Information measures for the EU Cohesion policy for 2026

IMREG-2026-INFOME is a single-stage call for project grants under the Information Measures for the EU Cohesion Policy programme to fund production and dissemination of accurate, objective information about Cohesion policy, including the Just Transition Fund and related Technical Support Instrument actions. The available call budget is €3.5 million with an expected EU contribution per project of around €200,000, a funding rate of 80% of eligible costs and a normal project duration of 12 months. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States (single applicants or consortia) and proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 13 January 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Scope and objectives

Support for production and dissemination of information and content about EU Cohesion policy (including the Just Transition Fund and relevant Technical Support Instrument activities). Actions must provide coherent, objective and multilingual outreach to the general public and stakeholders, increase regional media coverage, and illustrate Cohesion policy contributions to jobs, growth, territorial fairness, green and digital transitions, housing, demographic change and related priorities.

Admissibility and eligibility details, required annexes (e.g. activity reports, CVs), evaluation criteria (Relevance 40, Quality 30, Impact 30) and application templates are provided in the call document and Submission System. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal 1.

Footnotes

1. 1Apply and find full call documentation and templates on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Funding & Tenders Portal.

Call at a glance

Scope and eligible activities

The call funds production and dissemination of information and content linked to EU Cohesion policy, including the Just Transition Fund and support from the Technical Support Instrument. Proposals must be coherent, objective and comprehensive and illustrate Cohesion policy’s role in delivering EU political priorities such as the right to stay, transition to a greener economy (including water and energy challenges), development of strategic technologies, housing and demographic transition. Eligible activities include one or several of: production and distribution of print, multimedia or audiovisual material; web and social media outreach; media events; conferences, seminars and workshops. Activities required by law are explicitly not eligible.

Full answers to the categorisation and extraction questions

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants are legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries (see Beneficiary Scope). This includes: NGOs and non-profit organisations, media organisations and news agencies, universities and higher education institutions, research institutes and think-tanks, associations of European interest, public authorities at national, regional and local levels (except authorities in charge of Cohesion policy implementation as defined by Article 71 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060), for-profit private entities, SMEs and large enterprises. Natural persons are NOT eligible except self-employed persons/sole traders where the company has no separate legal personality. International organisations are eligible. 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 specific cases) cannot be part of the consortium as beneficiaries 1.

Funding Type

Consortium Requirement

Both single applicants (mono-beneficiary) and consortia (multi-beneficiary) are accepted. There are no special mandatory composition rules limiting consortium make-up for this topic. Co-applicants must all comply with eligibility, operational and financial capacity and exclusion rules. Affiliated entities, associated partners, subcontractors and third parties giving in-kind contributions may participate according to the general rules. Consortium agreements are recommended and in some cases required by the Grant Agreement provisions for multi-beneficiary grants 1.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Eligible applicants must be established in eligible countries listed in section 6 of the Call Document: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)). International organisations may participate regardless of country rules. Projects must relate to activities taking place in eligible countries. Natural-person participants outside these rules are restricted (see eligibility). Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register and be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation) prior to submission or at grant preparation 1.

Target Sector

Mentioned Countries

Project Stage (Expected maturity)

Funding Amount

Application Type

Nature of Support

Application Stages

Success Rates

Success rates are not published for this single topic. The call document notes that not all available funds may be awarded and that projects will be funded within the available budget and ranked by evaluation score. Competitive funding under IMREG typically results in selection only for proposals passing individual threshold scores and within the budget ceiling. No explicit historical success rate is provided in the call documentation; applicants should assume competitive selection and prepare high-quality, relevant proposals.

Co-funding Requirement

Templates and Application Structure

Application uses the IMREG Standard Application Form templates available in the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. The application has two parts: Part A (online administrative forms) and Part B (technical description uploaded as PDF using the Part B template). Mandatory annexes must be uploaded as PDF in the designated slots. Typical annexes and templates include: Standard application form (IMREG) Part A screens, Application Form Part B template (technical description), Declaration on standards and independence (IMREG) (mandatory for media/journalism-related projects), CVs of key staff, list of previous projects (last 4 years), annual activity report for last year (2025 accepted if 2026 report is not finalised), and any call-specific annexes listed in the Submission System. Part B is limited to 50 pages for this call; evaluators will disregard additional pages. Formatting rules (A4, minimum font size, margins) must be respected. Applicants must use the online forms inside the Submission System; the templates on the Topic page are for information only 1.

