Information and training measures for workers' organisations

This call SOCPL-2026-INFO-WK supports information and training measures to strengthen the capacity of workers' organisations to address EU and transnational employment and working-conditions challenges and to participate effectively in social dialogue. Eligible applicants are legal entities and social partner organisations established in EU Member States and specified candidate countries, with single applicants required to be European-level workers' social partner organisations or consortia meeting coordinator rules. Projects should run 12 to 36 months with typical EU contributions of €150,000 to €700,000, a funding rate of up to 90 percent and a total call budget of €6,670,000 expected to fund 15 to 20 grants. The call opens 15 April 2026 and the submission deadline is 24 June 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time via the Funding and Tenders Portal using the Part A and Part B templates.

Who can apply

Eligibility highlights

Legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries:EU Member States and specified candidate countries. Single applicants must be social partner organisations representing workers at European level. Consortia must include a coordinator that is a workers' social partner organisation; when the coordinator is national or regional, the consortium must include at least one organisation from another eligible country and one European-level social partner. International organisations and entities without legal personality may participate under specific conditions.

What the call funds:Transnational information, capacity-building and training actions for workers' organisations to support participation in European social dialogue and address employment and working-conditions challenges (conferences, seminars, studies, training courses, networks, tools, implementation support for social partner agreements).

1. 1Call opens 15 April 2026; deadline 24 June 2026 17:00 Brussels time
2. 2Single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (no paper submissions)
3. 3Proposals limited to 70 pages (Part B); mandatory forms and annexes must be uploaded as PDFs

Actions should demonstrate a clear EU or transnational dimension (involvement of social partners from several Member States) and align with priorities such as quality jobs, new forms of work, digitalisation, skills, just transition, social protection and collective bargaining.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation, conditions, templates and application details are available in the Call Document on the Funding & Tenders Portal Call document.

Summary

This call SOCPL-2026-INFO-WK funds information and training measures for workers' organisations under the Social Prerogatives and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL) managed by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL). The objective is to strengthen the capacity of workers' organisations, at Member State and candidate country level, to address changes in employment and working conditions and to improve their effective participation in European social dialogue. The call supports conferences, seminars, round tables, studies, surveys, training courses, development of training tools, networks and exchange of best practices with an explicit EU/transnational dimension. The planned opening date is 15 April 2026 and the deadline for submission is 24 June 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The total available budget for the call is €6,670,000 and the Commission expects to fund between 15 and 20 proposals.

Key administrative facts

Call identifier:SOCPL-2026-INFO-WK. Programme: Social Prerogative and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL). Type of action: SOCPL Project Grants (SOCPL-PJG). Type of Model Grant Agreement: SOCPL Action Grant Budget-Based (SOCPL-AG). Deadline model: single-stage. Planned opening date: 15 April 2026. Deadline date: 24 June 2026 17:00 Brussels time. Expected evaluation period: June to November 2026; Information on evaluation results: December 2026; Grant Agreement signature: March 2027.

Available budget and expected number of grants:Total call budget: €6,670,000. Indicative number of grants expected to be funded: between 15 and 20.

Scope, objectives and eligible activities

Expected outcome:strengthen the capacity of workers' organisations (workers/trade unions and also employer organisations where applicable) in Member States and Candidate Countries to address EU/transnational challenges related to changes in employment and working conditions and to improve effective participation in social dialogue. The call emphasises a clear EU or transnational dimension and expects involvement of several social partners from different EU Member States or candidate countries. Actions must analyse challenges affecting multiple Member States or the EU as a whole and develop strategies with EU added value.

Themes and priorities (scope):Actions addressing preparation and negotiation of autonomous social partner agreements at EU level and support for their national implementation, and actions related to implementing the work programmes of the European Social Dialogue Committees are particularly welcome. The call sets out an indicative list of relevant thematic priorities to guide proposals.

1. 1Employment, social and economic challenges as identified in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the Quality Jobs Roadmap.
2. 2Involvement of social partners in the European Semester and contribution to EU policy design and implementation.
3. 3Modernisation of the labour market, job creation and job matching, youth employment, job transitions and employment in SMEs.
4. 4New forms of work, including telework and platform work.
5. 5Strengthening collective bargaining, including adequate minimum wages.
6. 6Quality jobs including fair working conditions, health and safety at work, anticipation and management of change and restructuring.
7. 7Digitalisation of the economy and society, including artificial intelligence and algorithmic management.
8. 8Just transition to a climate-neutral economy.
9. 9Labour shortages, skills development, re- and upskilling, skills intelligence and recognition across the EU.
10. 10Intra-EU labour mobility and portability of social security rights, talent attraction.
11. 11Modernisation of social protection systems including for non-standard forms of employment.
12. 12Reconciliation of work and family life, gender equality, anti-discrimination, healthier and longer working lives, active inclusion and decent work.
13. 13Tackling employment, social and economic consequences of crisis situations.

