Selection of partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities

The European Commission Representation in Latvia has announced a call for proposals to select partners for operating EUROPE DIRECT centers from 2026 to 2030. The primary objective of these centers is to enhance the connection between the EU and its citizens by providing information about EU policies and activities, addressing citizens' concerns, engaging in dialogue about the EU's impact on daily life, promoting civic education, and fostering a European public space. The centers must be closely linked to local communities and will cooperate with various EU institutions and local information networks to organize awareness-raising events focused on local EU issues.

Eligible applicants include NGOs, public entities, or educational institutions in Latvia that have strong community ties and experience in communicating EU policies. The grant is categorized as a direct financial contribution under a Framework Partnership Agreement. Each selected partner will sign a five-year agreement and may receive an annual fixed-sum grant to support a portion of the operating costs of the center, while also expected to contribute additional financial resources to ensure the center’s functionality.

The total budget for the initiative is set at €222,000 for 2026, which implies that the overall funding over the five years may exceed €1 million. The grant application process is a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline of July 2, 2025, and the opening date was May 6, 2025. Detailed criteria for proposal submission, evaluation, award criteria, scoring, and additional guidelines are available in the call document.

Interested parties should read the call text and its annexes carefully for comprehensive details on eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and submission processes. For additional support, applicants can reach out to the provided email for content-related inquiries or consult the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Funding & Tenders Portal for technical questions.

In conclusion, this call aims to establish EUROPE DIRECT centers in Latvia, enhancing citizen engagement with the EU through local activities and information dissemination, backed by financial support and structured partnership agreements.

The European Commission, through its representation in Latvia, has announced a call for proposals to select partners to operate as EUROPE DIRECT centers from 2026 to 2030. The main goal of EUROPE DIRECT centers is to bring the EU closer to its citizens. These centers inform about EU policies and activities, listen to citizens' concerns on issues within the EU's competence, engage in dialogue about the EU's impact on daily life, promote European civic education, and foster the creation of a European public space. EUROPE DIRECT centers are closely linked to local communities and, in cooperation with the European Commission Representation, the European Parliament Office, other EU information networks, and local information disseminators, organize awareness-raising and information events on EU issues of local importance.

Selected applicants will sign a five-year (2026-2030) framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Latvia. After submitting an annual communication plan, the partner may be granted an annual fixed-sum grant to cover part of the EUROPE DIRECT center's operating costs. The partner commits to providing additional financial and operational resources necessary to operate as a EUROPE DIRECT center during the partnership agreement.

The call ED-2025-LATVIA-FPA is for an ED-FPA Framework Partnership Agreement. The call is open for submission with a deadline of July 2, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The opening date was May 6, 2025. The total budget for 2026 is 222,000 EUR. It is a single-stage submission model.

Admissibility conditions, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity and exclusion, submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, and the legal and financial set-up of the grants are all described in the call document. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

The call document and annexes are available, along with additional documents such as the 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.

To access the Electronic Submission Service, applicants should click the submission button next to the action type and model grant agreement. To access existing draft proposals, applicants can log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page.

Before preparing an application, applicants should carefully read the call text and its annexes, including the guidelines for applicants. For technical questions, applicants can refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Funding & Tenders Portal. For forgotten passwords, access rights, or technical aspects of proposal submission, applicants can contact the IT Helpdesk. For support related to the call content, applicants can email COMM-REP-RIX-EDIC-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu or visit the provided website for frequently asked questions.

In summary, this call for proposals aims to select partners in Latvia to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers, which serve as vital links between the EU and its citizens by providing information, addressing concerns, and promoting civic engagement. The selected partners will receive annual grants and sign a five-year partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Latvia. The call document provides detailed information on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and the application process.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is looking for "partners" to operate as EUROPE DIRECT centers. The specific types of organizations eligible are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text but can be inferred to be organizations capable of managing and operating an information center, engaging with local communities, and disseminating information about the EU. This could include NGOs, public administrations, educational institutions, or other relevant entities.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant. Selected applicants will sign a five-year partnership agreement and may receive an annual grant to cover part of the EUROPE DIRECT center's operating costs. The grant is a fixed sum.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the repeated use of the term "partner" suggests that single applicants are eligible, as the European Commission representation in Latvia seeks to select partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on Latvia, as the call is specifically for selecting partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities in Latvia.

Target Sector: The program targets the sector of public information and communication, specifically related to EU policies, activities, and their impact on citizens' daily lives. It also touches upon civic education and the creation of a European public space.

Mentioned Countries: Latvia is explicitly mentioned as the target country for this call.

Project Stage: The project stage is for the operation and management of established information centers (EUROPE DIRECT centers) from 2026 to 2030. Therefore, it is an implementation or operational stage rather than research, development, or demonstration.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic is EUR 222,000. It is not clear how this amount will be distributed among the selected partners or if it represents the total funding available per partner over the five-year period. The grant is described as a fixed sum to cover part of the operating costs, with the partner expected to provide additional financial and operational resources.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the phrase "uzaicinājums iesniegt priekšlikumus," which translates to "call for proposals." The call is open for submission and follows a single-stage submission model.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of an annual grant. However, they are also expected to provide additional financial and operational resources, indicating a combination of monetary and non-monetary support.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be a single-stage process, as indicated by the "single-stage" deadline model.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified, so it is not possible to determine the success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. The selected partners are expected to provide additional financial and operational resources beyond the annual grant to operate the EUROPE DIRECT center.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals by the European Commission Representation in Latvia to select partners who will operate as EUROPE DIRECT centers in Latvia from 2026 to 2030. The EUROPE DIRECT centers serve to bring the EU closer to its citizens by providing information about EU policies and activities, listening to citizens' concerns, engaging in dialogue, promoting civic education, and fostering a European public space. Selected partners will sign a five-year partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and may receive an annual fixed-sum grant to cover part of the operating costs of the center. The partners are expected to provide additional financial and operational resources to ensure the center's functioning. The call is open for submission with a deadline of July 2, 2025. The total budget for the topic is EUR 222,000. The application process is a single-stage process, and applicants should carefully read the call document and its annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, evaluation, and submission procedures. Interested parties can contact the provided email address or visit the specified website for support and frequently asked questions.