Posting of workers: enhancing administrative cooperation and access to information

Call ESF-2026-POW (ESF+ EaSI) funds transnational projects to strengthen administrative cooperation, improve access to information and produce evidence on posting of workers in the EU. The total indicative budget is €4,000,000 to fund between 2 and 7 grants, typically €350,000–1,300,000 per project, with an 80% funding rate and 7% flat-rate indirect costs. Eligible lead applicants must form consortia of at least three applicants established in three different EU Member States and choose one of three mutually exclusive strands: Cooperation, Information or Evidence. Projects must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 06 October 2026 17:00 CET and are normally 12–24 months in duration.

What it funds

Scope and expected results

Transnational ESF+ project grants to strengthen administrative cooperation and access to clear, user-friendly information on terms and conditions for posted workers. Activities supported include peer exchanges and training for public authorities and social partners, development or improvement of online information platforms, and original multidisciplinary research and data collection on posting and posted workers' working conditions.

Main objectives:Promote cross-border cooperation (including IMI use), improve accessibility and quality of information for posted workers and undertakings, and build evidence through joint research and data collection to support monitoring and enforcement of the Posting of Workers Directive ¹.

Who can apply

Lead applicants and co-applicants must be legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries (EU Member States and certain associated/EEA countries). Eligible participants include public authorities, non-profit organisations, research centres, higher education institutions, civil society organisations and social partners. Natural persons and international organisations are generally not eligible. Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 3 applicants established in at least 3 different EU Member States.

1. 1Mandatory consortium: minimum 3 applicants in at least 3 different EU Member States.
2. 2Specific consortia composition requirements depend on activity strand (e.g., cooperation strand requires both social partners and competent public authorities).
3. 3Affiliated entities, associated partners and subcontractors are allowed under specified rules.

Funding and practical details

Grant type:ESF Project Grants (budget-based action grants). Project duration normally 12 to 24 months. Applications submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Award criteria:relevance, quality (design and team), and impact. Individual thresholds and overall pass score apply (overall 70/100). Proposals limited to 50 pages for Part B and must use the Portal templates.

How projects are assessed and awarded

One-stage electronic submission; evaluation by an expert committee. Indicative timetable:evaluation Oct–Dec 2026, information Jan–Feb 2027, grant agreement signature Mar–May 2027. Successful applicants undergo legal and financial checks before signature.

Key administrative notes:Applications must be complete, include Part A and Part B and mandatory annexes, be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal, and beneficiaries must be registered in the Participant Register. Maximum 50 pages for Part B; partners must be validated during grant preparation.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document and full conditions: Call fiche ESF-2026-POW.

Opportunity summary

Call for proposals under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand. Objective: support implementation and enforcement of the Posting of Workers Directive and related enforcement rules by promoting transnational cooperation between public authorities and stakeholders, improving accessibility and quality of information for posted workers and employers, and strengthening the evidence base through original data collection and research. Expected results include new or improved exchanges, peer reviews or trainings for enforcement authorities and stakeholders, and development/improvement of online platforms and information tools targeted at posted workers. Planned opening date 30 April 2026; deadline for submission 06 October 2026 17:00 Brussels time. Indicative call budget €4,000,000; expected to fund between 2 and 7 projects. Single-stage submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal; proposals must be submitted electronically using the Portal forms. Project duration normally between 12 and 24 months; typical project budgets expected between €350,000 and €1,300,000 per project. See call document for full details Call document ¹.

Primary policy and legal context:European Pillar of Social Rights (key principles 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 20 referenced); Posting of Workers Directive (96/71/EC as amended by 2018/957) and Enforcement Directive (2014/67/EU); ESF+ Regulation (2021/1057) and EU Financial Regulation (2024/2509).