Eligible activities that may be funded include conferences, seminars, round tables, studies, surveys, publications, training courses, development of training tools, setting up networks and exchange of best practices. Activities must respect gender equality, anti-discrimination principles and ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.

Eligibility and consortium rules

Applicants and participants must be legal entities (public or private bodies). Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed natural person beneficiaries. International organisations are eligible but cannot be consortium coordinators. Entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate if their representatives can undertake legal obligations on their behalf. EU bodies (except the European Commission Joint Research Centre in limited contexts) cannot be part of the consortium.

Eligible countries and geographic scope:Beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners must be established and registered in eligible countries: EU Member States and, in some cases, European Economic Area countries in accordance with the EEA Agreement. Candidate Countries at the time of the deadline are also eligible participants for measures involving representatives of workers’ organisations. The call explicitly lists candidate countries as examples: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine; the list applies to Candidate Countries in place at the time of the deadline.

Consortium composition rules:Applications by single applicants and consortia are allowed. Single applicants must be social partner organisations representing workers at European level. For consortia: minimum two beneficiaries. The coordinator must be a social partner organisation representing workers at European, national or regional level. If the coordinator is a national or regional social partner organisation, the consortium must include at least one organisation from a different eligible country and a European-level social partner organisation. The consortium must demonstrate involvement of European-level social partner organisations if the coordinator is not such an organisation (letter of commitment required). Other beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners must be from the allowed categories (social partners, business representative organisations, non-profit organisations, universities and research institutes, public authorities, international organisations).

Project duration, size and financial rules

Project duration:normally between 12 and 36 months. Project budgets (maximum grant amounts) are expected to range between €150,000 and €700,000 per project, but proposals requesting other amounts can be submitted. The grant is a budget-based mixed actual cost grant reimbursing eligible costs actually incurred and may include unit cost and flat-rate elements where applicable. Funding rate: 90% of eligible costs. Indirect costs: flat-rate 7% of eligible direct costs (A-D except volunteers costs if any). Non-deductible VAT can be eligible. Financial support to third parties is not allowed unless explicitly authorised in the call document; in this call financial support to third parties is not allowed.

Budget flexibility and payments:The final grant amount, payment schedule, prefinancing and additional prefinancing arrangements will be fixed in the Grant Agreement. Prefinancing arrangements depend on project duration; typical mechanisms include 70% prefinancing for 12-month projects or staged prefinancing for longer projects (initial prefinancing of 30-40% plus subsequent instalments). Payments to the coordinator will be distributed to beneficiaries without unjustified delay. Prefinancing guarantees may be requested based on financial capacity checks. Payments can be offset against debts to the EU and are subject to standard EU late payment interest rules.

Who can apply: eligible applicant types

Eligible applicant types cover a range of legal entities. The call focuses on social partner organisations and related actors. Detailed eligible participant categories and roles are described below.

1. 1Social partner organisations (trade unions or employer organisations) at European, national or regional level. European-level social partners as defined in the call are organisations consulted under Article 154 TFEU or organisations demonstrating representation of several national social partners, mandate to engage at European level and involvement in European social dialogue.
2. 2Non-profit organisations including foundations and NGOs active in labour, social policy or workers’ rights.
3. 3Universities and research institutes carrying out policy research, training and capacity-building relevant to social dialogue.
4. 4Public authorities where relevant for social dialogue activities and capacity-building, with caveats regarding eligible cost rules for public authorities acting as public bodies.
5. 5International organisations (eligible but cannot act as consortium coordinators).
6. 6Self-employed natural persons acting as beneficiaries only when they constitute natural person beneficiaries or SME owners eligible under call rules.

Natural persons are NOT eligible except self-employed persons (sole traders) where the company does not have legal personality separate from the natural person. Entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate if their representatives can undertake legal obligations.

