPL-EaSI@ec.europa.eu. Call-specific queries: EMPL-ESF-2026-EURES-TMS@ec.europa.eu. IT support and manuals: Online Manual and IT How To.

What the Programme Will Fund in Practice

• Labour-market intelligence and identification of shortage sectors or occupations with justification based on recent national/EU studies or reliable data sources.
• Targeted outreach and matching, including innovative digital and non-digital recruitment solutions tailored to specific profiles and sectors.
• Full-cycle placement services: profiling, pre-selection, interview preparation, employer liaison, contract facilitation.
• Transnational mobility support: allowances for interviews, relocation, language training, and qualification recognition for jobseekers; SME training support for newly hired TMS candidates and existing SME workers.
• Integration and retention: post-placement mentoring, early-stage challenge resolution, and regular monitoring of satisfaction and performance.
• Communication and dissemination to maximise EU and national-level impact, including engagement with EURES and non-EURES labour market actors.
• Monitoring and reporting using the EURES performance measurement system, including jobseeker demographics, employer size, and sectors (NACE).

Detailed Answers to Categorisation Questions

Eligible Applicant Types:Coordinator must be a non-profit EURES National Coordination Office or an EURES member or partner embedded in an organisation whose main mission is to deliver employment and placement services. Co-applicants can include: public employment services, private employment services, third-sector organisations, EURES Members and Partners, education and training providers, career guidance actors, mentoring and integration service providers. Universities and research institutes can participate if they qualify as labour-market actors providing eligible services. SMEs and large enterprises are not beneficiaries per se unless they qualify as labour-market actors; however, SMEs can be final recipients of financial support for training. Government and public bodies are eligible where they meet the above criteria. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed as sole traders without separate legal personality under national law.

Funding Type:Grant. ESF Project Grant (action grant), budget-based mixed actual cost with unit cost and flat-rate elements.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. At least two beneficiaries that are EURES Member/Partner organisations, established in different eligible EU/EEA countries. Activities must be implemented in at least five eligible countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible applicants must be established in EU Member States or EEA countries Norway and Iceland. Activities must be carried out transnationally in at least five EU/EEA countries.

Target Sector:Cross-sector labour mobility and employment services addressing shortage and hard-to-fill occupations. Projects must specify and justify the targeted sectors or occupations based on recent national/EU labour-market analysis. The scheme can fund placements in any economic sector where documented shortages exist, subject to EURES and Quality Framework for Traineeships requirements for traineeships and apprenticeships.

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States; Norway; Iceland. The EURES network description also references the EEA countries Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, and Switzerland; however, for eligibility under this call, non-EU eligible countries are Norway and Iceland in line with ESF+ rules.

Project Stage:Operational implementation and delivery. Projects should be at the implementation stage for service deployment, matching, placement, and integration activities, including training and direct support. Not research-oriented.

Funding Amount:Total call budget is €17,000,000, with expected EU contribution per project typically between €2,000,000 and €6,000,000. Funding rate is up to 95% of eligible costs. At least 70% of project eligible costs must go to financial support to third parties.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money. Grants to consortia, plus direct financial support to third parties (individual jobseekers and SMEs) through allowances and training support. Non-financial services are also funded as part of the grant (e.g., matching, mentoring, integration services).

Application Stages:1 stage. Single-step submission and one-step evaluation.

Success Rates:Not specified. The call expects to fund 3 to 4 proposals within the available budget; no historical or forecasted success rate is provided.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. The maximum EU funding rate is 95%, implying at least 5% co-financing from beneficiaries or other sources. Additionally, a minimum of 70% of eligible costs must be dedicated to financial support to third parties. Cost eligibility and no-profit rules apply.

Eligibility, Legal, and Financial Capacity

• Financial capacity: Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources; checks apply to all beneficiaries except public bodies and those below €60,000 requested grant.
• Operational capacity: Demonstrated know-how, qualifications, and resources; coordinator must have at least 3 years’ experience of international team management. Provide CVs of key staff, consortium descriptions, and list of recent relevant projects.
• Exclusion: Standard EU exclusion criteria apply, including bankruptcy, tax or social security breaches, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, and other grounds under the Financial Regulation.
• Record-keeping: Maintain adequate records for at least 5 years after final payment (3 years for grants of not more than €60,000).
• Monitoring and evaluation: Participation in the EURES performance measurement system and EU surveys for events is required.
• Communication and visibility: EU emblem and funding statement must be displayed; all main deliverables demonstrating progress and results must be public unless sensitive under the Grant Agreement.