Detailed eligibility and administrative requirements

This section summarises the admissibility, eligibility, capacity checks, consortium rules and submission requirements extracted from the call document and templates. Applicants must read the full call document and use the Submission System templates (Application Form Part A and Part B and all mandatory annexes). Proposals must be complete, in English recommended, and submitted online via the Funding & Tenders Portal before the deadline. Paper submissions are not accepted. Part B page limit: 50 pages (Part B) and the Portal forms and instructions must be used. Applications must include CVs of key staff, activity reports, list of previous projects, and other required annexes. At submission the lead applicant confirms mandate to act; before signature all beneficiaries and affiliated entities will sign a declaration of honour. Readability, accessibility and printability rules apply. Evaluators will disregard excess pages beyond limits.

1. 1Eligible applicant legal status: legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries: EU Member States (including OCT/overseas countries and territories), listed EEA countries and countries associated to ESF+, and non-EU countries negotiating association where an association enters into force before grant signature.
2. 2Eligible applicant categories: public authorities; non-profit organisations (private or public); research centres/institutes; higher education institutions; civil society organisations; social partner organisations (including social partners without legal personality subject to conditions). Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed sole traders; international organisations are not eligible except where explicitly allowed (JRC exception noted elsewhere).
3. 3Consortium requirement: consortia only. Minimum consortium composition: at least three applicants (lead + co-applicants) established and registered in at least three different EU Member States (Art. 27 ESF+ Regulation). Lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities must be legal entities established in eligible countries. Co-applicants must be established in EU Member States or EEA countries; co-applicants may include associated Candidate Countries and Potential Candidates (per ESF+ Regulation).
4. 4Affiliated entities: allowed; they participate with similar rights and obligations as beneficiaries but do not sign the grant and do not count toward minimum eligibility. Associated partners can participate without funding (no eligibility to charge costs).
5. 5Financial and operational capacity: applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources and operational capacity. Financial capacity checks performed via Participant Register documents for most beneficiaries except public bodies and where requested grant ≤ €60,000. Operational capacity shown via CVs, activity reports and lists of previous projects.
6. 6Exclusion grounds: EU exclusion decisions and the variety of exclusion situations in the EU Financial Regulation apply (bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, non-compliance with social/tax obligations, irregularities, etc.).
7. 7Submission process and forms: Part A filled online; Part B uploaded as PDF using Portal template; mandatory annexes (CVs, activity reports, list of previous projects) uploaded as PDF. Proposals must be in Portal slots; incorrect placement risks inadmissibility.
8. 8Language and timing: any official EU language accepted, project summary in English recommended; submit well before deadline to avoid technical issues.

Selection, evaluation and scoring

One-stage submission and one-step evaluation. Admissibility and eligibility screening followed by evaluation by an evaluation committee assisted by independent experts. Indicative evaluation timeline: Evaluation Oct–Dec 2026; notification Jan–Feb 2027; grant agreement signature Mar–May 2027. Invitation to grant preparation is not a formal commitment until legal checks complete.

1. 1Award criteria and weighting: Relevance (max 40 pts), Quality — Project design and implementation (max 20 pts), Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements (max 20 pts), Impact (max 20 pts).
2. 2Minimum thresholds per criterion: Relevance ≥ 28/40; Quality (design) ≥ 14/20; Quality (team) ≥ 14/20; Impact ≥ 14/20.
3. 3Overall threshold: 70/100. Proposals must pass individual thresholds and overall threshold to be considered for funding subject to available budget.

Evaluation timeline:Call opening 30/04/2026; submission deadline 06/10/2026 17:00 Brussels time; evaluation Oct–Dec 2026; information on results Jan–Feb 2027; grant agreement signature Mar–May 2027.

Financial and grant management details

Grant type:ESF Action Grant, Budget-based mixed actual cost grant with unit cost options and flat-rate indirect costs. Funding rate: standard 80% funding rate applies (as indicated in call content). Grants reimburse eligible actual costs and specified unit or flat rates where authorised; no profit allowed. Indirect costs: flat-rate 7% of eligible direct costs (categories A–D except volunteer costs and exempted categories). No financial support to third parties is allowed unless explicitly authorised in call (this call: financial support to third parties not allowed). VAT: non-deductible VAT is eligible except where public bodies acting as public authorities (since 2013) cannot declare VAT. Payment schedule normally includes prefinancing(s) and final payment; prefinancing guarantee may be required depending on financial capacity checks. Payments made to coordinator who distributes funds to beneficiaries. Detailed rules on certificates on financial statements (CFS), thresholds for CFS and other audit/certification provisions will be specified in grant preparation.

