Selection of partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities

The EU grant opportunity ED-2025-CROATIA-FPA is aimed at selecting partners to establish EUROPE DIRECT centers in Croatia from 2026 to 2030. These centers will serve to increase citizen engagement with EU policies and promote public understanding of EU initiatives. Eligible applicants include NGOs, local government bodies, educational institutions, and civil society organizations based in Croatia, all of which must demonstrate their capability to communicate EU policies and engage with local communities.

The funding type is a grant, specifically non-repayable funds allocated through a Framework Partnership Agreement, with a total budget of 370,000 EUR earmarked for the year 2026. Proposals must be submitted individually, as the application process does not allow consortium submissions; therefore, a single applicant is required.

The geographic focus is exclusively on Croatia, ensuring targeted outreach and localized activity. The initiative aims at enhancing public engagement and education related to EU policies, thereby facilitating dialogue between citizens and EU institutions.

Activities of the EUROPE DIRECT centers will include informing citizens about EU policies, addressing their concerns, discussing the impact of the EU on their daily lives, fostering civic education, and contributing to a European public sphere. The project will commence operations in 2026, emphasizing ongoing activities rather than a specific project stage.

In terms of funding distribution, while the exact per-project amounts are not specified, the total budget indicates that grants will be allocated variably depending on individual proposals. The application type consists of a single-stage open call, requiring electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with a submission deadline of July 31, 2025. There is no co-funding requirement, but successful partners will be expected to secure additional resources to support their operational activities.

The call for proposals is aimed at enhancing Croatia’s connection to the EU, promoting civic engagement, and fostering an informed public. Selected applicants will sign an agreement with the European Commission Representation in Croatia, enabling them to operate and run EUROPE DIRECT centers. The details regarding eligibility criteria, evaluation procedures, and necessary documentation can be found in the full call text and its annexes.

The total budget allocated for this initiative is 370,000 EUR for 2026, and applicants should carefully review all provided documents before submission. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, with the deadline set for July 31, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The European Commission, through its Representation in Croatia, has announced a call for proposals to select partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities from 2026 to 2030. The mission of EUROPE DIRECT centers is to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

EUROPE DIRECT centers:

Inform about EU policies and initiatives.
Listen to citizens' concerns about issues within the EU's competence.
Discuss with citizens the impact of the EU on their daily lives.
Contribute to European civic education.
Contribute to creating a European public sphere.

EUROPE DIRECT centers are well connected with the local community and organize communication and information activities on EU topics of local interest independently or in cooperation with the European Commission Representation, European Parliament liaison offices, other EU information networks and local multipliers.

Successful candidates (hereinafter "partners") will sign a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Croatia for the period from 2026 to 2030. The partner may be awarded annual grants each year based on a call for submission of an annual communication plan.

Annual grants are awarded in the form of a lump sum to cover part of the costs of running the EUROPE DIRECT center. The partner undertakes to provide additional financial and operational resources needed to implement the activities of the EUROPE DIRECT center during the term of the partnership agreement.

More information is available in the full text of the call for proposals here and its annexes.

The call ED-2025-CROATIA-FPA is for an ED-FPA Framework Partnership Agreement. The type of MGA is ED Framework Partnership [ED-FPA]. The call is open for submission in a single-stage model. The opening date was 06 May 2025 and the deadline is 31 July 2025 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Conditions:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in the call document and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries are described in the call document.
3. Other Eligible Conditions are described in the call document.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in the call document.
5. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in the call document.
6. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in the call document.
7. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in the call document.
8. Legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in the call document.

Documents include the Call document and annexes, 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.

The budget for the topic in 2026 is EUR 370,000 for the ED-2025-CROATIA-FPA Framework Partnership Agreement. The opening date was 2025-05-06 and the deadline is 2025-07-31.

To access the Electronic Submission Service, click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to your proposal. You will then be asked to confirm your choice, as it cannot be changed in the submission system. Upon confirmation, you will be linked to the correct entry point. To access existing draft proposals for this topic, log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page of the My Area section.

Before preparing your application, carefully read the text of the call for proposals and its annexes (including the Guide for Applicants). For technical questions on the Funding & Tenders Portal, the most frequently asked questions are available. For IT support, contact the IT help desk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of proposal submission, etc. For assistance related to the content of the call, contact COMM-REP-ZAG-EUROPE-DIRECT@ec.europa.eu or visit the website of the European Commission Representation in Croatia.

In summary, this call for proposals aims to select partners in Croatia to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers. These centers will serve as a bridge between the EU and its citizens, providing information, gathering feedback, and promoting civic engagement. Successful applicants will sign a framework partnership agreement for 2026-2030 and may receive annual grants to support their activities. The call details the scope of the centers' activities, eligibility criteria, evaluation process, and necessary documentation. The total budget allocated for this initiative is 370,000 EUR for the year 2026. Applicants should carefully review all provided documents and guidelines before submitting their proposals through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is for the selection of "partners" to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities. While the specific types of organizations eligible are not explicitly listed in the provided text, the description suggests that they should be well-connected with the local community and capable of organizing communication and information activities. This could include a range of entities such as local governments, NGOs, educational institutions, or other organizations with a strong local presence and the capacity to disseminate information about the EU. The call document should be consulted for a definitive list of eligible applicant types.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically annual grants awarded in the form of a lump sum. These grants are intended to cover part of the costs of running a EUROPE DIRECT center.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. However, the use of the term "partners" suggests that single applicants are eligible, as the call aims to select entities to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers. The call document should be consulted for confirmation.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on Croatia, as the call is published by the European Commission Representation in Croatia and seeks partners to carry out activities in Croatia.

Target Sector: The target sector is public communication and information dissemination related to EU policies and initiatives. This includes activities that inform citizens about the EU, address their concerns, discuss the impact of the EU on their daily lives, contribute to European civic education, and foster a European public sphere.

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

Project Stage: The project stage is for the implementation and operation of EUROPE DIRECT centers, which involves organizing communication and information activities. This suggests a stage of implementation and operation rather than research or development.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic ED-2025-CROATIA-FPA is EUR 370,000 for the year 2026. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text. The annual grants are awarded as a lump sum to cover part of the costs, with the partner expected to secure additional funding. The specific amount of individual grants is not detailed in this excerpt.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the phrase "poziv na podnošenje prijedloga" (call for proposals) and the availability of the submission session. The call is for a Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA).

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of annual grants. These grants are lump sums intended to cover a portion of the operational costs of running a EUROPE DIRECT center.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be a single-stage process, as indicated by "single-stage" in the budget overview section.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. The selected partners are expected to secure additional financial and operational resources needed to implement the activities of the EUROPE DIRECT center throughout the duration of the partnership agreement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals published by the European Commission Representation in Croatia to select partners who will operate EUROPE DIRECT centers in Croatia from 2026 to 2030. The mission of these centers is to bring the EU closer to Croatian citizens by informing them about EU policies and initiatives, listening to their concerns, discussing the impact of the EU on their lives, contributing to civic education, and fostering a European public sphere. Successful applicants will sign a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Croatia and may be awarded annual grants in the form of a lump sum to cover part of the costs of running the center. Partners are expected to secure additional funding and resources to support the activities of the EUROPE DIRECT center. The call is a single-stage process, and applications must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The total budget for this call is EUR 370,000 for the year 2026. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is July 31, 2025. Applicants should carefully review the call document and its annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, evaluation procedures, and application requirements.