Round 2: Small Grants for Grassroots Coding Projects as part of EU Code Week

Round 2 Small Grants for Grassroots Coding Projects (Code4Europe) is a cascade funding call administered and paid by JA Europe to support grassroots coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM activities with a strong focus on young people and girls. The total envelope is €19,836 with a maximum request of €9,918 per proposal, applications open 17 August 2026 and must be submitted by 16 October 2026 23:59 CET (portal shows 17 October 2026 02:00 Brussels time), with implementation expected 29 October to 1 December 2026 and final reporting by 10 December 2026. Eligible applicants include schools, libraries, NGOs, private organisations, coding clubs and similar entities legally established in EU Member States and countries participating in the Digital Europe Programme (pre-2024); staff costs are ineligible and external expertise is capped at 20 percent of the budget. Payments are made as 50 percent advance after signature and 50 percent upon approval of the final report, and all funded activities must be registered on the EU Code Week platform with required evidence and final narrative and financial reporting.

What it funds

Purpose and scope

Grants for grassroots projects that deliver coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM activities aiming for large-scale reach, increased registrations on the EU Code Week platform, stronger school‑to‑higher‑education links, career-focused events, and greater participation of girls and young women.

Total and per-project funding:Total envelope €19,836. Individual proposals may request up to €9,918. Organisations that previously received Code Week grants cannot exceed €10,000 cumulative across rounds ¹.

1. 1Eligible applicants: schools, libraries, NGOs, private organisations and coding clubs, associations specialised in coding and computational thinking, legally established in eligible Digital Europe Programme countries and EU Member States.
2. 2Project period: implementation 29 October 2026 to 1 December 2026; final reporting due 10 December 2026.
3. 3Staff costs are not eligible; external experts/consultants allowed up to 20% of the budget.
4. 4Payments: 50% advance on signature, 50% after final reporting and approval.

Selection is by a Code4Europe selection committee against criteria:clarity of proposal, alignment with EU Code Week priorities and feasibility, educational quality and replicability, and measurable impact including gender balance.

This call is launched and administered by JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT EUROPE (JA Europe); funding will be provided directly by JA Europe under its responsibility. Visit the organiser page for details and application forms EU Code Week grants ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call and application details: codeweek.eu.

Opportunity summary

This call (Round 2) is a cascading small-grants scheme launched by the Code4Europe Consortium and administered by JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT EUROPE (JA Europe). Its aim is to fund grassroots projects that promote coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM education in line with EU Code Week objectives. The initiative emphasises large-scale impact within a short implementation period and gives specific priority to activities that increase participation of girls and young women, register activities on the EU Code Week platform, create career-focused and university-connection events, and support replicable or scalable approaches. The publication on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is for visibility only; the call and all payments are administered by JA Europe in its own name and responsibility ¹.

Total budget and award size:Total financial envelope: €19,836. Maximum request per proposal: €9,918. Organisations that have previously received Code Week Grants (Round 1 or Round 2, local or international) cannot receive more than €10,000 in total across all such grants; applicants must declare previous amounts awarded to ensure the cumulative cap is not exceeded.

Funding type and mechanism:Primary funding type: grant (cascade funding scheme). The grants are paid by JA Europe under a template grant agreement. Payments are structured as 50% advance upon signature and 50% upon final report approval.

Key dates and implementation timeline

Who may apply and geographic scope

Eligible applicant types:schools and educational institutions, libraries and similar institutional entities, non-governmental organisations, private organisations and coding clubs, and associations specialised in coding and computational thinking. Applicants must be legally established in one of the eligible countries: EU Member States and countries participating in the Digital Europe Programme with participation status effective before 2024. The call is described as an International Call for Digital Europe Programme Countries; applicants from Digital Europe Programme participating countries (pre-2024) and EU Member States are eligible.

Consortium requirement:Submission model: single-stage open call. The call is targeted at individual organisations (single applicants). There is no mandatory multi-partner consortium requirement stated; proposals are presented by the applying organisation and should describe partners/stakeholders involved if relevant.

Objectives, tasks and expected results

Purpose:identify and support projects that can foster EU Code Week’s mission to promote coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM across Europe and achieve measurable impact during a short implementation window.