1. 1Indicative call budget: €4,000,000 for 2026; expected 2–7 grants.
2. 2Typical requested grant amounts: expected range €350,000 to €1,300,000 per project (the call does not preclude other amounts but these are the expected ranges).
3. 3Funding rate and form: reimbursement of eligible costs at funding rate (80% indicated in call text); budget-based mixed actual cost grant with possible use of unit costs for travel and subsistence where Decision C(2021)35 applies; personnel costs calculated on actual costs; equipment costs by depreciation.
4. 4Eligible budget categories: A Personnel (employees, natural persons under contract, seconded persons, SME owners unit cost and volunteers if authorised), B Subcontracting, C Purchase costs (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods/services), E Indirect costs (flat-rate).
5. 5Project duration: normally between 12 and 24 months (extensions possible by amendment).
6. 6Financial and operational capacity checks: mandatory for most beneficiaries; documentation required in Participant Register (P&L, balance sheet, audit report or business plan for last closed financial year). Public bodies and projects requesting ≤ €60,000 may be exempted from financial checks.

Scope, eligible activities and priorities

The call finances transnational cooperation initiatives under three mutually exclusive strands: Cooperation, Information, and Evidence. Projects must select and focus on one strand and one focus dimension (sector, type of posted worker, or specific situation of posted worker). Activities must deliver lasting impact, be transferable and produce tangible deliverables and a dissemination plan. Minimum consortium composition varies by strand and is mandatory.

1. 1Cooperation strand (example activities eligible): new or improved exchanges, peer reviews, joint visits/inspections, short training actions and development of transnational training programmes targeted at competent public authorities and/or social partners; promotion and use of the Internal Market Information System (IMI) and sharing of good practices.
2. 2Information strand (example activities eligible): development/improvement of information and advisory tools, with preference for online/IT-based tools; platforms for collection and dissemination of quality, user-friendly, specific information targeted at posted workers and undertakings covering terms and conditions of employment, administrative requirements, procedures and rights; prevention of in-work poverty and discrimination.
3. 3Evidence strand (example activities eligible): joint research projects collecting and evaluating original data on the posting process and working conditions of posted workers; transdisciplinary collaboration between universities, research centres and social partners; dissemination targeting scientific community, specialised press and general public.
4. 4Focus areas (projects should target one): a specific sector (construction, road transport, healthcare, meat processing etc), or specific type of posted worker (seasonal worker, temporary agency worker, posted third-country national), or specific situation (subcontracting chains, health & safety, remuneration conditions).

Minimum consortium composition requirements by specific objective:a) For Cooperation strand: participation must include both social partners (worker and employers’ organisations) and competent public authorities focused on enforcement. b) For Information strand: participation must include both social partners and competent public authorities, or research institutes and social partners and/or other stakeholders/public authorities. c) For Evidence strand: research institutes must be part of the consortium. Projects must normally include representation from sending and receiving countries and prioritise sector-specific consortia for impact and transferability.

Project management, deliverables and expected impact

Projects are expected to produce tangible deliverables suitable for sustained use or transfer: information fiches, reports, research outputs, training curricula, websites or online platforms. Applications must include a communication and dissemination plan and realistic monitoring indicators (quantitative and/or qualitative) to measure progress. Final reporting will require links to deliverables, dissemination records and evidence of stakeholder involvement and uptake. Projects should demonstrate sustainability, either via partners continuing the activity post-grant or by transferability to other Member States.

1. 1Deliverables: public deliverables must be published on the Portal project results platforms; sensitive deliverables limited and justified. Main deliverables should be public unless genuine confidentiality reasons are given.
2. 2Monitoring: proposals must include evaluation methods and indicators, baselines and target values and a quality assurance plan.
3. 3Sustainability: proposals must include concrete plans for continuity, scaling or transfer of outputs after EU funding ends.

