Networks of Towns

The EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) has launched a call for proposals titled CERV-2026-CITIZENS-TOWN-NT, which focuses on creating Networks of Towns. This initiative aims to enhance citizen engagement and democratic participation within local communities across Europe, encouraging mutual understanding and collaboration among different towns and municipalities. The call promotes awareness of EU citizenship, fundamental rights, and shared values while addressing significant issues like discrimination, social inclusion, and cultural diversity.

Eligible applicants include municipalities, local authorities, and non-profit organizations that represent local governance. To qualify, projects must be transnational, involving participants from at least two EU member states. The total funding available for this initiative is €12 million, administered via CERV Lump Sum Grants, which provide fixed amounts to successful applicants, independent of actual expenditure.

The application process is single-stage, allowing for electronic submissions only. The opening date for applications is December 17, 2025, and the deadline is April 16, 2026, at 17:00 CET. Proposals will be evaluated between May and July 2026, with successful applicants notified in October 2026, and grant agreements expected to be signed by December 2026.

Projects funded under this call are expected to contribute to various thematic areas, including citizen exchanges, democratic involvement, social inclusion, and cultural activities aligned with initiatives like the New European Bauhaus. The objective is to stimulate projects that create sustainable town networks, facilitating vibrant interactions among citizens from diverse backgrounds and enhancing their participation in public life.

Applicants are encouraged to consult detailed guidelines and available resources on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, including standard application forms and templates. For assistance, contact points in their respective countries can provide support, with additional technical help available through the portal's IT helpdesk.

Overall, this funding opportunity seeks to foster an engaged and democratic Europe by empowering local communities to collaborate and promote shared European values and rights, ultimately creating a more inclusive and vibrant European identity.

The EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) has announced a call for proposals for Networks of Towns, specifically the CERV-2026-CITIZENS-TOWN-NT topic. This call aims to promote citizen engagement, participation, and democratic involvement at the local, national, and EU levels, fostering EU citizenship, shared values, and democratic standards. It also seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of diversity, tackle discrimination, racism, and exclusion, and support the participation of under-represented groups, including racialised people, migrants, and LGBTIQ individuals. The call further supports the active involvement of citizens, including children, in public life, promoting democratic participation, gender equality, and representation in local decision-making. Additionally, it aims to prevent and raise awareness of violence, hatred, and polarisation, including violence against women, domestic violence, violence against children, violence against LGBTIQ people, and racialised people, as well as bullying and cyberbullying, and promote promising practices for local Roma inclusion, desegregation, and social cohesion. The call also promotes democratic participation through cultural activities, including projects inspired by or aligned with the New European Bauhaus initiative.

The scope of this call is to promote exchanges between citizens of different countries, particularly through networks of towns, to provide them with practical experience of the wealth and diversity of the common heritage of the Union and to make them aware that these constitute the foundation for a common future. It also aims to develop sustainable networks of towns, deepening and intensifying their cooperation, while outlining common activities to promote Union values and fundamental rights, and their long-term vision for the future of European integration.

The expected outcomes of this call include increased citizen engagement in society, including marginalised and under-represented groups and groups at risk of discrimination, and ultimately more active citizen involvement in the democratic life of the Union. It also aims for greater awareness of EU citizenship rights and improved implementation of those rights across Member States, better access to information for mobile EU citizens and their family members on their rights as EU citizens, and increased participation of citizens and civil society organisations in local, national, and European policymaking processes. Furthermore, the call seeks to improve awareness of the benefits of diversity and the tackling of hatred, discrimination, racism, and LGBTIQ-phobia, foster greater mutual understanding and respect for European minorities, Roma, racialised people, LGBTIQ people, etc., increase the participation of children in the EU project from an early age, improve accessibility for persons with disabilities and better inclusion in the community, strengthen awareness of the contribution of migration, migrants and their descendants to the cultural richness, diversity and common history of Europe, increase awareness of the importance of citizen participation, including through cultural activities, and develop more effective policies tackling and preventing violence against women, domestic violence, violence against children and violence against LGBTIQ people, Roma and racialised people at local level.

This call for proposals is a CERV Lump Sum Grant (CERV-LS), with a single-stage submission process. The call was published on December 17, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is April 16, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period is scheduled for May to July 2026, with information to applicants expected in October 2026, and the signature of the grant agreement in December 2026. The total budget for this topic is 12,000,000 EUR.

The admissibility conditions, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, and legal and financial set-up of the grants are all described in detail in the call document.

