Selection of partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities

The European Commission is inviting proposals for the ED-2025-FINLAND-FPA grant, aimed at establishing partners to operate EUROPE DIRECT information points across Finland from 2026 to 2030. The primary goal of these centers is to disseminate information regarding EU policies, engage citizens in discussions about the EU's relevance in their daily lives, promote civic education, and contribute to the development of a European public sphere.

Eligible applicants include public bodies, NGOs, educational institutions, or other organizations with a notable local presence capable of effectively communicating EU information and engaging with communities. The grant operates under a Framework Partnership Agreement, providing a total budget of €450,000 for the first year, 2026. Funds will be awarded as an annual lump sum to cover part of the operational costs of the EUROPE DIRECT centers, with partners also expected to contribute additional resources.

The application process is single-stage, with submissions opening on May 6, 2025, and closing on June 17, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. Interested applicants should closely review the application documentation for detailed eligibility criteria, submission guidelines, and evaluation procedures.

The call emphasizes the importance of local engagement, encouraging applicants to propose annual communication plans that align with the goals of the EUROPE DIRECT initiative. Selected partners will collaborate with local stakeholders and EU representations to ensure effective information dissemination and foster civic interaction regarding EU matters.

The European Commission, via its representation in Finland, is launching a call for proposals to select partners to operate as EUROPE DIRECT centers from 2026 to 2030. The mission of EUROPE DIRECT centers is to provide general information about the EU in member states.

EUROPE DIRECT centers disseminate information about EU policies and activities, listen to citizens' questions on matters within the EU's responsibility, engage in discussions with citizens about how the EU affects their daily lives, promote European civic education, and help develop a European public sphere. These centers work closely with local communities and organize communication and information activities on EU topics of local importance, either independently or in collaboration with the European Commission's representation, European Parliament liaison offices, other EU information networks, and local opinion leaders.

Selected applicants, referred to as 'partners,' will enter into a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission's representation in Finland for the years 2026–2030. Partners will be requested to submit an annual communication plan, based on which they may be granted an annual grant. The annual grant will be awarded as a lump sum to cover part of the costs of operating a EUROPE DIRECT center. The partner commits to providing the additional financial and operational resources needed to carry out the EUROPE DIRECT center's activities during the term of the partnership agreement.

The call for proposals ED-2025-FINLAND-FPA, titled ED-FPA Framework Partnership Agreement, has a budget of 450,000 EUR for the year 2026. It is a single-stage application process. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is June 17, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Conditions for participation include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, and financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria. The proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. The eligible countries and other eligible conditions are described in the call document. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are also detailed in the call document.

The evaluation and award process involves submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring, thresholds, and an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, all of which are described in the call document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is also described in the call document.

Relevant documents include the call document in Finnish and Swedish, 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, the Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

For IT-related questions, applicants can contact the IT Helpdesk for issues such as forgotten passwords, access rights, roles, and technical aspects of proposal submission. For questions about the content of the call for proposals, applicants can contact comm-rep-fi-tender@ec.europa.eu or visit the Tarjouskilpailut ja hankintasopimukset page.

This funding opportunity aims to establish a network of EUROPE DIRECT centers across Finland for the period 2026-2030. These centers will serve as key intermediaries between the EU and Finnish citizens, providing information, facilitating dialogue, and promoting civic engagement on EU-related matters. The European Commission is seeking partners who can effectively communicate EU policies, address citizens' concerns, and foster a deeper understanding of the EU's impact on local communities. Successful applicants will receive an annual lump-sum grant to support their activities, while also committing to provide additional resources to ensure the centers' long-term sustainability and effectiveness. The call emphasizes the importance of collaboration with local stakeholders and the use of diverse communication channels to reach a wide audience.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the call aims to select 'partners' to operate EUROPE DIRECT points. The text mentions that selected applicants, referred to as 'partners', will sign a framework partnership agreement. This suggests that eligible applicants could be a range of entities capable of acting as information providers and engaging with local communities. This could include NGOs, public bodies, educational institutions, or other organizations with a strong local presence and experience in communication and public engagement. Further details on eligible applicant types would be available in the call document.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically an annual grant awarded as a lump sum. This grant is intended to cover part of the operational costs of the EUROPE DIRECT point. The selected partners will sign a framework partnership agreement, and based on their annual communication plan, they may receive this annual grant.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the focus on establishing and operating individual EUROPE DIRECT points suggests that single applicants are likely eligible, provided they can demonstrate the capacity to manage a local information point and engage with the community. The possibility of consortia cannot be ruled out, but the emphasis seems to be on identifying capable individual partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on Finland. The call is published by the European Commission Representation in Finland and seeks partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities in Finland. Therefore, applicants must be based in or have a strong connection to Finland to be able to effectively operate a EUROPE DIRECT point and engage with local communities.

Target Sector: The program targets the sector of public information and communication, specifically related to EU policies and initiatives. It aims to improve public awareness and understanding of the EU, foster dialogue between citizens and the EU, and promote European citizenship. The thematic areas covered would be broad, encompassing various EU policy areas relevant to local communities.

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

Project Stage: The project stage is operational. The call is not for research, development, or demonstration projects, but rather for establishing and running EUROPE DIRECT information points. Therefore, applicants should have the capacity to immediately implement communication and engagement activities. The project is for the period 2026-2030.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic ED-2025-FINLAND-FPA is 450,000 EUR. The annual grant is provided as a lump sum to cover part of the operational costs. The specific amount of the annual grant per EUROPE DIRECT point is not mentioned in the provided text, but it is likely to be a fixed amount determined by the European Commission Representation in Finland.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the phrase "Call for proposal". The call is open for submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of an annual grant, awarded as a lump sum. This financial support is intended to cover a portion of the operational costs associated with running a EUROPE DIRECT information point.

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: While the annual grant covers part of the operational costs, partners are required to provide other financial and operational resources needed to carry out the EUROPE DIRECT activities throughout the partnership agreement period. This implies a co-funding requirement, where the partner contributes additional resources beyond the EU grant.

Summary:

The European Commission Representation in Finland is launching a call for proposals to select partners to operate EUROPE DIRECT information points across Finland from 2026 to 2030. These EUROPE DIRECT points will serve as local hubs for disseminating information about EU policies, listening to citizens' concerns, fostering dialogue, and promoting European citizenship. Selected partners will enter into a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Finland and may receive an annual grant as a lump sum to cover part of their operational costs. The call is open to various types of organizations with a strong local presence and experience in communication and public engagement. The total budget for this call is 450,000 EUR. The application process is a single-stage open call, and partners are expected to provide additional financial and operational resources to supplement the EU grant. Interested applicants should carefully review the call document and its annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, application procedures, and evaluation criteria. The deadline for submissions is June 17, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.