Key restrictions, prohibitions and special rules

Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this call. Proposals must avoid double funding with other EU funding sources. Subcontracting should be limited and justified; subcontracting beyond 30% of total eligible costs must be explained. Projects that have already been completed will be rejected; projects already started will be assessed case-by-case and cannot declare costs for activities prior to the project starting date. EU restrictive measures and conditionality rules apply: entities subject to EU sanctions or conditionality measures are not eligible.

Administrative and IT support contacts

Submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. For IT submission issues contact the IT Helpdesk. For general ESF+ enquiries and programme-level questions: EMPL-EaSI@ec.europa.eu. For call-specific questions: EMPL-ESF-2026-POW@ec.europa.eu. Submit any call-specific question at least 7 days before the deadline. Consult Portal Q&A and online manuals for guidance.

Categorisation and structured extraction

The following is a structured extraction of the opportunity details aligned to the user’s requested categories. It is derived directly from the call text, the application templates and the Model Grant Agreement relevant to ESF+ Project Grants.

Eligible Applicant Types:Public authorities; non-profit organisations (private or public); research centres/institutes; higher education institutions (HEIs); civil society organisations (CSOs); social partner organisations at European, national or regional level (including social partner organisations without legal personality subject to Financial Regulation conditions). Self-employed natural persons (sole traders) may be eligible when the entity has legal standing (company). Natural persons (individuals) are NOT eligible except self-employed sole traders. International organisations (except where explicitly allowed in specific calls) are NOT eligible. Affiliated entities and associated partners may participate under the rules described above.

Funding Type:Grant — ESF Action Grant (ESF-PJG) under ESF Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement (ESF-AG). Budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs plus permitted unit/flat-rate mechanisms where authorised).

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required — proposals must be submitted by consortia only. Minimum: at least 3 applicants (lead + co-applicants) established and registered in at least three different EU Member States. Lead applicant and co-applicants must be established in EU Member States/EEA countries; co-applicants may include entities from associated Candidate/Potential Candidate countries as allowed under ESF+ rules.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible applicants established in EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and listed EEA countries and countries associated to ESF+. Countries negotiating association may participate if the association is concluded and retroactively covers the call before grant signature. Projects must implement activities in eligible countries. The call is managed at EU level under ESF+ EaSI strand.

Target Sector:Thematic focus: labour mobility and posting of workers across sectors. The call prioritises sector-specific actions and lists sectors as examples: construction, road transport, healthcare, meat processing and others. It targets employment/labour relations, social policy, enforcement and administrative cooperation, information provision, and research/evidence generation. Cross-cutting: social dialogue, worker protection, occupational health & safety, wages, and anti-exploitation measures.

Mentioned Countries:Explicit region: EU Member States and associated EEA/associated ESF+ countries. No specific Member States are singled out in the topic text — the requirement is transnational coverage and participation across sending and receiving Member States. Ukraine noted as a participating country in ESF+ context in programme materials; however eligibility follows the call document eligible countries list. See Annex in call document for final eligible country list ¹.

Project Stage (expected maturity):Implementation, capacity-building, piloting, demonstration and evidence-generation. Projects should focus on transnational cooperation, practical enforcement capacity building, development or improvement of information platforms (IT-based), and original data collection and analysis — thus suitable for applied research, validation and demonstration activities and capacity-building rather than basic research or late-stage commercialization.

Funding Amount:Indicative call budget €4,000,000. Expected grant per project typically €350,000 to €1,300,000. The call expects to fund between 2 and 7 proposals. The awarded grant may be lower than requested. Funding rate indicated at 80% of eligible costs (grant agreement will fix funding rate precisely).

Application Type:Open call — single-stage, competitive call for proposals. Submission via Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (eGrants).

Nature of Support:Monetary support (grant funding) covering eligible project costs. Non-financial services (networking, capacity-building, mutual learning) are expected project activities but the funding provided is monetary grant support to implement those activities.

