Selection of partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities

The European Commission, through its Representation in Portugal, has announced a call for proposals aimed at selecting partners for EUROPE DIRECT activities during the 2026-2030 period, labeled ED-2025-PORTUGAL-FPA. The objective is to establish Framework Partnership Agreements that create EUROPE DIRECT centers, which will help bridge the gap between the EU and its citizens by providing information about EU policies, listening to citizen concerns, engaging in dialogue, and promoting European civic education.

Eligible applicants include organizations that demonstrate strong connections with local communities and can conduct communication and awareness activities about EU topics. This may encompass local authorities, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and other relevant entities. Selected partners will be required to sign a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission and may receive an annual grant to cover part of the operating costs.

The total budget allocated for this initiative is 520,000 EUR for the year 2026, with funds intended for fixed annual grants to successful applicants. Each partner is expected to also contribute additional financial and operational resources. The call is structured as a single-stage open application process, with submissions open from May 6, 2025, until July 8, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The application entails adherence to specific admissibility conditions, including page limits and formatting, which are outlined in the official call document. Applicants are advised to review the extensive information provided in various documents related to eligibility, evaluation processes, scoring criteria, and legal frameworks governing the grants.

Overall, this initiative seeks to enhance the communication and engagement between the EU and its citizens through the establishment of well-equipped EUROPE DIRECT centers across Portugal, fostering a more informed and participative citizenry. Successful applicants will play a crucial role by providing consistent information and acting as facilitators of dialogue on EU matters within their communities.

The European Commission, through its Representation in Portugal, has published a call for proposals to select partners for carrying out EUROPE DIRECT activities during the period 2026-2030. This call, identified as ED-2025-PORTUGAL-FPA, aims to establish Framework Partnership Agreements (ED-FPA).

The mission of the EUROPE DIRECT centers is to bring the EU closer to its citizens. These centers inform about EU policies and actions, listen to citizens' concerns on EU-related issues, engage in dialogue about the EU's impact on daily life, contribute to European civic education, and foster a European public sphere. EUROPE DIRECT centers maintain strong connections with local communities and organize communication and awareness activities on EU topics of local interest, either independently or in cooperation with the European Commission Representation, the European Parliament Liaison Office, other EU awareness networks, and local multipliers.

Selected candidates will sign a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Portugal for the years 2026 to 2030. During this period, partners may receive an annual grant following a call for the submission of an annual communication plan. The annual grant will be a fixed amount covering part of the operating costs of a EUROPE DIRECT center. Partners must commit to providing the additional financial and operational resources needed to carry out activities as a EUROPE DIRECT center throughout the partnership agreement.

The call is a single-stage process. The opening date for submissions was May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is July 8, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the ED-2025-PORTUGAL-FPA topic is 520,000 EUR for the year 2026.

Admissibility Conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries and other eligible conditions, as well as financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, are also detailed in the call document. The submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring, thresholds, and indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are all described in the call document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is also described in the call document.

Relevant documents for this call include the call document itself, rules for legal entity validation, LEAR appointment, 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.

To access the Electronic Submission Service, applicants should click the submission button next to the action type and model grant agreement. After confirming the choice, applicants will be linked to the correct entry point. Existing draft proposals can be accessed by logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal and selecting the "My Proposals" page.

Applicants are advised to carefully read all provisions and the call document and its annexes (including the guide for applicants) before preparing their application. For technical questions, applicants can consult the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ. The IT Helpdesk can be contacted for issues related to forgotten passwords, access rights, profiles, and technical aspects of proposal submission. For content-related questions, applicants can contact COMM-REP-PT-EUROPE-DIRECT@ec.europa.eu or visit the provided webpage.

In summary, this call for proposals seeks to establish partnerships with organizations in Portugal to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers. These centers will serve as key intermediaries between the EU and its citizens, providing information, gathering feedback, and promoting dialogue on EU-related matters. Successful applicants will enter into a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Portugal and may receive annual grants to support their activities. The call emphasizes the importance of local engagement and the role of EUROPE DIRECT centers in fostering a more informed and participatory European citizenry.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call aims to select "partners" to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities. The specific types of organizations eligible are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text but can be inferred to be entities with good connections to local communities, capable of organizing communication and awareness activities on EU topics. This could include local authorities, NGOs, educational institutions, or other relevant organizations. Further details are likely available in the call document.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant. Selected partners will sign a framework partnership agreement and may receive an annual grant following a call for the presentation of an annual communication plan. The grant takes the form of a fixed amount to cover part of the operating costs of a EUROPE DIRECT center.

Consortium Requirement: The text suggests that single applicants are eligible, as it refers to selecting "partners" and mentions that the selected applicants will sign a framework partnership agreement. It does not explicitly exclude consortia, but the focus seems to be on individual entities becoming EUROPE DIRECT centers.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is specifically for activities in Portugal. The European Commission, through its Representation in Portugal, is publishing the call. Therefore, the geographic eligibility is Portugal.

Target Sector: The program targets the communication and public awareness sector, specifically focusing on disseminating information about EU policies and actions, gathering citizen concerns, and promoting European civic education. It also targets organizations with strong ties to local communities.

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

Project Stage: The project stage is operational. The call is for selecting partners to carry out established EUROPE DIRECT activities, implying that the project is already defined and in the implementation phase.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic ED-2025-PORTUGAL-FPA is EUR 520,000. The annual grant to each selected partner will be a fixed amount covering part of the operating costs. The exact amount of the fixed amount is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for proposals.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of an annual grant.

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

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text. Therefore, the success rate cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The selected partner is expected to provide additional financial and operational resources necessary to carry out activities as a EUROPE DIRECT center during the partnership agreement. This implies a co-funding requirement, although the specific amount or percentage is not detailed.

Summary:

The European Commission Representation in Portugal is launching a call for proposals to select partners to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers from 2026 to 2030. The mission of these centers is to bring the EU closer to its citizens by providing information on EU policies, listening to citizen concerns, engaging in dialogue about the EU's impact, and contributing to European civic education. Selected partners will sign a framework partnership agreement and receive an annual fixed-amount grant to cover part of their operating costs, with the expectation that they will provide additional resources. The call is open to entities in Portugal with strong local community connections and experience in communication and awareness activities. The total budget for this call is EUR 520,000. The application process is a single-stage open call, with the deadline for submissions on July 8, 2025. Applicants should carefully review the call document and annexes for detailed eligibility criteria, evaluation procedures, and application guidelines. The call aims to establish a network of EUROPE DIRECT centers across Portugal to enhance communication and engagement between the EU and its citizens.