Applicants are required to use the standard application form (CERV), which is available in the Submission System. A calculator (CERV LS REM, CIV and NETW) is also provided. The Model Grant Agreements (MGA) and Lump Sum MGA are available for reference. Additional documents such as CERV Work Programmes, CERV Regulation 2021/692, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement are also provided.

Applicants can find partners to collaborate on this topic through the partner search announcements on the Funding & Tenders Portal. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics, as well as any user having an active public Person profile.

To access the Electronic Submission Service, applicants should click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to their proposal. They will then be asked to confirm their choice, as it cannot be changed in the submission system. Upon confirmation, they will be linked to the correct entry point. To access existing draft proposals for this topic, applicants can log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page of the My Area section.

For help related to this call, applicants may contact the CERV Contact Point of their country. The IT Helpdesk can be contacted for questions on the Portal Submission System, such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, and technical aspects of submission of proposals. The Online Manual provides a step-by-step online guide through the Portal processes from proposal preparation and evaluation to reporting on ongoing projects. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ also provides answers to common questions about the submission of proposals. Non-IT related questions should be sent to the email address EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu.

In summary, this call for proposals under the CERV programme aims to foster citizen engagement, promote EU values, and support inclusive and democratic societies through networks of towns. It provides funding for projects that encourage exchanges between citizens, develop sustainable town networks, and promote Union values and fundamental rights. The call is open for submission until April 16, 2026, and applicants should carefully review the call documents and follow the guidelines provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This opportunity is about encouraging towns across different countries within the EU to connect and work together on projects that promote European values, citizenship, and democracy. The EU wants to support initiatives where citizens from different backgrounds can meet, exchange ideas, and learn about each other's cultures and heritage. The goal is to build stronger, more inclusive communities and to increase citizen participation in shaping the future of Europe. The funding is available for projects that tackle issues like discrimination, promote equality, and prevent violence, as well as those that celebrate diversity and cultural richness. If you're a town or a network of towns with a vision for a more connected and engaged Europe, this grant could help you bring that vision to life.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the call is for "Networks of Towns," suggesting that municipalities or local authorities are likely eligible applicants. The mention of "civil society organisations" also indicates their potential eligibility. Further details would be available in the call document.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a "CERV Lump Sum Grant" (CERV-LS).

Consortium Requirement: The call is for "Networks of Towns," which strongly suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated in the provided text, but given that it is a CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme) call, it is highly likely that the eligibility is focused on EU Member States and possibly associated countries. The call document would contain the specific details.

Target Sector: The target sector is focused on citizen engagement, democratic participation, EU citizenship, diversity, inclusion, and tackling discrimination. This includes areas such as promoting EU values, fundamental rights, gender equality, Roma inclusion, and preventing violence against women, children, and LGBTIQ people. It also touches upon cultural activities and the New European Bauhaus initiative.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The focus is on the EU and its Member States.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly stated, but the call aims to "develop sustainable networks of towns," suggesting that the projects should be at the development or implementation stage, rather than at the initial idea or research stage.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic CERV-2026-CITIZENS-TOWN-NT is EUR 12,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified, so the individual grant amounts are variable.

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

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

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 explicitly stated in the provided text. The call document would contain this information.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), specifically targeting the creation and development of "Networks of Towns." The call, titled CERV-2026-CITIZENS-TOWN-NT, aims to promote citizen engagement, democratic participation, and a greater awareness of EU citizenship rights and values. The primary goal is to foster exchanges between citizens of different countries through town networks, encouraging cooperation and the development of common activities that promote EU values, fundamental rights, and a shared vision for European integration.

The call encourages projects that address issues such as diversity, inclusion, tackling discrimination, gender equality, Roma inclusion, and preventing violence against vulnerable groups. It also supports citizen involvement in local, national, and European policymaking processes. Projects can also be inspired by or aligned with the New European Bauhaus initiative.

The funding mechanism is a CERV Lump Sum Grant, with a total budget of EUR 12,000,000 allocated to the topic. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of April 16, 2026. The call was published on December 17, 2025.

Eligible applicants are likely to be municipalities, local authorities, and civil society organizations. The projects are expected to develop sustainable networks, indicating a focus on implementation and development rather than initial research.

Applicants must submit their proposals electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The evaluation process will take place between May and July 2026, with information to applicants expected in October 2026, and the grant agreement signature in December 2026.

To apply, applicants should carefully review the call document, application form templates, and other additional documents provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal. They should also consult the CERV Contact Point of their country for assistance and the IT Helpdesk for technical issues related to the submission system.