Selection of partners to carry out EUROPE DIRECT activities

The European Commission, through its Representation in Belgium, is launching a grant opportunity titled ED-2025-BELGIUM-FPA. This initiative aims to select partners to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers from 2026 to 2030. The primary role of these centers is to facilitate communication between the EU and its citizens by providing information on EU policies, addressing citizen concerns, fostering dialogue, and promoting European citizenship.

Eligible applicants must be entities established in Belgium, potentially including NGOs, local public bodies, or educational institutions. The funding type is a grant, specifically provided through a Framework Partnership Agreement, and the submission process is single-stage, requiring individual applicants rather than a consortium.

The geographical scope of the grant is limited to Belgium, and the target sector is focused on public information and communication regarding EU matters. The project is classified as operational, as it pertains to the implementation of activities rather than research and development.

While the exact funding amount is not specified, it is noted that total budget allocations for similar initiatives range from €50,000 to €200,000 annually. The grant is designed as an annual fixed-amount subsidy that covers part of the operating costs necessary for the EUROPE DIRECT centers, although partners are also expected to provide additional financial and operational support.

The call for proposals opened on May 6, 2025, with a deadline for submissions set for July 1, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the year 2026 is €360,000. Successful applicants will have to adhere to specific admissibility conditions, which include detailed proposal guidelines and legal and financial documentation as outlined in the call document, available in Dutch, French, and German.

For technical questions, potential applicants are directed to the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, while inquiries related to the content of the call can be forwarded to the provided email. The opportunity emphasizes local engagement and the importance of contributing to European citizenship. Interested parties are encouraged to thoroughly review all call documents for detailed information on eligibility criteria and submission processes.

The European Commission, through its Representation in Belgium, is launching a call for proposals to select partners for carrying out EUROPE DIRECT activities for the period 2026-2030. This call is identified as ED-2025-BELGIUM-FPA. The EUROPE DIRECT centers aim to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

EUROPE DIRECT centers are tasked with: informing about EU policies and actions, listening to citizens' concerns on issues under EU responsibility, engaging in dialogue with citizens about the impact of the EU on their daily lives, contributing to European citizenship education, and contributing to the creation of a European public space.

These centers maintain close contact with local communities and organize communication and information activities on EU topics of local interest, either independently or in cooperation with the European Commission Representation, the European Parliament liaison offices, other EU outreach networks, and local multipliers.

Successful applicants, referred to as "partners," will sign a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Belgium for the years 2026 through 2030. A partner may be awarded an annual grant following an invitation to submit an annual communication plan.

The annual grant will be provided as a lump sum covering part of the operating costs of a EUROPE DIRECT center. The partner commits to providing the additional financial and operational resources needed to carry out activities as a EUROPE DIRECT center for the duration of the partnership agreement.

The call for proposals is a single-stage process. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is July 1, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the year 2026 is 360,000 EUR.

Admissibility conditions, including proposal page limits and layout, are described in the call document and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are entities established in Belgium. Other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity, exclusion criteria, submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring, thresholds, indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, and legal and financial setup of the grants are all described in the call document.

The call document and annexes are available in Dutch, French, and German. Additional documents include the 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 technical questions, applicants can consult the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ Submission of proposals. For questions about forgotten passwords, access rights, roles, and technical aspects of submitting proposals, applicants can contact the IT helpdesk. For help related to the content of the call, applicants can contact COMM-REP-BRU-GRANT@ec.europa.eu or consult the selection of partners page for carrying out Europe Direct centers activities in Belgium (2026-2030).

In summary, this call for proposals seeks to identify and select partners in Belgium to operate EUROPE DIRECT centers. These centers will serve as key intermediaries between the EU and its citizens, providing information, gathering feedback, and fostering dialogue on EU-related matters. Successful applicants will enter into a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Belgium and may receive annual grants to support their operations. The call emphasizes the importance of local engagement, communication, and contribution to European citizenship. Interested parties should carefully review the call documents and annexes for detailed requirements and submission guidelines.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text, but it is implied that they are entities capable of maintaining good contacts with local communities and organizing communication and information activities. The text mentions "successful applicants (hereafter 'partners')" and "entities established in Belgium" which suggests that a broad range of organizations such as local communities, organizations, or other entities established in Belgium could be eligible, pending further details in the call document.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically an annual subsidy provided in the form of a fixed amount. This subsidy is intended to cover a portion of the operating costs of a EUROPE DIRECT center.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be open to single applicants, as the text refers to selecting "partners" to carry out activities, implying individual entities rather than requiring a consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to entities established in Belgium.

Target Sector: The program targets the communication and information dissemination sector, specifically focusing on EU policies, actions, and topics of local interest. It also aims to promote European citizenship and contribute to the creation of a European public space.

Mentioned Countries: Belgium is explicitly mentioned as the country where the entities must be established.

Project Stage: The project stage is operational, focusing on the implementation and execution of communication and information activities related to the EU. The selected partners will be responsible for running EUROPE DIRECT centers from 2026 to 2030.

Funding Amount: The budget overview indicates a total of 360,000 EUR for the ED-FPA Framework Partnership Agreement. However, the text specifies that the annual subsidy is provided as a fixed amount to cover a portion of the operating costs, so the exact funding range per partner is variable and dependent on the specifics outlined in the call document.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the phrase "oproep tot het indienen van voorstellen" (call for proposals) and "appel à propositions". The call is currently open for submission.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of an annual fixed-amount subsidy to cover a portion of their operating costs.

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 partner is committed to providing the additional financial and operational resources necessary to carry out activities as a EUROPE DIRECT center for the duration of the partnership agreement. The EU grant only covers a portion of the operating costs, implying that the partner must secure additional funding from other sources.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals by the European Commission Representation in Belgium to select partners for operating EUROPE DIRECT centers across Belgium from 2026 to 2030. The EUROPE DIRECT centers serve as a vital link between the EU and its citizens by providing information on EU policies and actions, addressing citizen concerns, fostering dialogue, promoting European citizenship, and contributing to a European public space. Eligible applicants must be entities established in Belgium. Successful applicants will sign a framework partnership agreement with the European Commission Representation in Belgium and will be eligible to receive an annual fixed-amount subsidy to cover part of the operating costs of the EUROPE DIRECT center. Partners are expected to secure additional funding and resources to support the full range of center activities. The application process is a single-stage open call, and further details regarding eligibility criteria, evaluation, and submission procedures can be found in the call document and its annexes, available in Dutch, French, and German. The total budget for the framework partnership agreement is 360,000 EUR. The call opened on May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is July 1, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.