Fighting discrimination against LGBTIQ people and promoting LGBTIQ equality

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) 2021-2027, specifically focused on LGBTIQ equality. The call, CERV-2025-EQUAL-LGBTIQ, aims to promote equality and combat discrimination against LGBTIQ individuals through various activities such as awareness-raising and capacity-building initiatives. Eligible applicants include civil society organizations, public authorities, and networks engaged at the EU level. Natural persons are generally not eligible unless they are self-employed with the capacity to undertake legal obligations.

The funding type is a grant, categorized as a lump-sum grant, with a total budget of €13.2 million allocated for this specific topic in 2025. The call features a single-stage application process, and the deadline for submitting proposals is set for October 23, 2025. Eligible activities must align with the objectives outlined in the EU’s LGBTIQ Equality Strategy and are intended to take place primarily in EU Member States and possibly some associated countries.

While applicants can submit individually, the call does not explicitly require consortium involvement, leaving this open to interpretation based on further details in the call document. The individual grants offered under this call could vary in amount, since specific funding ranges per project are not defined in the current information.

Additionally, co-funding is not a requirement, as lump-sum grants are structured to provide a fixed amount without the need for matched funding from applicants. The project stage focuses mainly on implementation, concentrating on real-world impact and advocacy strategies, rather than early-stage research.

The call details can be referenced in specific associated documents and resources available through the European Commission's Funding & Tenders Portal. This call is part of broader CERV initiatives aimed at fostering equality and combating discrimination across various spectrums, ensuring that the rights of marginalized groups, particularly LGBTIQ individuals, are upheld and advanced.

This is a call for proposals for EU action grants under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV). The call, titled "Call for proposals to promote equality and to fight against racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination (CERV-2025-EQUAL)", focuses on six priorities. The grants are CERV Lump Sum Grants (CERV-LS), and the Model Grant Agreement is CERV Lump Sum Grant [CERV-AG-LS]. The call follows a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date for submission is July 15, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is October 23, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The scope of the call is to promote equality and combat racism, xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination. Further details about the call and its conditions can be found in the call document.

The admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in Section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Section 6 of the call document and in the list of participating countries. Other eligible conditions are described in Section 6 of the call document. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Section 7 of the call document. The submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Section 8 of the call document. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Section 9 of the call document. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Section 4 of the call document, with the evaluation period from October 2025 to March 2026, information to applicants in March-April 2026, and signature of grant agreements in April-July 2026. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in Section 10 of the call document.

The call document and annexes include the call document itself, application form templates (Standard application form (CERV) available in the Submission System), a detailed budget table (CERV LSII), and a Declaration on Honour regarding CPP by public entities. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA. Additional documents include CERV Work Programmes, CERV Regulation 2021/692, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, a Decision authorising the use of lump sums for actions under the CERV programme (2021-2027), Guidance on how to manage lump sum grants, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA (Annotated Model Grant Agreement), the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview includes the following topics: CERV-2025-EQUAL-ANTISEMITISM (CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants) and CERV-2025-EQUAL-ANTIMUSLIM (CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants), with a budget of 6,800,000 EUR, a single-stage process, an opening date of July 15, 2025, and a deadline of October 23, 2025. Also included are CERV-2025-EQUAL-RESTRICTED (CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants), CERV-2025-EQUAL-LGBTIQ (CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants), CERV-2025-EQUAL-DIVERSITYMGT (CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants), and CERV-2025-EQUAL-RACI-DISC (CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants), with a budget of 13,200,000 EUR, a single-stage process, an opening date of July 15, 2025, and a deadline of October 23, 2025.

There are currently no partner search announcements. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header. There are no topic-specific Q&As available yet.

Applicants are advised to read all provisions of the Call document and familiarize themselves with the proposal template, its annexes, and the submission system. Resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for proposal submissions, the IT Helpdesk for technical questions, and the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes. For topic-specific questions, applicants should consult the Q&A on the Topic page and monitor the page for call updates and invitations to info sessions. For non-IT related questions, applicants can contact the CERV Contact Point of their country or email EC-CERV-CALLS@ec.europa.eu for priorities 1, 4, 5, and 6, or EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu for priorities 2 and 3. The email subject should clearly indicate the reference of the call and topic.

In summary, this EU funding opportunity under the CERV program aims to promote equality and combat discrimination through action grants. It covers various priorities, including fighting antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, discrimination against LGBTIQ people, and promoting diversity management. The application process involves a single stage, with a deadline in October 2025. Applicants should consult the call document and related resources for detailed information on eligibility, submission requirements, and evaluation criteria. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the program encourages collaboration through partner searches on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the reference to "public entities" in the "Declaration on Honour regarding CPP by public entities" suggests that public entities are eligible. The mention of LEARs (Legal Entity Appointed Representatives), Account Administrators, and self-registrants implies that a range of organizations capable of registering in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal are eligible, which could include NGOs, research institutions, universities, and potentially SMEs and large enterprises. To determine the full scope of eligible applicants, the call document should be consulted.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a "CERV Lump Sum Grant" (CERV-LS). The call falls under the "Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)". The budget is managed using lump sums.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the partner search announcements suggest that collaboration is possible and perhaps encouraged, but it is not clear if it is mandatory. The call document should be consulted to determine if a consortium is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document and in the list of participating countries. This suggests that eligibility is likely tied to countries participating in the CERV program, which would likely include EU member states and potentially associated countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the following thematic sectors: equality, fight against racism, xenophobia, all other forms of discrimination, anti-semitism, anti-muslim hatred, LGBTIQ equality, and diversity management.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text, but the "list of participating countries" is referenced, implying that eligibility is defined by participation in the CERV program. The region is the EU and associated countries participating in the CERV program.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly mentioned, but given the focus on action grants, it is likely that the program targets projects in the development, validation, demonstration, or implementation stages, rather than basic research or early-stage ideas.

Funding Amount: The budget overview provides the following information: CERV-2025-EQUAL-ANTISEMITISM and CERV-2025-EQUAL-ANTIMUSLIM have a budget of 6,800,000 EUR. CERV-2025-EQUAL-RESTRICTED, CERV-2025-EQUAL-LGBTIQ, CERV-2025-EQUAL-DIVERSITYMGT, and CERV-2025-EQUAL-RACI-DISC have a budget of 13,200,000 EUR. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the "Call for proposals" title and the single-stage deadline model.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals for EU action grants under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV). It aims to promote equality and combat racism, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination. The call is structured around six priorities: fighting discrimination and promoting equality for LGBTIQ people, combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, addressing racism and discrimination, promoting diversity management. The funding is provided as lump sum grants. The call is a single-stage process with a planned opening date of July 15, 2025, and a deadline of October 23, 2025. Applicants must submit their proposals through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The eligibility criteria and specific requirements are detailed in the call document, which applicants are strongly advised to consult. The total budget for CERV-2025-EQUAL-ANTISEMITISM and CERV-2025-EQUAL-ANTIMUSLIM is 6,800,000 EUR, while the total budget for CERV-2025-EQUAL-RESTRICTED, CERV-2025-EQUAL-LGBTIQ, CERV-2025-EQUAL-DIVERSITYMGT, and CERV-2025-EQUAL-RACI-DISC is 13,200,000 EUR.