Application Stages:One stage (single-stage submission) followed by one-step evaluation and selection. If successful, projects enter grant preparation with legal and financial checks; grant preparation may include dialogue and minor adjustments before signature.

Success Rates:Not specified in call text. Indicative: with €4,000,000 budget and expected 2–7 grants, success depends on number and quality of submissions; applicants should assume competitive selection and meet award thresholds to have a realistic chance.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes — co-funding expected. The grant finances a percentage (funding rate) of eligible costs (80% indicated). Applicants must demonstrate other resources to cover the non-funded share (own resources, income generated by project, contributions from third parties). The budget must be balanced and may include in-kind contributions (cost-neutral) but these cannot be declared as costs unless specified.

Application templates and form structure:Applications use Funding & Tenders Portal forms: Part A (administrative data entered online) and Part B (technical description uploaded as PDF using the standard ESF/SOCPL template). Mandatory annexes include CVs of core team (standard CV format), activity reports for the last year, list of previous projects (last 3 years), and any call-specific annexes. Part B template sections include: Project summary, Relevance (background, needs analysis, complementarity), Quality (methodology, consortium set-up, teams, management, monitoring and evaluation, cost-effectiveness, risk management), Impact (target groups, communication/dissemination, sustainability), Workplan and Work Packages (with deliverables, milestones, resources and timing), Other (ethics, security), Declarations and Annexes. The Portal enforces page and formatting limits (Part B max 50 pages for this call).

Templates: Outline and guidance for applicants

Use the exact Part B template downloaded from the Submission System. Key sections to complete and recommended content based on call text:

1. 1Cover page/project summary: brief abstract in English, concise objectives and expected impact and deliverables.
2. 21. Relevance: background, linkage to EPSR principles, clear needs analysis, specific measurable objectives (with indicators, baselines and targets), complementarity with existing actions and European added value, countries/regions and sectors covered.
3. 32. Quality: concept and methodology (why chosen and how it delivers objectives); detailed description of cooperation mechanisms, use of IMI where relevant; consortium composition and justification for partner roles; CVs and profiles for key personnel; project management and decision-making structures; monitoring and evaluation strategy with concrete indicators and milestones; risk register and mitigation measures; cost-effectiveness rationale.
4. 43. Impact: description of target groups (posted workers, employers, enforcement authorities, social partners), expected short/medium/long-term results, dissemination and communication plan with channels and audiences, sustainability and continuation plan (how partners will maintain or scale outputs post-grant).
5. 54. Workplan and WP descriptions: WP1 management and coordination; WP2 and further WPs covering cooperation, information or evidence activities (mutually exclusive strands); for each WP list tasks, responsible beneficiaries, deliverables, milestones, risks and verification means; timetable (month-based), staffing (person-months), subcontracting table if any, and detailed budget summary consistent with Annex 2.
6. 65. Other: ethics (if research involving human data), data management plan for research/evidence strand, security if any classified info, declarations on double funding and higher funding rate eligibility if applicable.
7. 7Annexes: CVs (standard EU format), activity reports, list of previous projects, legal documents for Participant Register validation and any requested financial documents for capacity assessment.

Applicants must not delete template instructions or tags in the Portal templates. Use Arial 9pt minimum, A4 format and margins per Portal guidance. Keep narrative concise, focused on award criteria and provide supporting evidence for consortium impact, transnational balance, sector focus and sustainability. Provide deliverables and commitments to publish main outputs publicly on the Portal unless legitimately classified or sensitive.

Summary: What is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This ESF+ EaSI call finances transnational projects that strengthen enforcement, administrative cooperation and the information environment around posting of workers in the internal market. The Commission seeks projects that build trust between enforcement authorities and social partners across Member States, create practical training and exchange programmes for inspectors and stakeholders, develop accessible online information tools for posted workers and companies, and produce robust evidence through joint research on working conditions and posting processes. Projects must be delivered by consortia with strong transnational representation (minimum three Member States), include social partners and public authorities depending on strand, and — for research/evidence activities — include research institutes. Projects are expected to deliver practical, transferrable outputs and to plan to sustain or transfer those outputs beyond EU funding. Funding is provided as action grants reimbursing eligible costs at the funding rate set in the grant agreement (80% indicated), with typical grants in the €350,000–1,300,000 range. Apply through the Funding & Tenders Portal using the standard Part A and Part B templates and required annexes, meet the award criteria thresholds (Relevance, Quality, Impact) and be prepared for financial and operational capacity checks during grant preparation.