Templates and Structure of the Application

Applicants must use the standard ESF/SOCPL forms and templates available in the Submission System. The technical description (Part B) follows the ESF/SOCPL standard structure. Key elements to prepare are listed below to guide applicants.

1. 1Part A — Administrative Forms: General information; participants; budget summary; declarations.
2. 2Part B — Technical Description (70-page limit): 1) Relevance: Background and general objectives; needs analysis and specific objectives; complementarity and EU added value. 2) Quality: Concept and methodology; consortium set-up; project teams, staff and experts; management and decision-making; quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation strategy; cost-effectiveness and financial management; risk management. 3) Impact: Impact and ambition; impact on non-EU countries if any; target groups and activities; communication, dissemination and visibility; sustainability and continuation. 4) Workplan and Resources: Work packages with objectives, tasks, participants, milestones and deliverables; estimated budgets; staff effort; subcontracting; timetable. 5) Other: Ethics and security, if applicable. 6) Declarations: Double funding; justification if FSTP per third party exceeds standard ceiling.
3. 3Annexes: CVs of core project team; list of previous relevant projects in past 3 years; any other annexes required by the call or system. Note: Activity reports and detailed budget calculator are not applicable unless explicitly requested by the system.
4. 4Model Grant Agreement and Guidance: Review ESF/SOCPL MGA, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Grant Agreement, and Online Manual for compliance with cost eligibility, payments, and reporting.

Compliance and Implementation Notes

• Focus on shortage occupations: Applications must present clear, data-based justifications for selected sectors and occupations and set quantitative placement targets.
• Beneficiaries’ roles: All beneficiaries must be technically and financially engaged; associated partners may contribute without EU funding; subcontracting should be limited and justified.
• Geographic spread: Demonstrate capacity to implement in at least five eligible countries; describe mechanisms for outreach and service provision to EU/EEA nationals outside direct project geography when needed.
• Quality offers and placements: Ensure fair working conditions and compliance with EURES Regulation; for traineeships and apprenticeships, comply with the EURES Regulation and the Quality Framework for Traineeships.
• Financial Support to Third Parties: Define transparent, EU-standard FSTP procedures, including eligibility, selection, award, maximum amounts, and publication of outcomes on participants’ websites.
• Data and indicators: Plan to collect and report required EURES indicators for jobseekers and employers, and ensure monitoring resources are budgeted.
• Dissemination and visibility: Include a robust, innovative plan to reach target groups, employers, social partners, and policymakers, and ensure EU visibility.

Summary and Explanation

This ESF+ EaSI call funds consortia of EURES organisations and complementary labour-market actors to deliver transnational employment services and targeted financial incentives that help people move and work across EU/EEA borders, while addressing documented labour and skills shortages. With a strong emphasis on result-oriented service delivery, projects must integrate evidence-based labour-market analysis, innovative matching and recruitment approaches, and solid pre- and post-placement support to sustain quality placements and job retention. The grant mechanism combines a high co-funding rate of 95% with a requirement that at least 70% of costs directly reach final beneficiaries as financial support to third parties. Expected project sizes of €2–€6 millionand implementation across at least five countries ensure scale and geographic coverage, while clear award criteria prioritise relevance to shortage occupations, methodological quality, consortium strength, and long-term impact. The call is single-stage, with electronic submission and a 70-page limit for the technical narrative. Successful applicants must show strong operational capacity, sound financial management, transparent FSTP procedures, and EU-standard communication and monitoring. In essence, EURES TMS is a deployment-focused, cross-sector mobility instrument designed to fill hard-to-fill vacancies, strengthen the EURES network, and enable fair intra-EU mobility through a mix of services and allowances for jobseekers and SMEs.

EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) - Funding Opportunity Analysis

Opportunity Overview

The EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) is a European Union call for proposals under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) designed to facilitate approximately 4000 placements for mobile jobseekers across EU and EEA countries. The scheme combines tailor-made recruitment, matching, training and placement services with direct financial incentives to address labour market imbalances and hard-to-fill vacancies in identified economic sectors.

