Strengthening the remembrance of Roma victims

Call:CERV-2026 (European Remembrance 2026). Type of action: CERV Lump Sum Grants (CERV-LS). Objective: strengthen remembrance of the Roma genocide (Porajmos) and address antigypsyism through documentation, education, commemorations, youth networks, digitalisation, research and transitional justice approaches.

Who can apply:Lead applicants (coordinators) must be non-profit legal entities or international organisations; co-applicants may be public, private non-profit or for-profit entities (for-profits only in partnership with public/non-profit bodies). At least two applicants (coordinator + one co-applicant). Participants must be established in eligible countries (EU Member States and programme-associated countries). Registration in the Participant Register (PIC/LEAR validation) is required Topic page.

Available budget and grant size:This priority has an indicative allocation of €2,500,000 within the €28,000,000 European Remembrance call. Individual projects: minimum €50,000; maximum €500,000. Grants are awarded as lump sums with predefined work-package/event-based amounts and flat-rate indirect costs 1.

Eligibility & submission notes:proposals must address only this priority, include direct participation of target groups, follow the application templates (Part A online + Part B PDF), respect the 70-page Part B limit, and comply with ethical, gender mainstreaming and child-protection requirements where relevant. Coordinator may submit only one proposal across all priorities. Apply via the Funding & Tenders Portal submission system.

Call title:European Remembrance - 2026. Programme: Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV). Topic code: CERV-2026 (Priority 1: Strengthening the remembrance of Roma victims). Type of action: CERV-LS CERV Lump Sum Grants. Type of Model Grant Agreement: CERV Lump Sum Grant [CERV-AG-LS]. Opening date: 21 October 2026. Deadline: 24 February 2027, 17:00 CET (Brussels time). Deadline model: Single-stage electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Planned evaluation period: February 2027 – August 2027. Information to applicants and grant signature: August–November 2027.

Key financial figures:Total indicative call budget across all European Remembrance topics: €28,000,000. Indicative allocation to Priority 1 (Roma victims): €2,500,000. Project grant range per awarded action: minimum €50,000, maximum €500,000. The lump sum funding method is applied; final grant will be a fixed lump sum determined in the Grant Agreement 1.

Lead applicant (coordinator) eligibility:non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or international organisations. Co-applicants: public or private legal entities, including for-profit entities (but for-profit organisations may participate only in partnership with public entities or private non-profits). At least two applicants must be involved (coordinator + at least one co-applicant). Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed persons (sole traders) where applicable. Affiliated entities may be included and will be validated. Associated partners may participate without funding. All participating organisations must be registered in the Participant Register and validated (PICs and legal entity validation) before signature.

Eligible country scope:EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories). Non-EU countries associated to the CERV Programme or with association negotiations concluded before grant signature may participate as specified in the Call document. Activities must take place in eligible countries. International organisations may participate irrespective of eligible-country lists.

Eligible applicant types (summary):Non-profit organisations (NGOs), public authorities, research/heritage institutions, museums, cultural organisations, universities and research institutes, international organisations, for-profit entities (as co-applicants only in certain configurations), community and grassroots organisations, programme contact points where applicable.

Primary funding mechanism:Lump sum grants (output-based fixed amounts). The grant form reimburses a predefined lump sum amount tied to delivery of work packages (events/outputs) and milestones. The Lump Sum Calculator is now embedded in the online Application Form Part A. The Grant Agreement will be the CERV Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (CERV-AG-LS) and sets the maximum grant amount, work packages, deliverables, milestones and payment arrangements. Payments: prefinancing (normally up to 60% of maximum grant amount, unless adjusted), interim and final balancing via verification of deliverables and milestones; prefinancing guarantees or staggered payments may be required depending on financial capacity checks and risk analysis.

Consortium requirement:Minimum two applicants (coordinator + at least one co-applicant). Projects can be national or transnational; transnational projects are encouraged. Project duration: normally 12 to 24 months; extensions possible by amendment if justified. Typical expected project maturity: development, demonstration, implementation of remembrance, education and outreach activities; projects may include research, documentation and digitisation but focus on implementation and dissemination of outputs for education and public awareness.

Project stage (expected maturity):Research combined with development, documentation, digitisation, demonstration and education/commemoration activities (from development/validation through to implementation and dissemination).

Submission method:electronic, single-stage open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are NOT accepted. The submission system opens on the planned opening date and closes at the published deadline (no extensions for technical delays). All applicants must register organisations in the Participant Register (PIC).

Number of application stages to succeed:main submission stage (single-stage) followed by grant preparation and legal/financial checks prior to signature. Practically applicants pass two principal stages: 1) submission and evaluation; 2) grant preparation and signature.

Co-funding requirement:Yes. A co-financing share is required; the specific funding rate is defined in each Call/Topic. Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources to implement the project. Financial capacity checks are performed for coordinators (public bodies generally exempt) and may lead to prefinancing guarantees, staggered payments or requirement for joint and several liability if capacity is insufficient. The absence of double funding is strictly required.