Evaluation and Award

Proposals are screened for admissibility (page limits, layout, completeness) and eligibility (participants, activities and geographic location). Eligible proposals are evaluated by independent experts and an evaluation committee against three award criteria with the following weighting and thresholds: Relevance 40 points (minimum pass 21), Quality 30 points (minimum pass 16), Impact 30 points (minimum pass 16). Overall pass threshold: 53/100. Projects that pass both individual and overall thresholds will be considered for funding in order of merit and within the available budget, with additional prioritisation rules for ex aequo scores to ensure thematic and geographic balance. Successful proposals are invited to grant preparation; this invitation does not constitute formal commitment to award until legal and financial checks are completed and the Grant Agreement is signed 1.

Budget and Financial Rules — Key points

Administrative, Legal and Capacity Requirements

Participants must be legal entities established in eligible countries and must register in the Participant Register and be validated (LEAR appointment, legal entity validation). Applicants will be checked for financial and operational capacity; public bodies and international organisations are exempt from some financial checks. Exclusion grounds (bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, serious breaches of contract, etc.) will be assessed and may bar participation. If financial capacity is insufficient, the granting authority may request additional evidence, enhanced financial responsibility regimes, prefinancing guarantees, phased prefinancing or even reject the proposal. Standard Model Grant Agreement (IMREG MGA) applies; applicants should read the Call Document, IMREG MGA, Application Form templates, Declaration on Standards and Independence (mandatory for journalism/media projects), and the Online Manual carefully before applying 1.

Practical timeline (indicative)

Key practical tips for applicants

Footnotes

1. 1Call document: Call for proposals IMREG-2026-INFOME — Support for information measures relating to the EU Cohesion policy for 2026. Call document and annexes (Work Programme 2026, IMREG MGA, Application Form templates, Declaration on standards and independence, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement and Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual) set out full eligibility, admissibility, evaluation, financial and legal conditions. Available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity overview

IMREG-2026-INFOME is a single-stage call for project grants under the Information Measures for the EU Cohesion Policy Programme. It supports the production and dissemination of accurate, objective and comprehensive information about EU Cohesion policy, including the Just Transition Fund and relevant support from the Technical Support Instrument. The official opportunity page is the authoritative source for submission and call updates 1.

The opportunity is designed for information and communication initiatives that explain how Cohesion policy contributes to employment, economic growth, sustainable development, improved quality of life and the reduction of disparities between European regions. Proposals should also show how Cohesion policy supports current EU priorities, including the green transition, water and energy challenges, strategic technologies, housing, demographic change and the right to remain in the place people call home.

The principal audiences are the general public and stakeholders such as national, regional and local authorities, Cohesion policy beneficiaries, businesses and academia. Projects should improve public understanding of the results of Cohesion policy and encourage informed discussion about the future of the policy and the future of Europe.

Key facts

Activities and thematic scope

Eligible projects should include one or more information and outreach activities. The activity mix should be coherent, targeted and capable of producing measurable outreach within the project duration.

Projects should focus on the impact of Cohesion policy on citizens and regions. Strong proposals are likely to connect policy objectives with concrete regional examples, beneficiaries, investments, outcomes and citizen experiences while maintaining a balanced and accurate presentation of the overall policy.

Activities required by law are not eligible. Financial support to third parties is also not permitted under this call.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are legal entities established in an EU Member State, including overseas countries and territories. Both public and private bodies may apply. Applications may be submitted by a single applicant or by a consortium. The call does not impose particular consortium composition requirements.

Applicants must not be authorities responsible for implementing Cohesion policy within the meaning of Article 71 of the Common Provisions Regulation. Natural persons are generally not eligible, except where they participate as self-employed persons or sole traders meeting the stated conditions.

International organisations may be eligible and are not subject to the ordinary eligible-country restriction. EU bodies cannot participate, except that the European Commission Joint Research Centre is specifically excluded from the general EU body restriction described in the call conditions. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures cannot participate in any role.

All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must be registered in the Participant Register and validated before grant preparation. Each participant must obtain or have a valid Participant Identification Code before submission.

Consortium and participation arrangements

A consortium is optional. A single legal entity may submit an application, while several beneficiaries may apply together with a coordinator. Affiliated entities may participate with rights and obligations similar to beneficiaries but do not sign the grant agreement. Associated partners may participate without receiving grant funding.

Applicants may participate in multiple proposals, but very similar proposals from the same organisation may be treated as duplicates and only one may be evaluated. Applicants should ensure that each proposal has a distinct scope, target audience, geography, work plan and expected impact.

A consortium agreement is not stated to be mandatory, but it is recommended for allocating tasks, managing internal decisions, distributing grant funds and handling disputes or unforeseen circumstances.

Funding and financial conditions

The estimated available budget for the call is €3.5 million. The expected EU contribution is around €200,000 per project. Applications requesting less than €200,000 are acceptable, and the awarded amount may be lower than the amount requested. The Commission may decide not to allocate the entire available budget.