Call Details

Call Identifier:ESF-2026-EURES-TMS

Funding Programme:European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand

Call Opening Date:10 March 2026

Submission Deadline:26 May 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time)

Total Call Budget:€17,000,000

Expected Number of Grants:3 to 4 projects

Grant Range per Project:€2,000,000 to €6,000,000

Funding Rate:95% of eligible costs

Project Duration:24 months

Strategic Objectives

The action contributes to five key objectives: addressing labour market needs and tackling imbalances and skills shortages; improving conditions for jobseekers and workers to exercise freedom of movement across the EU; filling hard-to-fill vacancies in jobs, traineeships or apprenticeships where labour shortages are identified; enhancing the service catalogue of EURES organisations; and fostering public-private partnerships within EURES.

Eligible Geographic Coverage

Consortia must demonstrate that proposed activities are fully carried out and implemented in at least five EU Member States or EEA participating countries. Eligible countries include all EU Member States, Norway and Iceland. The scheme supports mobility to countries other than jobseekers' country of residence and does not support return mobility or cross-border commuting arrangements.

Who Can Apply

Coordinator Requirements

Lead applicants (coordinators) must be non-profit entities in one of the following categories: EURES National Coordination Offices; or EURES members or EURES partners placed in organisations whose main mission is to ensure provision of employment and placement services to jobseekers, job changers, trainee/apprentice jobseekers and employers. These services must include information, recruitment, matching and pre- and post-placement support.

Co-applicant Requirements

Co-applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must be legal entities in one of two categories: EURES member organisations (National Coordination Offices, EURES Members and Partners); or public or private labour market actors including the third sector providing services from the range offered by lead applicants and/or complementary customer-oriented services such as information, training, education, career guidance, mentoring, legal advice or integration support.

Consortium Composition

Only consortia are eligible. Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least two applicants (beneficiaries, not affiliated entities). These two beneficiaries must be EURES Member/Partner organisations established in different EU/EEA countries. All beneficiaries signing the grant agreement must be actively involved in implementation and financially engaged through hiring staff, incurring costs or providing direct financial contributions.

Ineligible Entities

Natural persons (except self-employed sole traders), international organisations, EU bodies (except the European Commission Joint Research Centre), and entities subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible. Entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate if their representatives can undertake legal obligations and offer equivalent guarantees for EU financial interests protection.

Scope of Activities and Services

The scheme combines tailor-made recruitment, matching, training and placement services with financial incentives. Support measures include provisions for interviews in another EU/EEA country, relocation assistance, linguistic training, recognition of qualifications and recruitment support. Final beneficiaries include job changers, job/traineeship/apprenticeship seekers and recruiting businesses, particularly SMEs, who may receive direct financial support through targeted allowances.

Mandatory Service Components

• Information, matching, recruitment and placement services including innovative approaches to identify and reach individuals with particular skills and qualifications aligned with labour shortage needs in identified geographical areas
• Pre- and post-placement support including profiling, pre-selection, training needs assessment, interview preparation, information provision and early employment stage assistance
• Direct financial support to jobseekers for interview expenses, relocation costs, language training and recognition of qualifications
• Direct financial support to SMEs for training programmes for newly recruited TMS candidates and already employed SME workers
• Creation of partnerships involving different labour market actors focused on work integration and tackling labour market imbalances
• Establishment of cooperation arrangements between EURES member/partner organisations and other labour market actors including private employment services
• Identification of relevant economic sectors affected by labour/skills shortages within consortium geographical coverage
• Development of post-placement support measures for jobseekers and employers

Target Groups and Expected Outcomes

The scheme targets jobseekers aged over 18 seeking jobs, traineeships or apprenticeships in another EU/EEA country, with special focus on young people. The overall objective is to facilitate approximately 4000 placements across 3 to 4 funded projects. Applications must clearly indicate expected quantitative outcomes in terms of placements (jobs and/or traineeships/apprenticeships). The scheme addresses labour mobility obstacles including relocation costs, language barriers, integration challenges and training needs.