Ethics and safeguards:Projects must adhere to highest ethical standards and EU values (Article 2 TEU; Article 21 EU Charter). Child protection policies are mandatory for private entities working with minors; public entities must provide a declaration of honour or policy. Data protection (GDPR) and non-discrimination/gender mainstreaming must be integrated. Projects raising any ethics issues must complete the ethics self-assessment in the application.

Nature of support:financial (lump sum grants) combined with non-financial obligations (deliverables, milestones, reporting, communication and dissemination actions). Eligible activities include: training, exhibitions, public debates, non-formal education, awareness-raising campaigns, research, digitisation of testimonies and archives, development and dissemination of teaching materials, grassroots commemorations, youth ambassador networks, transitional justice research, artistic memory projects and community memory activism. Activities must involve direct and verifiable participation of target groups for the lump sum calculation.

Lump sum principles:1 lump sum corresponds to 1 work package defined as an event (conference, workshop, training, seminar, exhibition, campaign, research deliverable, digitisation batch, etc.) and is calculated using prefixed parameters (number of direct participants and number of eligible countries involved) for Citizens engagement/Remembrance/Network/Town Twinning typologies. For Equality/Rights and Daphne strands, the granting authority fixes the lump sum based on applicants' estimated eligible costs by work package and benchmarked by evaluators. Indirect costs are calculated via a flat 7% rate on direct costs for strands where applicable. Double funding is prohibited.

Admissibility:full application submitted via Portal before deadline; Part B page limit 70 pages. Eligibility: lead applicant type, minimum two applicants, activities in eligible countries, minimum requested grant €50,000. Evaluation: experts assess relevance, quality and impact. Thresholds: Relevance min 25/40; overall pass 70/100. Ranking tie-breakers: priority given by Relevance score, then Quality, then Impact. Invitations to grant preparation do not constitute formal funding commitment until legal checks and Grant Agreement signature are complete.

Application stages (practical):1) Online submission (Part A online, Part B PDF upload, Part C KPI online, annexes); 2) Evaluation (admissibility, eligibility, award criteria) and ranking; 3) Invitation to grant preparation for successful proposals; 4) Legal/financial checks and Grant Agreement signature. For purpose of question on stages to succeed: applicants must pass submission/evaluation and subsequent grant preparation/legal validation (two main stages).

Eligible geographic scope:EU Member States (including OCTs). Historical references in the topic text mention Romania (enslavement history) and pan-European events (Auschwitz-Birkenau, European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day observed 2 August) as historical context; the call does not limit applicants to or exclude particular Member States beyond the eligible-country rules. International organisations are eligible irrespective of country.

Target sectors:culture, European remembrance, education, heritage, human rights, social inclusion, civil society and community engagement. Cross-cutting priorities include gender mainstreaming, digitalisation (digitising testimonies and archives), and combating disinformation. Keywords in call: Roma, antigypsyism, memory, genocide, Holocaust, democracy, education, youth, museums, memorials.

Support:Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Topic Q&As on the Portal, IT Helpdesk for portal issues, CERV National Contact Points (if established) and EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu for call-specific queries. Applicants are encouraged to consult call documentation, templates and to watch guidance recordings on gender mainstreaming and use of generative AI (applicants must disclose use of generative AI and remain responsible for proposal content).

Templates and structure to help applicants:Required application structure: Part A online (administrative + Lump Sum Budget work packages), Part B PDF (cover page, project summary, 1 Relevance, 2 Quality, 3 Impact, 4 Workplan/WPs/activities/resources/timing, 5 Ethics & Security, 6 Declarations, Annexes), Part C KPI tool (online). Annexes: list of previous projects (last 4 years), child protection policy or declaration (if minors involved), CVs for key staff if required, other call-specific annexes. Part B must respect the 70-page limit and specified formatting (A4, min Arial 9).

Projects under this priority may focus on the following areas:Documenting the implementation of the Roma genocide and its historical context, including slavery, post war persecution, and totalitarian persecutions. Countering denial, distortion, trivialisation, and the marginalisation of Roma victimhood. Developing networks of Roma and non Roma youth ambassadors. Supporting grassroots commemorative initiatives linked to 2 August and 16 May. Creating and disseminating teaching materials for curricula. Digitalising testimonies, archival documents, and historical research. Promoting research on restitution, forced displacement, and the long term consequences of historical injustice. Highlighting Roma resistance, heroes, rescuers, intellectuals, artists, and community leaders. Using transitional justice approaches such as truth seeking, recognition of harm, restitution research, and guarantees of non repetition. Developing inclusive and participatory ways to remember, educate, and teach, including artistic memory projects and memory activism.

Eligibility highlights:Applicants must be established in an eligible country, including EU Member States and their overseas countries and territories, and certain non EU countries associated to CERV or in ongoing association negotiations if the agreement enters into force before grant signature. Activities must take place in eligible countries. Natural persons are not eligible, except sole traders without separate legal personality. EU bodies other than the European Commission Joint Research Centre cannot be consortium members. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or EU conditionality measures are excluded.