Admissibility, submission and application templates

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System. Required components: Application Form Part A (administrative data entered online), Application Form Part B (technical description completed offline using the Portal template and re-uploaded as PDF), annexes and supporting documents uploaded as PDF files. Proposals must be readable, accessible and printable, and Part B must not exceed 70 pages. The Portal provides the specific application template and mandatory attachments; applicants must use the system templates and not modify the form formats. At submission the lead applicant confirms mandate to act for all applicants and accuracy of information; before signature each beneficiary and affiliated entity will sign a declaration of honour.

Application templates and required annexes:The standard ESF and SOCPL Application Form (Part A and Part B) templates are used. Mandatory annexes and supporting documents include CVs of key staff, list of previous projects (last 3 years) using the provided template, and where applicable a letter of commitment from a European-level social partner if the consortium coordinator is not a European-level social partner. The call document and Model Grant Agreement (ESF and SOCPL MGA) are available through the Portal. Applications must include a description of evaluation methods and indicators under Project management, quality assurance and monitoring and evaluation strategy in Part B.

Evaluation, award criteria and thresholds

One-stage submission and one-step evaluation. Proposals are checked for admissibility and eligibility and then scored by an evaluation committee against operational capacity and award criteria. Successful proposals are invited to grant preparation but invitation does not constitute a contractual commitment until legal checks are passed.

Award criteria, scoring and thresholds:Award criteria categories, maximum points and minimum thresholds:

Overall maximum score:100 points. Overall threshold to be considered for funding: 60 points. Proposals must pass individual thresholds for specified criteria and the overall threshold to be eligible for selection.

Evaluation process timeline and post-evaluation

Indicative evaluation timeline:submission deadline 24 June 2026; evaluation between June and November 2026; information on evaluation results December 2026; grant preparation and signature expected in March 2027. Grant preparation includes legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and possible requests for additional information or adjustments. Applicants placed on a reserve list may be invited for grant preparation if funding becomes available.

Financial and operational capacity, exclusion and checks

Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient financial and operational capacity to implement the project. Financial capacity checks will rely on documents uploaded in the Participant Register (balance sheets, P&L, audit reports) except for public bodies, international organisations or beneficiaries requesting grants of €60,000 or less. Operational capacity is demonstrated by staff profiles, CVs, description of consortium participants and list of relevant projects in the last three years. Specific requirements include project manager language level C1 in English, French or German, at least 2 years experience in social dialogue/industrial relations and 2 years in project management. Exclusion grounds defined under EU Financial Regulation apply (bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, etc.).

Checks, audits and certificates:The granting authority may request certificates such as Certificate on the Financial Statements (CFS) based on thresholds defined in the Grant Agreement. Operational Verification Reports and other audit instruments may be required. The rules for LEAR appointment, legal entity validation and financial capacity assessment apply. OLAF, EPPO and Court of Auditors audit rights apply.

Reporting, deliverables and dissemination

Grant Agreements will include milestones and deliverables managed through the Portal Grant Management System. Deliverables must be assigned a dissemination level: Public or Sensitive. Most main deliverables must be made public to ensure transparency and EU added value. Projects must include monitoring and evaluation indicators (quantitative and qualitative) in Part B and demonstrate a dissemination and sustainability strategy.

Obligations for communication and visibility:Beneficiaries must ensure visibility of EU funding by displaying the EU emblem and using the funding statement on project materials, websites and events in line with Grant Agreement communication rules and the required disclaimer. Before major media-impact activities beneficiaries should inform the granting authority.

Risk, ethics and data protection

Proposals should include a risk management plan with mitigation measures. Projects must comply with high ethical standards, EU fundamental values and applicable data protection rules. Personal data processing under the Agreement will comply with the Portal Privacy Statement and applicable EU data protection regulations. Sensitive or classified information must be treated per security rules and cannot be disclosed without approval.

Application stages, success rates and co-funding

Application stages:single-stage submission, followed by evaluation and grant preparation. Number of formal stages applicants must pass: 1 submission stage plus grant preparation (administrative/legal checks) before award. The overall success rate is not published for this specific call; the Commission expects to fund 15-20 projects from the €6.67 million budget, implying rough selection rates will depend on the number and quality of proposals submitted. Co-funding: the grant funds up to 90% of eligible costs and applicants are expected to secure the remaining share from other sources or own contribution; therefore partial co-funding from applicants or third parties is expected for the balance.