Key Requirements for Applicants

• Focus on specific economic sectors/occupations affected by labour/skills shortages within consortium geographical coverage with clear justification based on recent national/EU labour market studies or other relevant data sources
• Include quantitative targets for work placements, apprenticeships and/or traineeships
• Identify target groups clearly
• Present approaches incorporating solutions for addressing labour shortages through labour mobility
• Detail innovative matching/recruiting methods to identify and reach jobseekers
• Integrate demand-oriented strategy with labour market integration services
• Provide financial support measures and/or training programmes as specified
• Ensure minimum 70% of total eligible costs dedicated to providing financial support to target groups ¹
• Demonstrate compliance with EURES TMS Implementing Guide requirements

Financial Support to Jobseekers

Direct financial support is available to eligible jobseekers for interview allowances, relocation allowances, family relocation allowances, language course allowances and recognition of qualifications allowances. Jobseekers must be aged 18 or older, citizens of an EU country, Norway or Iceland, or long-term residents in these countries applying for work in another EU/EEA country. Support must be received through EURES/PES mobility services and applications must be submitted before leaving the country of residence and before the job start date. Generally, support is limited to one-time assistance per jobseeker.

Financial Support to SMEs

SMEs can receive direct financial support for training programmes for newly recruited TMS candidates and for already employed SME workers. All businesses or organisations based in an EU country, Norway or Iceland are eligible regardless of economic sector or size, provided they offer written work contracts of at least 6 months for jobs or apprenticeships, or 3 months for traineeships, and comply with national law.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

Proposals are evaluated against four main criteria with a maximum of 100 points total. Proposals must achieve minimum thresholds in each criterion and an overall score of at least 70 points to be considered for funding.

Relevance Criterion (max 40 points)

Assessed on degree of meeting six mandatory components, compliance with Implementing Guide requirements, identification of specific economic sectors affected by labour/skills shortages, clarity of rationale supported by labour market studies, and compliance of service packages for target groups combining activation measures and direct financial support.

Quality Criterion - Project Design and Implementation (max 20 points)

Assessed on soundness of methods integrating demand-oriented and supply-oriented strategies, adequacy of methodology for efficient service delivery, quality of placement services and training programmes, soundness of financial support procedures, quality control measures, risk management and mitigation strategies, budget cost-effectiveness and feasibility within proposed timeframe.

Quality Criterion - Project Team and Cooperation Arrangements (max 20 points)

Assessed on quality of consortium composition and project teams, adequacy of task allocation and resources, added value of non-EURES organisations, and appropriateness of cooperation and problem-solving mechanisms.

Impact Criterion (max 20 points)

Assessed on added value, geographical coverage, transnational dimension and expected impact at national and EU levels, contribution to overall placement targets, contribution to addressing labour and skills shortages, capitalisation on existing resources from other European actions, innovativeness of communication and dissemination approaches, and sustainability of results after EU funding ends.

Application Process and Submission

Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System before the deadline. Paper submissions are not accepted. Proposals must be complete and contain all requested information and required annexes. Applications are limited to maximum 70 pages (Part B), with evaluators disregarding excess pages.

Required Application Components

• Application Form Part A - administrative information about participants and summarised budget (filled in directly online)
• Application Form Part B - technical description of the project (downloaded template, completed and re-uploaded as PDF)
• CVs of core project team members
• List of previous projects relating to free movement of workers or EURES in the last 3 years
• Mandatory annexes and supporting documents as specified in the submission system

Evaluation Timeline

Grant Agreement and Financial Terms

Grant Form:Budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs with unit cost and flat-rate elements)

Funding Rate:95% of eligible costs

Eligible Budget Categories:Personnel costs (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods/works/services), financial support to third parties, and indirect costs (7% flat-rate of eligible direct costs)

Financial Support to Third Parties:Maximum €30,000 per third party recipient unless higher amount is justified as necessary for action objectives

Payment Schedule:For 24-month projects: initial prefinancing of 40% within 30 days of grant agreement entry into force or financial guarantee receipt (whichever is latest); second prefinancing of 40% after additional prefinancing report; final payment after final periodic report approval

Prefinancing Guarantee:May be required, normally equal to prefinancing amount, issued by approved bank/financial institution in euro

No-Profit Rule:Grants may not produce profit (surplus of revenues plus EU grant over costs); for-profit organisations must declare revenues and any profit will be deducted from final grant amount

Eligibility and Capacity Requirements

Financial Capacity

Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement projects and contribute their share. Financial capacity checks are normally conducted for all beneficiaries except public bodies and when individual requested grant amounts do not exceed €60,000. Checks are based on neutral financial indicators and consider dependency on EU funding, deficit and revenue history. If financial capacity is unsatisfactory, the granting authority may require further information, enhanced financial responsibility, prefinancing in instalments, prefinancing guarantees, or propose no prefinancing.

