Information measures for the EU Cohesion policy for 2025

The IMREG-2025-INFOME call presents a significant funding opportunity under the EU's Information Measures for the Cohesion Policy. The program has a total budget of EUR 3,500,000, with individual project funding typically around EUR 200,000 and covers 80% of eligible costs, requiring a 20% co-financing contribution from beneficiaries.

Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, EEA countries, and countries associated with the IMREG program. The focus is on communication and information initiatives that aim to raise public awareness about EU Cohesion policy and its impacts. The opportunity emphasizes multimedia communication strategies and outreach activities that engage the general public and stakeholders effectively.

The call operates on a single-stage submission basis, with submitted proposals being evaluated based on three criteria: Relevance (40 points), Quality (30 points), and Impact (30 points). Applicants must achieve a minimum threshold of 53 points out of 100 to qualify for funding. The submission deadline is January 15, 2026.

The projects funded under this call are expected to be focused on effectively implementing existing communication strategies rather than developing new research or concepts. The outcome aims to enhance public understanding of the Cohesion policy and amplify its visibility through various mediums, including print, online, and broadcast media.

The application procedure involves electronic submissions through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, ensuring all proposals are complete and submitted by the specified deadline. Selected projects will serve to not only inform but also enable greater civic engagement regarding EU funding and its benefits across European regions. Overall, this initiative is a part of the European Commission's broader effort to demonstrate the benefits of EU investments in regional development.

The European Commission is offering a call for proposals for Information Measures for the EU Cohesion Policy for 2025, with the call identifier IMREG-2025-INFOME. This call falls under the IMREG Project Grants (IMREG-PJG) type of action and uses the IMREG Action Grant Budget-Based [IMREG-AG] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date for submissions was October 15, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is January 15, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The primary objective of this call is to support the production and dissemination of information and content related to EU Cohesion policy, including the Just Transition Fund and the Technical Support Instrument. The call aims to provide coherent, objective, and comprehensive information to give an accurate overview of EU Cohesion policy. Proposals should illustrate and assess the role of Cohesion policy in delivering the EU’s political priorities, such as the transition to a greener and more digital economy, the development of strategic technologies, housing, the demographic transition, the right to stay, and in addressing current and future challenges for the EU, its Member States, its regions, and the local level.

The expected impact of this call is twofold. For the general public, it aims to raise awareness of the results of Cohesion policy and its impact on citizens' lives, particularly among those unaware of the EU and its actions in their region. The focus is on developing a greater understanding of how Cohesion policy contributes to boosting jobs and growth in Europe and reducing disparities among Member States and regions. For stakeholders, the objective is to engage with national, regional, and local authorities, beneficiaries, businesses, and academia to further communicate the impact of Cohesion policy on their regions and to contribute to discussions on the future of Cohesion policy and Europe more broadly.

The expected outcomes of the call include increased media coverage of Cohesion policy, especially at the regional and local levels, enhanced public awareness of the results of Cohesion policy and its impact on their lives, and the achievement of concrete outputs and deliverables aimed at wide outreach within the measure's duration. These outputs may include TV and radio broadcasts, online or print coverage, and other types of information measures and dissemination, taking multilingualism into account.

The scope of the information measures can include various activities, such as the production and distribution of print, multimedia, or audiovisual material, web and social media outreach activities, media events, conferences, seminars, and workshops.

The conditions for this call include admissibility conditions related to 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, as are other eligible conditions. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in section 7 of the call document. The submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual. 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. Finally, the legal and financial setup 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 (including the standard application form (IMREG) and a declaration on standards and independence (IMREG)), model grant agreements (IMREG MGA), a policy website, the IMREG Work Programme 2025, Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 - CPR, ERDF Regulation 2021/1058, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, 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 total budget for the IMREG-2025-INFOME IMREG Project Grants is EUR 3,500,000. The call follows a single-stage submission process. There are eight partner search announcements related to this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

To submit a proposal, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service via the submission button, selecting the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement. Existing draft proposals can be accessed by logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal and selecting the My Proposals page.

A series of frequently asked questions (Q&As) are provided to address common queries. These include questions about consortium composition, single applicant eligibility, calculation of travel and subsistence costs, project start dates, the difference between subcontracting and purchase costs, the maximum EU contribution per project (around EUR 200,000), the maximum number of pages for the proposal (50 pages), the inclusion of EU-funded projects in the list of previous projects, the eligibility of costs for financial support to third parties (not applicable), the eligibility of applicants already receiving EU funding, the possibility of applying under several projects (allowed), and the acceptability of activity reports for the year 2024 if the 2025 report is not yet finalized.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact REGIO-CONTRACTS@ec.europa.eu. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk, and the Online Manual.

In summary, this call for proposals aims to support projects that will effectively communicate the impact and importance of EU Cohesion policy to both the general public and relevant stakeholders. It seeks to fund initiatives that will increase awareness, understanding, and engagement with EU policies aimed at reducing disparities and promoting growth and jobs across Europe. The call encourages a wide range of information measures, including multimedia content, online activities, and events, to ensure broad outreach and multilingualism. The application process is managed through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, which provides comprehensive guidance and support to applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the text mentions engagement with stakeholders including national, regional and local authorities, beneficiaries, businesses, and academia, suggesting these are potential eligible applicant types. It is also mentioned that LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an IMREG Project Grant (IMREG-PJG) and an IMREG Action Grant Budget-Based [IMREG-AG].

Consortium Requirement: Both single applicants and consortia are acceptable.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but the call focuses on EU Cohesion policy, suggesting that applicants from EU Member States and regions are eligible. The objective is to raise public awareness of the results of Cohesion policy and their impact on citizens' lives to Europeans.

Target Sector: The target sector is focused on EU Cohesion policy, including the Just Transition Fund and the Technical Support Instrument. Thematic areas include transition to a greener more digital economy, development of strategic technologies, housing, and the demographic transition. The call aims to support the production and dissemination of information and content related to these areas.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU Member States and their regions.

Project Stage: The project stage involves the production and dissemination of information and content. This suggests a stage of development, validation, and demonstration, aiming to increase awareness and media coverage of EU Cohesion policy.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic IMREG-2025-INFOME is EUR 3,500,000. The maximum EU contribution per project is expected to be around EUR 200,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support the production and dissemination of information and content.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the IMREG-2025-INFOME program, specifically targeting information measures for the EU Cohesion policy in 2025. The main goal is to support projects that produce and disseminate information and content related to EU Cohesion policy, including the Just Transition Fund and the Technical Support Instrument. The call aims to raise public awareness of the results of Cohesion policy and engage stakeholders in discussions about the future of Europe.

Eligible applicants can be national, regional, and local authorities, beneficiaries, businesses, or academic institutions. Both single applicants and consortia are welcome to apply. The funding type is a grant, with a total budget of EUR 3,500,000 for the topic and an expected maximum EU contribution of around EUR 200,000 per project.

The projects should focus on illustrating and assessing the role of Cohesion policy in delivering the EU’s political priorities, such as the transition to a greener and more digital economy, development of strategic technologies, housing, and the demographic transition. The information measures can include various activities like producing print, multimedia, or audiovisual material, web and social media outreach, media events, conferences, seminars, and workshops.

The application process is single-stage, with the submission deadline on January 15, 2026. Applicants need to submit their proposals electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal, following the guidelines and templates provided in the call documents. The expected outcome is increased media coverage of Cohesion policy, enhanced public awareness of its results, and concrete deliverables aimed at wide outreach.