Categorisation answers

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: social partner organisations (trade unions and employer organisations) at European, national or regional level; non-profit organisations; universities and research institutes; public authorities; international organisations; SME owners and natural person beneficiaries where applicable. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed persons acting as natural person beneficiaries. Affiliated entities and associated partners are permitted roles. Detailed definitions and restrictions are in the call document.
2. 2Funding Type: grant (budget-based mixed actual cost action grants under SOCPL Project Grants).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: single applicant proposals are allowed (single applicant must be a European-level social partner organisation). Consortium proposals are allowed and typical: at least two beneficiaries for consortia with specific rules when coordinator is a national/regional social partner (must include another organisation from a different eligible country and a European-level social partner organisation). Thus both single and consortium are allowed.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States and in some cases EEA countries in line with the EEA Agreement; Candidate Countries at the time of the deadline (explicitly listed in the call document: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine). The call expects EU/transnational dimension and involvement of participants from different Member States.
5. 5Target Sector: social policy and labour relations; themes include employment, labour markets, social protection, social dialogue, skills and training, digitalisation and AI impacts on work, health and safety, green transition and just transition, platform work, collective bargaining, intra-EU mobility, and crisis response. Sector classification: social policy / labour relations / employment / education & training / digitalisation impacts on work.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine. Primary region: EU Member States and EEA countries, Candidate Countries (as above).
7. 7Project Stage: expected maturity ranges from development and capacity-building to validation and demonstration of tools and training materials; projects should target implementation-readiness and capacity building rather than basic research. Typical stages: development, validation, demonstration and dissemination/implementation at national/transnational level.
8. 8Funding Amount: typical project award range expected €150,000 to €700,000 per project; total call budget €6,670,000 and expected 15-20 grants.
9. 9Application Type: open single-stage call with an electronic application via the Funding & Tenders Portal submission system. Submission method: single-stage open call. Lead applicants must use Portal templates for Part A and Part B and upload required annexes as PDFs.
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary support (grant funds reimbursing eligible costs up to 90% funding rate) combined with non-monetary services expected through project deliverables, exchange of good practices, networks and capacity-building activities. Primary support modality: money (grant).
11. 11Application Stages: 1 (single-stage submission), then grant preparation (legal/financial checks) prior to signature. So applicants pass one formal submission/evaluation stage plus administrative grant preparation.
12. 12Success Rates: not specified in call; indicative selection: 15-20 grants from the available budget. Success rate depends on number and quality of applications; cannot be precisely calculated from call data.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: the grant funds up to 90% of eligible costs. Applicants must ensure a balanced project budget and secure other resources to cover the remaining costs (own contribution, third-party contributions or income generated by the action). Co-funding from applicants or other parties is therefore required to cover the non-funded share.
14. 14Templates: Application forms consist of Part A (administrative forms completed online in the Portal) and Part B (technical description using the ESF/SOCPL template to be downloaded from the Submission System, completed and re-uploaded as PDF). Mandatory annexes: CVs of key personnel, list of previous projects (last 3 years) using the provided template, letter of commitment by European-level social partner where the coordinator is not a European-level social partner. The call document and Model Grant Agreement (ESF and SOCPL MGA) and guidance materials (Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Annotated Model Grant Agreement) are available via the Portal. Part B must include project summary, relevance, quality (concept, methodology, consortium, management, monitoring and evaluation strategy including indicators), impact, workplan, work packages, resources, timetable, ethics, security and declarations on double funding and higher funding rates where applicable. Page limits and formatting rules: Part B limited to 70 pages, Arial 9 minimum, A4, margins at least 15 mm; supporting annexes do not count towards page limit. The call document details deliverable and milestone formats and dissemination rules.

Detailed template structure for Application Form Part B (technical description) applicants should follow the Portal template and include the following labelled sections: Project summary; 1 Relevance (background, needs analysis, specific objectives, complementarity and EU added value); 2 Quality (concept and methodology, consortium set-up, project teams, management, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation strategy with indicators, cost-effectiveness and risk management); 3 Impact (target groups, ambition, dissemination and sustainability); 4 Workplan and work packages (detailed tasks, deliverables, milestones, staff effort, subcontracting justification, timetable); 5 Other (ethics, security); 6 Declarations (higher funding rate if applicable, double funding confirmation, financial support to third parties justification if allowed); Annexes (CVs, list of previous projects, letters of commitment and other mandatory documents). Use the upload slots in the Submission System in the correct categories. Follow the ESF and SOCPL Standard Application Form templates and the annotated guidance.