1. 1Support the organisation of a large number of impactful coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM activities.
2. 2Increase the number of activities registered on the EU Code Week platform.
3. 3Reach a large number of participants through local, regional, national or cross-border activities.
4. 4Increase participation of girls and young women in coding, digital skills and STEM education.
5. 5Support career-focused events introducing students to educational and professional opportunities in STEM and digital fields.
6. 6Support university visits and activities that strengthen connections between schools, students and higher education institutions.
7. 7Support activities and approaches that can be replicated or scaled beyond the project implementation period.

Minimum requirements and mandatory commitments

Proposals must commit to and provide evidence for a set of minimum requirements during the implementation period. Failure to commit makes a proposal ineligible.

1. 1A detailed project plan with objectives, target groups, expected results, locations, dates, responsible organisations/partners and available professional, organisational and technological resources.
2. 2Clear and measurable targets: number of activities to be delivered, number of participants (with gender-disaggregated targets and expected percentage/number of female participants), number of schools/educators/universities/stakeholders involved.
3. 3Registration of all activities supported by the grant on the EU Code Week platform (activity links must be provided as evidence).
4. 4A dedicated outreach and communication plan to increase participation and EU Code Week awareness.
5. 5Collection and provision of evidence and monitoring data: activity registration links, participant numbers, gender-disaggregated data and other relevant outputs.
6. 6A final report documenting activities, outcomes, results against targets, lessons learned and recommendations for scaling.

Eligible and ineligible costs

Eligible costs must be reasonable, identifiable, verifiable and recorded in the beneficiary’s accounts. Specific rules include:

1. 1Staff costs (human resources and personnel costs) are explicitly not eligible. Applicants cannot receive compensation for their time on the project.
2. 2External expertise and service fees (honoraria, fees for external experts, consultants, facilitators) are eligible but limited to 20% of the total budget.
3. 3All other costs must comply with principles of sound financial management (economy and efficiency) and be supported by invoices, receipts and proof of payment as part of final financial reporting.

Reporting and payments:Grant payments: 50% advance upon signature of the grant agreement; 50% upon submission and approval of the final report. Successful applicants must submit a budget-based financial report with supporting documentation for all incurred costs by the final reporting deadline.

Application process, templates and required documents

Application method:open single-stage call. Applicants must submit a project proposal through the prescribed online form by the deadline. Supporting documents must be uploaded into the designated folder prior to submission.

1. 1Application form (online form referenced on the Code Week blog call page).
2. 2Detailed project plan (see minimum requirements).
3. 3Proposed budget using the provided budget template (a budget template is available for download from the call webpage).
4. 4Signed declaration by the legal representative of the applicant organisation.
5. 5Supporting documents demonstrating organisational capacity and relevant previous projects.
6. 6Declaration and details of any previous Code Week Grants received (to verify cumulative €10,000 cap).

Applicants that fail to upload all required documentation will be deemed ineligible. A template grant agreement will be provided to selected winners.

Selection, evaluation criteria and process

A selection committee composed of community stakeholders and representatives from the Code4Europe Consortium will evaluate proposals. The evaluation will be transparent, objective and include conflict-of-interest measures.

1. 1Presentation: clarity and completeness of the application.
2. 2Design congruity: relevance to EU Code Week priorities, coherence and feasibility of activities, timeline and availability of resources.
3. 3Quality: educational approach, alignment with core competencies (literacy, numeracy, data and digital literacy), use of assessment tools, collaboration with local networks, potential for replicability, and sharing of resources.
4. 4Impact: engagement of multiple stakeholders and participant groups, local context relevance, and specific attention to involving girls and fostering STEM education.

Impact expectations and project maturity

Expected project stage and maturity:projects should be ready for rapid implementation (development/demonstration/implementation stage) with proven organisational capacity and networks to deliver high numbers of activities and measurable results within the short timeframe. Proposals should present ambitious but realistic targets proportionate to budget and implementation period.

Administrative, eligibility and award conditions

Applicants must be legally established in an eligible country and meet the minimum requirements. Organisations previously funded through Code Week Grants must declare prior amounts to ensure they do not exceed the cumulative €10,000 limit. Staff costs are ineligible. External expertise is capped at 20% of the total budget. Final narrative and financial reporting is mandatory by 10 December 2026. The call is funded under the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme, but the specific grant awards are administered and paid by JA Europe in its own name and responsibility.