Key immediate actions for potential applicants:register organisations and participants in the Portal Participant Register (obtain PICs), assemble a compliant transnational consortium meeting minimum partner and representation rules, select one of the three mutually exclusive strands and a clear sector or worker-focus, prepare Part B using the Portal template with measurable indicators and deliverables, prepare CVs and activity reports, and submit before 06 October 2026 17:00 Brussels time.

For clarifications consult the call document, the Portal Online Manual, the call-specific email EMPL-ESF-2026-POW@ec.europa.eu and the Portal IT Helpdesk for submission issues. Allow time for Participant Register validation and for preparing mandatory annexes and any required financial documentation.

This summary reflects the full call documentation, the ESF/SOCPL Application Form template and the standard ESF Model Grant Agreement provisions as published on the Funding & Tenders Portal; applicants must rely on the official call document and Portal templates for legal and binding requirements ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call document and annexes: Call fiche ESF-2026-POW ec.europa.eu. Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: ec.europa.eu

Funding Opportunity Overview

This call for proposals supports the implementation of key principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights through transnational cooperation initiatives focused on posting of workers. The call aims to strengthen administrative cooperation among EU Member States, improve access to information on employment conditions for posted workers, and develop evidence-based research on posting practices and working conditions.

Call Identification and Timeline

Call Reference:ESF-2026-POW (European Social Fund Plus, Employment and Social Innovation strand)

Opening Date:30 April 2026

Submission Deadline:06 October 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time)

Evaluation Period:October to December 2026

Grant Agreement Signature:March to May 2027

Funding Budget and Expected Awards

Total Available Budget:€4,000,000

Expected Number of Grants:Between 2 and 7 proposals are expected to be funded

Project Budget Range:€350,000 to €1,300,000 per project. The Commission reserves the right not to award all available funds or to redistribute them depending on proposal quality and evaluation results.

Specific Objectives and Scope

The call supports three mutually exclusive strands of activity, and applicants must focus on one strand only:

1. 1Cooperation: Developing new or improving existing exchanges, peer reviews and training programmes between public authorities and social partners for monitoring compliance and enforcement of posting of workers rules, including promotion of the Internal Market Information System (IMI)
2. 2Information: Developing and improving online and IT-based tools for collection and dissemination of quality, user-friendly information targeted at posted workers and undertakings regarding working conditions, procedures and requirements in different Member States
3. 3Evidence: Development of joint research projects on posting of workers dimensions and dissemination of results through targeted publication strategies in scientific and specialised press

Activities should have specific focus on a particular sector (construction, road transport, healthcare, meat processing etc.), type of posted worker (seasonal, temporary agency, third country national), or situation of posted worker (subcontracting, health and safety, remuneration conditions).

Eligible Applicants and Consortium Requirements

Eligible Countries:EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories), EEA countries, and countries associated to ESF+ or in ongoing negotiations for association agreements where the agreement enters into force before grant signature

Eligible Entity Types:Public authorities, non-profit organisations, research centres and institutes, higher education institutions, civil society organisations, and social partner organisations at European, national or regional level

Consortium Composition:Only consortia are eligible. Minimum of 3 applicants (lead applicant and co-applicants) established and registered in at least 3 different EU Member States required. Lead applicants and co-applicants must be established in EU Member States and EEA countries. Co-applicants may also be established in associated Candidate Countries and Potential Candidates.

Minimum Consortium Requirements by Activity Type:Cooperation strand requires participation of both social partners (worker and employers organisations) and competent public authorities with focus on enforcement. Information strand requires both social partners and competent public authorities, or research institutes and social partners and other stakeholders. Evidence strand requires participation of research institutes.