Legal and contractual arrangements

Grants will be managed under the ESF/SOCPL Model Grant Agreement (MGA) adapted to the call. Grant agreements include Annex 1 (description of action), Annex 2 (estimated budget), milestones and deliverables, reporting and payment arrangements, obligations on communication and visibility, IPR rules, confidentiality and data protection clauses, liability and recoveries, and audit and control provisions. The form of grant is budget-based mixed actual cost with specific unit cost, flat-rate and depreciation rules where applicable. The funding rate is 90% and the indirect cost flat-rate is 7% of eligible direct costs. No-profit rule applies; grants must not produce profit. Prefinancing guarantees may be requested depending on financial capacity assessment. Certificate thresholds for audits (e.g. CFS) and other specific certificate requirements will be set in the Grant Agreement Data Sheet and depend on grant amount and other parameters.

Practical advice and help

Register participants in the Participant Register and obtain PIC codes well ahead of the deadline. Use the Portal Submission System templates and follow the Online Manual for step-by-step guidance. Prepare required annexes in PDF, respect page limits and formatting rules, and allow time for legal entity validation, LEAR appointment and any financial capacity checks. For IT problems use the IT Helpdesk. For call-specific questions contact EMPL-VP-INFO-TRAINING@ec.europa.eu no later than 7 days before the submission deadline. Consult the Portal Topic page regularly for updates and Q&As.

Proposals that do not respect eligibility and admissibility conditions (including missing mandatory annexes, incorrect use of templates, failure to respect page limits or submission outside the Portal) will be declared inadmissible or ineligible and will not be evaluated. Ensure letters of commitment from European-level social partners are included where required when the coordinator is not a European-level social partner.

How to apply and submission checklist

1. 1Create EU Login account and register your organisation in the Participant Register and obtain PIC code(s).
2. 2Assemble consortium and verify eligibility of coordinator and beneficiaries according to call rules (coordinator eligibility as social partner organisation where applicable).
3. 3Download and complete the Application Form Part B using the Portal template and prepare mandatory annexes (CVs, list of previous projects, letter of commitment if applicable).
4. 4Complete Application Form Part A online in the Submission System and upload Part B and annexes as PDFs into the correct upload slots.
5. 5Ensure Part B does not exceed 70 pages, check formatting rules and accessibility.
6. 6Submit the proposal before deadline via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System and verify you receive the submission confirmation email.

Call-specific risks and common pitfalls

1. 1Not using the Portal templates or modifying the provided forms instead of using the Submission System templates.
2. 2Missing required letter of commitment from European-level social partner where the coordinator is not a European-level social partner, which leads to ineligibility.
3. 3Exceeding the Part B page limit of 70 pages or failing to follow formatting rules.
4. 4Lack of clear EU/transnational dimension or insufficient involvement of social partners from other eligible countries.
5. 5Poorly defined monitoring and evaluation indicators and inadequate cost-effectiveness justification.
6. 6Failure to register beneficiaries and affiliated entities in the Participant Register (PIC) before submission.

Applicants should secure commitments from participating social partner organisations early, ensure the presence of expertise in social dialogue and EU policy, include realistic measurable indicators for expected results, budget realistically within the €150,000 to €700,000 typical range per project and plan for sustainability after EU funding ends.

For additional practical guidance and to prepare your submission use the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, the ESF and SOCPL application templates in the Submission System and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement. See also the Portal IT How To pages for technical submission support. For call specific assistance contact EMPL-VP-INFO-TRAINING@ec.europa.eu and the IT Helpdesk for technical issues Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Comprehensive summary: What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This is an EU call for project grants supporting information and training measures for workers' organisations and social partners with the objective to strengthen their capacity to engage effectively in European social dialogue and to respond to significant changes in employment and working conditions across the EU and neighbouring candidate countries. It finances capacity-building, training, knowledge transfer, networking and preparatory work for autonomous social partner agreements and for implementing European Social Dialogue Committee work programmes. The call targets actions with a clear EU or transnational dimension and expects consortia or single applicants that demonstrably represent social partners, that include European-level social partner involvement and that present transnational impact and dissemination plans. Typical funded activities are trainings, seminars, studies, toolkits, conferences and exchange of best practices. Projects are generally 12-36 months long, with typical EU contributions between €150,000 and €700,000 and funding of up to 90% of eligible costs. Applicants must apply using the EU Funding & Tenders Portal templates, meet admissibility and eligibility rules, pass evaluation based on relevance, quality and impact and then complete grant preparation checks. The call promotes the modernisation of labour markets, collective bargaining, quality jobs, digitalisation impacts on work including AI, skills and reskilling, just transition, social protection modernisation and related policy priorities referenced in EU strategic documents. Applicants should prepare concise, well-structured proposals with measurable indicators, a realistic budget, strong consortium composition or mandate from European-level social partners where required, and a clear plan for dissemination and sustainability after EU funding ends.