Application logistics and contact

Applications must be submitted via the online form referenced on the Code Week blog page by 23:59 CET on 16 October 2026 (portal also shows 17 October 2026 02:00 Brussels time). Queries can be addressed to gunalp@jaeurope.org. The call webpage with application guidance and templates is available at the Code Week blog: codeweek.eu ¹.

Assessment of procedural attributes

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: schools and educational institutions, libraries and similar institutions, NGOs, private organisations and coding clubs, associations specialised in coding and computational thinking. (Legal establishment in eligible countries required.)
2. 2Funding Type: grant (cascade funding scheme administered by JA Europe).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: single applicant model; no mandatory multi-partner consortium. Applicants may list partners and stakeholders in the project plan.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States and countries participating in the Digital Europe Programme as of before 2024.
5. 5Target Sector: education, digital skills, coding, computational thinking, STEM, youth skills development.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: EU Member States and Digital Europe Programme participating countries (pre-2024). No individual country list provided in the call text.
7. 7Project Stage: development, demonstration and rapid implementation (projects must be ready to deliver results in a short timeframe).
8. 8Funding Amount: total envelope €19,836; per-proposal maximum €9,918; cumulative limit of €10,000 for organisations previously awarded Code Week Grants.
9. 9Application Type: open single-stage call via online form (application deadline 16 October 2026 23:59 CET / portal shows 17 October 2026 02:00).
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary grants (cash) paid in two instalments; must be used for eligible costs under the rules stated. Non-monetary support (visibility, platform registration) is expected as part of project activities but financial support is the primary modality.
11. 11Application Stages: 1 (single-stage submission evaluated by selection committee).
12. 12Success Rates: not published; selection is competitive against the small total envelope (€19,836), implying low absolute probability given multiple applicants and per-project caps.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: not explicitly required in the call text. No mandatory co-funding percentage stated. Applicants must however justify targets and budget proportionality; costs must be reasonable and verifiable.
14. 14Templates: a budget template is provided on the call webpage. A template grant agreement will be used for successful applicants. Required application documents include the online form, detailed project plan, proposed budget using the template, signed legal representative declaration and supporting documents demonstrating prior experience and any past Code Week grant amounts.

Evaluation details and reporting obligations are strict:proposals that do not commit to the minimum requirements are ineligible; staff costs are not eligible; external expertise limited to 20% of the total budget; final narrative and financial reporting due by 10 December 2026; advance payment of 50% and final payment of 50% after report approval.

Contact and further information:Primary information and application guidance: codeweek.eu. Contact email: gunalp@jaeurope.org ¹.

Concluding summary

This Round 2 Code4Europe small-grants call provides a small total envelope (€19,836) of cascading grant funding administered by JA Europe to support grassroots organisations that can rapidly organise and deliver large numbers of coding, computational thinking and STEM activities across eligible Digital Europe Programme countries and EU Member States. Projects must register activities on the EU Code Week platform, target high participant numbers (with gender-disaggregated outcomes and emphasis on girls and young women), and demonstrate educational quality and replicability. The call is single-stage, competitive, and prioritises organisations with demonstrated capacity and networks to implement high-impact activities within a compressed timeframe (implementation from 29 October to 1 December 2026) and complete reporting by 10 December 2026. Applicants must use the provided budget template, avoid including staff costs in the eligible budget, and respect the 20% cap on external expertise fees. JA Europe will sign template grant agreements with selected grantees and make payments in two instalments. Given the small envelope and per-project caps, applicants should design tightly costed, high-impact proposals aligned to the evaluation criteria (presentation, design congruity, quality and impact).

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text and application guidance are published on the Code Week blog at codeweek.eu and the opportunity is also visible on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The call is administered and funded by JA Europe under the Code4Europe project; publication on the EU portal is for information and visibility only.