Operational Capacity

Applicants must have know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement projects. Capacity is assessed based on competence and experience of applicants and project teams, including operational resources (human, technical and other). Applicants must demonstrate general staff profiles with qualifications and experiences, consortium participant descriptions, lists of previous projects relating to free movement of workers or EURES in the last 3 years, and at least 3 years' experience of international team management for the coordinator. Public bodies, Member State organisations and international organisations are exempted from operational capacity checks.

Exclusion Grounds

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in exclusion situations cannot participate. Exclusion situations include bankruptcy or similar procedures, breach of social security or tax obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, links to criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour, human trafficking, significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under EU contracts or agreements, irregularities, creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent legal obligations, and intentional resistance to investigations or audits.

Reporting and Monitoring

The European Commission monitors actions through the EURES performance measurement system. Beneficiaries must provide jobseeker information (total number, gender, age, educational attainment, PES registration status) and employer information (total number, size in terms of employees, three most frequent sectors listed in NACE classification). Beneficiaries must allocate necessary funding for monitoring and reporting to the Commission and participate in maximum four networking meetings with the Commission in Brussels or another Member State (one every six months) and at least two EU-level events.

Record-Keeping and Documentation

Beneficiaries must keep records and supporting documents for at least 5 years after final payment to prove proper action implementation. For actual costs, adequate records and supporting documents must prove costs declared with direct reconciliation between declared amounts, amounts recorded in accounts and amounts in supporting documents. For personnel costs, time worked must be supported by monthly declarations signed by the person and supervisor unless another reliable time-record system exists. Records must be made available upon request or during checks, reviews, audits or investigations.

Key Compliance Obligations

• Implement the action as described in Annex 1 in compliance with Agreement provisions, call conditions and all applicable EU, international and national law
• Prevent any situation where impartial and objective implementation could be compromised by conflict of interests
• Keep confidential any data, documents or material identified as sensitive during implementation and for specified time-limits
• Handle classified information in accordance with applicable EU, international or national law
• Carry out action in line with highest ethical standards and applicable law on ethical principles
• Commit to and ensure respect of basic EU values including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights
• Process personal data in compliance with applicable EU, international and national law on data protection
• Provide access to background needed for implementing the action
• Promote action and results by providing targeted information to multiple audiences in strategic, coherent and effective manner
• Acknowledge EU support and display European flag and funding statement in communication activities
• Keep records and supporting documents to prove proper implementation
• Provide information requested to verify cost eligibility and proper action implementation
• Keep Participant Register information up to date at all times
• Immediately inform granting authority of events or circumstances likely to affect implementation or EU financial interests

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Non-compliance with Agreement obligations may result in cost rejection, grant reduction, payment suspension, grant agreement suspension or termination, and recovery of undue amounts. Breaches of specific obligations may lead to additional measures including administrative sanctions. The granting authority may require beneficiaries to take corrective measures within specified deadlines.

Support and Assistance

Applicants should consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual for detailed procedures on registration, proposal preparation and submission. For general questions on ESF+, contact EMPL-EaSI@ec.europa.eu. For call-specific questions, contact EMPL-ESF-2026-EURES-TMS@ec.europa.eu. Questions should be submitted at least 7 days before the submission deadline. For IT-related issues, contact the IT Helpdesk through the Portal.

Important Submission Notes

• Complete applications well in advance of deadline to avoid technical problems; deadline extensions are not possible
• All beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners must be registered in Participant Register before submission
• Proposals must be submitted electronically via Portal; paper submissions are not accepted
• Applications must be readable, accessible and printable with minimum Arial 9-point font
• Part B limited to maximum 70 pages; excess pages will be disregarded
• Consortium agreement is required if specified in call conditions
• No double funding is permitted; projects may not receive multiple EU grants for same costs
• Applicants may submit multiple proposals for different projects under same call
• Proposals may be changed and resubmitted until deadline
• By submitting, applicants accept call conditions and Portal Terms and Conditions
• Information about awarded grants is published annually on Europa website including beneficiary names, addresses, grant purpose and maximum amounts

Footnotes

1. 1A minimum of 70% of total eligible costs should be dedicated to providing financial support to target groups (jobseekers and SMEs) in accordance with the Implementing Guide. The cost per placement may vary according to recruitment needs and financial measures applicable under the Implementing Guide rules.