Footnotes

1. 1Call documentation, templates and the Model Grant Agreement are available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic page for SOCPL-2026-INFO-WK and the call document PDF at ec.europa.eu Call document and Annexes.

This call for proposals under the Social Prerogatives and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL) programme aims to strengthen the capacity of workers' organisations in EU Member States and candidate countries to address EU/transnational challenges related to changes in employment and working conditions, as well as their effective participation in social dialogue.

Objectives and Scope

Expected outcome:Enhanced capacity of workers' organisations to tackle employment, social and economic challenges at EU/transnational level, including participation in social dialogue as per Article 154 TFEU.

Particularly welcome actions:Preparation of negotiations for autonomous social partner agreements at EU level and support for their national implementation; implementation of work programmes of existing European Social Dialogue Committees.

• Employment, social and economic challenges from the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and Quality Jobs Roadmap.
• Involvement of social partners in the European Semester and EU policy design.
• Labour market modernisation, job creation, youth employment, job transitions, SME employment.
• New forms of work (telework, platform work).
• Strengthening collective bargaining, including minimum wages.
• Quality jobs, fair working conditions, health and safety, restructuring management.
• Digitalisation (AI, algorithmic management).
• Just transition to climate-neutral economy.
• Labour shortages, skills development, re- and upskilling, skills intelligence.
• Intra-EU labour mobility, social security portability.
• Modernisation of social protection for non-standard employment.
• Work-life balance, gender equality, anti-discrimination, healthier working lives.
• Crisis consequences.

Eligible activities:Conferences, seminars, round tables, studies, surveys, publications, training courses, training tools, networks, best practices exchange. Activities must respect gender equality, anti-discrimination principles and ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Proposals must demonstrate clear EU/transnational dimension, involving social partners from multiple Member States.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants

Legal entities (public or private) established in EU Member States or candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine; not for coordinator/single applicant). Social partner organisations representing workers (trade unions), including those without legal personality if guarantees provided. EU bodies (except JRC) ineligible.

• Single applicants: Must be European-level workers' social partner organisation.
• Consortia: At least two beneficiaries. Coordinator: Workers' social partner at European, national or regional level. If national/regional, must include one from different eligible country and one European-level social partner (as beneficiary, affiliated entity or associated partner).
• Other participants: Social partners, business representatives, non-profits, universities, research institutes, public authorities, international organisations.

Natural persons ineligible (except self-employed sole traders). No financial support to third parties.

Eligible Activities and Duration

• Activities in eligible countries.
• Duration: 12-36 months.
• Project budget: €150,000 - 700,000 (indicative).

Funding Details

Total Budget:€6,670,000. Expected number of grants: 15-20.

Funding Rate:90% of eligible costs (budget-based mixed actual cost grant). No profit allowed.

Budget Categories:Personnel (employees, direct contracts, seconded, SME owners); subcontracting; purchase (travel/subsistence unit costs, equipment depreciation, other goods/services); indirect costs (7% flat-rate). VAT eligible if non-deductible.

Application and Evaluation

1. 1Timetable: Opening 15 April 2026; Deadline 24 June 2026 17:00 Brussels time; Evaluation June-November 2026; Results December 2026; GA signature March 2027.
2. 2Submission: Electronic via Funding & Tenders Portal. Part A (online), Part B (PDF, max 70 pages), annexes (CVs, previous projects list, letter of commitment if needed).
3. 3Award Criteria: Relevance (30 pts, min 16); Quality - design/implementation (25 pts, min 13), team/cooperation (20 pts, min 11); Impact (25 pts, min 13). Overall min 60/100.

Admissibility:Complete, readable, max 70 pages, before deadline. Operational capacity: Project manager needs C1 English/French/German, 2 years social dialogue/project management experience.

Full details in call document:Call Document. Topic page: Funding & Tenders Portal. Contact: EMPL-VP-INFO-TRAINING@ec.europa.eu.

Key Documents

• Call fiche (PDF).
• Application forms (ESF/SOCPL).
• Model Grant Agreement (SOCPL-AG).
• SOCPL Work Programmes.
• EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement.
• Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

Footnotes

1. 1All information based on official call fiche version 1.0 dated 08.04.2026 and portal data. Applicants must consult primary sources for latest updates.