This is a small cascade funding call under Code4Europe that supports grassroots projects in coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM, with a strong focus on young people and girls.[2] The EU Funding and Tenders Portal says the call is published for information only and that the financial support is provided directly by JA Europe under its own responsibility, not as a direct EU action.[2]

Funding snapshot

What the call is trying to achieve

The call seeks projects that can scale EU Code Week activities and deliver measurable impact within a short implementation period, while strengthening the mission to promote coding, computational thinking and digital skills across Europe.[2]

• Support a large number of impactful coding, computational thinking, digital skills and STEM activities.[2]
• Increase the number of activities registered on the EU Code Week platform.[2]
• Reach a large number of participants through local, regional, national or cross border activities.[2]
• Increase the participation of girls and young women in coding, digital skills and STEM education.[2]
• Support career focused events that introduce students to educational and professional opportunities in STEM and digital fields.[2]
• Support university visits and other activities that strengthen links between schools, students and higher education institutions.[2]
• Support activities and approaches that can be replicated or scaled beyond the project period.[2]

Priority is given to proposals that can deliver many activities and participant engagements while maintaining educational quality and clear, measurable impact.[2]

Who can apply

Eligible applicants include schools and educational institutions, libraries and similar institutional entities, non governmental organisations, private organisations and coding clubs, and associations specialised in coding and computational thinking, provided they are legally established in one of the eligible countries.[2]

The call is open to EU Member States and to countries participating in the Digital Europe Programme with effect before 2024.[2]

Key eligibility and delivery conditions

• Applicants must submit a detailed project plan covering objectives, target groups, expected results, locations, dates, partners and available professional, organisational and technological resources.[2]
• Applicants must define clear and measurable targets for the number of activities, participants, female participants and involved schools, educators, universities or other stakeholders.[2]
• All activities funded under the grant must be registered on the EU Code Week platform.[2]
• A dedicated outreach and communication plan is required to increase participation and awareness of EU Code Week.[2]
• Applicants must collect evidence such as registration links, participant numbers, gender disaggregated participation data and other outputs needed for reporting.[2]
• A final report describing activities, outcomes, results against targets, lessons learned and scaling recommendations is mandatory.[2]
• Applications that do not commit to these minimum requirements are considered ineligible.[2]
• Supporting documents, including the budget, signed legal representative declaration, project plan and any other required materials, must be uploaded before submission.[2]

Financial rules and payment terms

• Staff costs and human resources costs are not eligible, and applicants cannot receive compensation for their own time on the project.[2]
• External expertise and service fees, including honoraria and fees for external experts, consultants and facilitators, are eligible but capped at 20 percent of the total budget.[2]
• Costs must be reasonable, justified, identifiable, verifiable and recorded in the beneficiary accounts in line with sound financial management principles.[2]
• Successful applicants must submit a budget based financial report with invoices, receipts and proof of payment for all incurred costs.[2]
• Payments are structured as 50 percent advance payment after signature of the grant agreement and 50 percent after submission and final approval of the report.[2]
• The call requires transparency, non discrimination and avoidance of conflicts of interest.[2]

Selection and evaluation

A selection committee made up of community stakeholders and representatives from the Code4Europe Consortium evaluates the proposals, and the process is described as transparent and objective with measures to avoid conflicts of interest.[2]

Submission checklist for applicants

1. 1Describe the applicant organisation and its relevant experience.[2]
2. 2Explain the project objectives and expected impact.[2]
3. 3Set out the implementation plan, timeline, alignment with current EU Code Week initiatives and the resources required.[2]
4. 4Provide measurable targets for activities, platform registrations, participants, female participants and stakeholders.[2]
5. 5Explain how the minimum requirements will be met.[2]
6. 6List previous relevant projects or initiatives that demonstrate experience in similar activities.[2]
7. 7Disclose any previous Code Week grant funding received under Round 1 or Round 2 and ensure the requested amount does not push the organisation above the cumulative €10 000 limit.[2]
8. 8Upload the proposed budget and the signed declaration from the legal representative together with the other required documents.[2]

Applicant takeaways

This opportunity is best suited to experienced local or national education and coding actors that can mobilise partners quickly, deliver many visible activities in a compressed period and document results carefully.[2] The strongest proposals are likely to combine scale, strong educational design, meaningful participation by girls and young women, and a clear plan for measurable outputs and replication.[2]