Project Duration and Implementation

Project Duration:Normally between 12 and 24 months. Extensions are possible if duly justified through an amendment.

Geographic Location:Activities must take place in eligible countries as defined above.

Grant Terms and Financial Conditions

Grant Form:Budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs with unit costs)

Funding Rate:80% of eligible costs

Eligible Cost Categories:Personnel costs (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods and services), and indirect costs at 7% flat-rate of eligible direct costs

Ineligible Costs:Financial support to third parties is not allowed. Deductible or refundable VAT, costs during grant suspension, and costs declared under other EU grants are ineligible.

No-Profit Rule:Grants may not produce a profit. For-profit organisations must declare revenues and any profit will be deducted from the final grant amount.

Payment Schedule

Payment arrangements depend on project duration:

1. 1Projects of 12 months: One prefinancing payment of 70% within 30 days from entry into force or after receiving financial guarantee (if required), whichever is latest
2. 2Projects between 12 and 24 months: Initial prefinancing of 40% within 30 days from entry into force or after receiving financial guarantee; second prefinancing of 40% after receiving additional prefinancing report (reduced if previous prefinancing consumption was less than 70%)
3. 3Final payment: Calculated after project completion based on eligible costs declared and approved

Prefinancing Guarantees:May be required during grant preparation. Amount normally equals the prefinancing payment. Guarantee must be in euro from an approved bank or financial institution in an EU Member State.

Application Requirements and Admissibility

Submission Method:Electronic submission only via EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted.

Required Documents:Application Form Part A (administrative information, filled online), Application Form Part B (technical description, maximum 50 pages), CVs of core project team, activity reports of last year, and list of previous key projects from last 3 years

Page Limit:Part B limited to maximum 50 pages. Excess pages will not be considered by evaluators.

Mandatory Confirmations:Lead applicant must confirm mandate to act for all applicants, that information is correct and complete, and that all participants comply with EU funding conditions. Each beneficiary and affiliated entity must sign a declaration of honour before grant signature.

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

Proposals are evaluated on four criteria with the following scoring:

Proposals must pass individual thresholds for each criterion AND achieve an overall score of at least 70 points to be considered for funding. Proposals are ranked by score and funded within available budget limits.

Relevance Criterion (max 40 points):Extent to which project objectives match call themes and priorities, European transnational dimension, target groups, cooperation facilitation, innovative approaches, transferability to other countries, and added value of substantive deliverables for posting of workers in identified sectors and target groups

Quality - Project Design and Implementation (max 20 points):Technical quality, clarity and consistency of project, logical links between problems and solutions, implementation methodology, feasibility within timeframe, and cost effectiveness

Quality - Project Team and Cooperation Arrangements (max 20 points):Clear rationale for consortium composition including balanced distribution of partners in sending and receiving countries, sector-specific focus, comprehensive representation of organisations and stakeholders, and appropriate cooperation procedures

Impact (max 20 points):Expected long-term impact on target groups, comprehensiveness and effectiveness of communication and dissemination plan, and sustainability of results after EU funding ends

Expected Results and Deliverables

Projects must produce tangible deliverables suitable for sustained use, transferability or continued learning. Expected results include:

• Development of new or improvement of existing exchanges, peer reviews and training programmes between officials and social partners
• Development or improvement of online platforms for collection and dissemination of quality, user-friendly information targeted at posted workers
• Joint research projects with dissemination through targeted publication strategies
• Communication and dissemination plan specifying targeted audiences who will use deliverables beyond project duration
• Monitoring and evaluation indicators (quantitative and qualitative) to measure achievement of main expected results

At final report stage, beneficiaries must provide details about deliverables produced, links to websites (if any), copies of information and research materials, topics discussed in meetings, dissemination methods and reach, and involvement of interested parties.