The grant reimburses 80 percent of eligible costs. Applicants must therefore plan sufficient complementary resources to cover the remaining costs and any expenditure that is not eligible or is not reimbursed. The project budget must be balanced and realistic.

Eligible cost categories include personnel costs, subcontracting, travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods and services, and indirect costs. Unit costs may be used for eligible SME owners or natural person beneficiaries and for travel, accommodation and subsistence where the grant agreement rules apply. Equipment is generally charged through depreciation.

Subcontracting should normally be limited and must concern defined action tasks that are necessary for implementation. Subcontracting exceeding 30 percent of total eligible costs must be specifically justified. Coordinator tasks cannot be subcontracted, and subcontractors must be selected in accordance with best value for money and conflict of interest requirements.

A project cannot receive double EU funding for the same action or cost item. Combination with an EU operating grant may be possible where activities and costs are clearly separated and are not declared twice.

Project duration and implementation

Projects should normally run for 12 months. Extensions may be possible where duly justified and approved through an amendment to the grant agreement.

The project normally starts after the grant agreement is signed. A retroactive start may exceptionally be approved for duly justified reasons, but it cannot be earlier than the proposal submission date. The call information indicates that grant agreement signature is expected in July 2027, while the related FAQ indicates that a project start date two or three months after signature may be accepted where justified.

Milestones are not applicable to IMREG projects. Applicants should nevertheless define a limited number of clear deliverables, outputs and results, with due dates linked to the project month numbering. Deliverables may include media outputs, publications, broadcasts, digital content, events, monitoring reports and evaluation reports.

Application requirements

Applications must be submitted electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal. Paper applications are not accepted. The proposal consists of an online administrative Part A, a technical Part B uploaded as a PDF and the mandatory annexes and supporting documents requested by the call.

The project acronym should follow the recommended naming convention Year-Country-Project, such as 2026-BE-INFOME. The proposal must be readable, accessible and printable. Excess pages will not be considered by evaluators.

The declaration on standards and independence is particularly important for communication and media projects. Applicants must confirm respect for EU values, editorial independence, transparency, non-discrimination, high journalistic standards, accuracy, impartiality and plural viewpoints. Applicants must also explain how audiences can react and how complaints and accountability will be handled.

Evaluation and award criteria

The procedure is single-stage, with one submission and one evaluation step. Proposals are first checked for admissibility and eligibility. Eligible proposals are then assessed for operational capacity and scored against the award criteria before being ranked within the available budget.

Ties may be resolved by giving priority to proposals covering themes not addressed by higher-ranked projects, followed by the scores for relevance, impact and quality. The Commission may also consider portfolio balance, geographical coverage, thematic coverage and synergies between projects.

Operational capacity and exclusion

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient professional expertise, human resources, technical resources and relevant experience to implement the project. The assessment will consider organisational profiles, the competence of the project team, the roles of participants and the list of relevant projects delivered during the last four years.

Financial capacity normally concerns private beneficiaries and may require financial statements, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, business plans or audit documents. Public bodies and international organisations are generally exempt from the financial capacity check. The check may also not be required where the individual requested grant amount is no more than €60,000.

Applicants may be excluded for bankruptcy or comparable proceedings, tax or social security arrears, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal organisation links, money laundering, terrorism-related offences, trafficking, serious contractual failures, irregularities, conflicts of interest or misrepresentation.

Strategic recommendations for applicants

Main risks and compliance points

The most significant compliance risks are submitting after the deadline, exceeding the 50 page limit, omitting mandatory annexes, failing to register or validate participants, relying on ineligible authorities, including prohibited financial support to third parties, declaring costs twice, failing to demonstrate editorial independence and proposing activities that are required by law rather than additional information measures.

Applicants should begin participant registration, consortium approvals, financial checks, evidence gathering and technical drafting well before the deadline. The Funding and Tenders Portal confirmation email should be retained as evidence of successful submission.

Overall assessment

This is a focused communication grant rather than a grant for implementing Cohesion policy investments. It is most suitable for organisations that can combine strong editorial or communication expertise with demonstrated regional reach, measurable audience engagement and the ability to explain EU policy through concrete local results.

The opportunity is potentially attractive for broadcasters, publishers, media networks, universities, research organisations, civil society bodies and communication organisations. The strongest applications are likely to be those that combine objective storytelling, regional relevance, multilingual reach, robust impact measurement and a credible sustainability plan within an approximately €200,000 EU contribution and a 12 month implementation period.

Footnote

1 The official Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page is Information measures for the EU Cohesion policy for 2026. The call document and Submission System documents prevail where details are updated or differ from general portal information.

Footnotes

1. 1Official European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity page: Information measures for the EU Cohesion policy for 2026.