Promoting and supporting the implementation of the provisions of the Pay Transparency Directive and respect of equal pay for equal work and work of eq...

The CERV-2026 is an EU action grant opportunity under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme aimed at advancing gender equality and workers' rights by promoting the Pay Transparency Directive. This funding initiative has a total budget of €23 million for 2026 with a minimum grant amount of €100,000 and no specified maximum limit. The call is open to civil society organizations, public bodies, and institutional actors focused on equality, human rights, and workers' rights. Eligible applicants include civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, ombuds institutions, and other entities engaged in gender equality efforts. Project proposals should translate the Pay Transparency Directive into actionable changes, build awareness, enhance institutional capacity, and promote social dialogue on equal pay and workplace equality. The geographical scope includes EU Member States and designated third countries as defined in the CERV Regulation. Applications must be electronically submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with the submission deadline set for April 28, 2026, at 17:00 CET. The evaluation process will take place from April to October 2026, with results announced in October. The funding model follows a lump sum grant approach, facilitating easier financial management for beneficiaries. The application process entails a single-stage submission with rigorous eligibility and assessment criteria designed to evaluate the relevance, quality, and impact of proposals. Overall, this grant represents a significant EU commitment to addressing the gender pay gap by supporting comprehensive and systematic changes in workplace practices. Applicants are encouraged to review the call documents for specific eligibility details and to prepare their proposals accordingly.

This EU grant opportunity focuses on promoting gender equality under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV). Specifically, it addresses one of the four priorities outlined in the call for proposals for EU action grants. The grant type is CERV Lump Sum Grants (CERV-LS), and the Model Grant Agreement type is CERV Lump Sum Grant [CERV-AG-LS]. The call for proposals, CERV-2026-GE, aims to promote gender equality and includes several specific topics: CERV-2026-GE-WORK-LIFE, CERV-2026, CERV-2026-GE-GENDER-STEREO, and CERV-2026-GE-EQUAL-PART-REP. The call was published on 29 January 2026, and the deadline for submitting applications is 28 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period is scheduled from April to October 2026, with information to applicants expected in October 2026. The signature of the grant agreement is planned for November 2026 to February 2027. The total budget for this call is €23,000,000. The call follows a single-stage submission process. Admissibility conditions include compliance with proposal page limits and layout requirements as described in the call document, specifically section 5. Eligible countries are detailed in section 6 of the call document and the list of participating countries. Other eligible conditions are also described in section 6 of the call document. The financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in section 7 of the call document. The submission and evaluation processes are detailed in section 8, while the award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in section 9. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is outlined in section 4 of the call document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document. Applicants should consult the call document and its annexes, including the standard application form (CERV) available in the Submission System, the detailed budget table (CERV LSII), and the Lump Sum MGA. Additional documents such as CERV Work Programmes, CERV Regulation 2021/692, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the decision authorising the use of lump sums for actions under the CERV programme (2021-2027), guidance on managing lump sum grants, rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the 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 are also available. Applicants can find partners to collaborate on this topic, and LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests. For technical issues, applicants can contact the IT Helpdesk. For non-IT related questions, applicants should contact the CERV Contact Point of their country or EC-CERV-CALLS@ec.europa.eu, clearly indicating the reference of the call and topic in the email subject. In summary, this opportunity is an EU action grant under the CERV program aimed at promoting gender equality. It uses a lump sum funding model and requires applicants to adhere to specific guidelines for proposal submission, eligibility, and financial setup. The call encompasses several priorities related to gender equality, including work-life balance, pay transparency, gender stereotypes, and equal participation and representation. Applicants should carefully review all provided documents and guidelines to ensure compliance and a successful application.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are described in section 6 of the call document and in the list of participating countries. Further details can be found in the call document.

Funding Type:The funding type is an EU action grant, specifically CERV Lump Sum Grants (CERV-LS). The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) type is CERV Lump Sum Grant [CERV-AG-LS].

Consortium Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. Further details can be found in the call document.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is described in section 6 of the call document and in the list of participating countries.

Target Sector:The target sector is gender equality, specifically promoting gender equality under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV). The specific priorities of the call are: CERV-2026-GE-WORK-LIFE, CERV-2026, CERV-2026-GE-GENDER-STEREO, CERV-2026-GE-EQUAL-PART-REP. One of the priorities is promoting and supporting the implementation of the provisions of the Pay Transparency Directive and respect of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value.

Mentioned Countries:The call mentions the EU and participating countries as described in section 6 of the call document.

Project Stage:The information does not explicitly specify the expected maturity of the project.

Funding Amount:The total budget for the call is €23,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified.

Application Type:The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants.

Application Stages:The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates:The success rates are not specified in the provided information.

Co-funding Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals for EU action grants under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV), specifically aimed at promoting gender equality. The call utilizes lump sum grants (CERV-LS) and has four priority areas: work-life balance, pay transparency directive implementation, combating gender stereotypes, and equal participation and representation. The total budget for this call is €23,000,000. The call was published on January 29, 2026, and the deadline for submitting applications is April 28, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period is scheduled from April to October 2026, with information to applicants expected in October 2026, and the signature of grant agreements between November 2026 and February 2027.

Applicants should consult the call document and related annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, proposal format, evaluation process, and legal and financial requirements. The submission process is electronic, and applicants can access the submission system through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Support resources, including FAQs, IT helpdesk, and online manuals, are available to assist applicants with the preparation and submission of their proposals. Applicants are also encouraged to regularly check the topic page for updates and invitations to info sessions. For non-IT related questions, applicants should contact the CERV Contact Point of their country or EC-CERV-CALLS@ec.europa.eu, clearly indicating the call and topic reference in the email subject. Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited on the Funding & Tenders Portal by LEARs, Account Administrators, self-registrants, or any user with an active public Person profile.