Priority Considerations for Evaluation

Priority will be given to projects based on consortia with one or more of the following characteristics:

• Balanced and justified distribution of partners established in sending and receiving countries in context of specific flow of posted workers
• Sector-specific focus of the action
• Lasting impact on national administrations, companies and workers beyond project duration
• Sustainability of action by partners or potential transferability to other Member States

Financial and Operational Capacity Requirements

Financial Capacity:Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement projects and contribute their share. Financial capacity check is based on documents uploaded to Participant Register (profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, audit reports). Public bodies and organisations with individual requested grant amounts not exceeding €60,000 are exempt from financial capacity checks.

Operational Capacity:Applicants must have know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement projects, including sufficient experience in comparable projects. Assessment is based on staff qualifications and experience, consortium participant descriptions, activity reports, and list of previous projects. Public bodies and Member State organisations are exempt from operational capacity checks.

Exclusion Grounds

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in the following situations cannot participate: bankruptcy or similar procedures, breach of social security or tax obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, links to criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour or human trafficking, significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under EU contracts, irregularities, creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent legal obligations, or intentional resistance to investigations or audits.

Legal and Administrative Framework

Applicable Law:EU law and law of Belgium apply. Special applicable law regimes may apply for non-EU beneficiaries.

Dispute Settlement:EU beneficiaries: EU General Court and EU Court of Justice (on appeal). Non-EU beneficiaries: Courts of Brussels, Belgium (unless international agreement provides for enforceability of EU court judgements).

Liability for Recoveries:Limited joint and several liability of other beneficiaries up to their maximum grant amount. Joint and several liability of affiliated entities with their beneficiary may be required.

Record-Keeping:Beneficiaries must keep records and supporting documents for at least 5 years after final payment (or 3 years for grants not exceeding €60,000) to prove proper implementation and justify declared amounts.

Reporting and Monitoring

Continuous Reporting:Beneficiaries must report on project progress (deliverables, milestones, outputs, risks, indicators) in Portal Continuous Reporting tool according to agreed timing and conditions.

Periodic Reporting:Technical and financial reports required for additional prefinancings, interim payments and final payment. Financial statements must detail eligible costs by budget category. Beneficiaries must confirm information is complete, reliable and true, costs are eligible, and can be substantiated by adequate records.

Certificates:Certificates on financial statements may be required if beneficiary's requested EU contribution to costs is €325,000 or more.

Key Policy Context

This call implements the European Pillar of Social Rights principles on equal opportunities, secure and adaptable employment, wages, information about employment conditions, social dialogue, healthy work environment and data protection. It supports the Posting of Workers Directive (96/71/EC as amended by 2018/957/EU) and the Enforcement Directive (2014/67/EU), which regulate terms and conditions of employment for workers temporarily sent to another EU Member State. The call also aligns with the Fair Labour Mobility Package announced in the 2026 Commission Work Programme to remove barriers to mobility and simplify processes for mobile workers and employers.

Support and Contact Information

General ESF+ Questions:EMPL-EaSI@ec.europa.eu

Call-Specific Questions:EMPL-ESF-2026-POW@ec.europa.eu (submit at least 7 days before deadline)

IT Helpdesk:For technical issues with Portal submission system

Online Manual and Resources:EU Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual, EU Grants AGA (Annotated Grant Agreement), Portal FAQ, and IT How-To guides available on Portal Reference Documents

Important Procedural Notes

• Submit applications well in advance of deadline to avoid technical problems; call deadlines cannot be extended
• All beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners must be registered in Participant Register before proposal submission
• Consortium agreement recommended for practical and legal reasons to handle exceptional circumstances and redistribute grant money
• Balanced project budget required with sufficient other resources (own contributions, income, third-party contributions)
• Strict prohibition of double funding from EU budget; no cost items may be declared under two EU grants
• Applicants may submit multiple proposals for different projects under same call
• Proposals may be changed and resubmitted until deadline
• Transparency: Information about awarded grants published annually on Europa website including beneficiary names, addresses, purpose and maximum amount
• Data protection: Personal data processed in accordance with applicable legal framework for evaluation, grant management and programme monitoring

Footnotes

1. 1The call document and all related templates are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Applicants should consult the call fiche, application form templates, Model Grant Agreement and Online Manual for complete details on all requirements and procedures.