Structured dialogue with people with lived experience of poverty

Forthcoming ESF+ EaSI call for proposals (Topic ID ESF-2027-PEP) to fund one consortium to facilitate a structured dialogue between EU policymakers and people with lived experience of poverty, with an indicative budget of €900,000 and a planned opening of 1 September 2026 and deadline 29 October 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The project must provide outreach, accessible communications and translations, preparatory introduction meetings, travel and accommodation, national and regional participation hubs, capacity building and a communication campaign, be organised into five mandatory work packages and normally run 30 to 36 months. Eligible applicants are legal entities forming a consortium of at least two beneficiaries where each applying member is an EU-level NGO network or international NGO headquartered in an EU Member State, at least two members must demonstrate EU-level experience with lived-experience participation and the consortium must collectively cover all 27 EU Member States. The grant is budget-based with a 95 percent funding rate, reimbursement rules as per ESF Action Grant Budget-Based modality, and proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding and Tenders Portal using Part A and Part B (max 50 pages) and required annexes.

Call at a glance

Essential facts

What it funds:a consortium to enable meaningful, sustained dialogue between EU policymakers and people with lived experience of poverty. Funded activities include outreach and accessible communications, candidate support (workshops/helplines), preparatory introduction meetings, travel and accommodation for participants, national/regional participation hubs, capacity building and a communication campaign to counter stigma.

Total budget and award:Indicative available budget €900,000; expected to fund 1 project; grants are budget-based (mixed actual costs) under ESF+ ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: consortium of at least two applicants (beneficiaries). Lead applicant must be an EU-level NGO network or international NGO headquartered in an EU Member State; at least two consortium members must demonstrate prior experience facilitating direct participation of people with lived experience of poverty in EU policymaking.
2. 2Consortium requirements: collective national coverage of all 27 EU Member States (demonstrated via members/branches); demonstrable experience in participatory, safeguarding and community-led engagement.
3. 3Eligible countries: EU Member States and other countries listed in the call document (EEA, candidate/associate countries where applicable).
4. 4Project duration and timing: normally 30–36 months; call planned opening 1 Sep 2026; deadline 29 Oct 2026, 17:00 CET.
5. 5What is not allowed: financial support to third parties (unless explicitly authorised in the call) and activities contrary to eligibility and admissibility rules.

How applications are submitted:electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the required Part A and Part B templates and annexes; proposals are limited to 50 pages (Part B). Lead applicant must confirm mandate to act for all applicants at submission; legal and financial validations occur during grant preparation ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call conditions, eligibility rules, award criteria and templates are in the official call document and annexes available on the Funding & Tenders Portal Call document (PDF).

Opportunity summary

Call for proposals under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) EaSI strand to select and finance a consortium of organisations to facilitate and sustain the participation of people with lived experience of poverty in a Commission-led structured dialogue. The action supports preparatory introduction meetings, logistical and accessibility support, outreach and mobilisation across Member States, national/regional participation hubs, capacity building, a communications campaign to counter stigma, toolkit development and delivery of meeting reports and other deliverables. The estimated available budget for the call is €900 000 and the Commission expects to fund one project. Deadline for submission: 29 October 2026, 17:00 CET. Planned opening date: 1 September 2026.

Call identifiers and administrative:Opportunity title: Structured dialogue with people with lived experience of poverty. Call identifier: ESF-2027-PEP. Type of action: ESF Project Grants (ESF-PJG) — ESF Action Grant Budget-Based (ESF-AG). Deadline model: single-stage. Planned opening date: 01/09/2026. Submission deadline: 29/10/2026 17:00 CET. Indicative timetable: Evaluation Nov–Dec 2026; information on results Dec 2026–Jan 2027; grant agreement signature Jan 2027.

Expected outcome, scope and activities

Expected outcome:create conditions for a sustained, meaningful, safe and inclusive dialogue between EU policymakers and individuals with lived experience of poverty; empower participants with tools, confidence and platforms; build trust; acknowledge and mitigate power imbalances; champion intersectionality and amplify voices of the most marginalised groups so policies reflect lived complexities. Scope: select and financially support a consortium with proven European and/or international competence to facilitate engagement of people with lived experience of poverty in Commission structured dialogue and to deliver the preparatory, logistic, outreach, capacity-building, hub and communications activities described below.

1. 1Dissemination and accessible communication of the Commission’s calls for expressions of interest for structured dialogue participation, including adaptation for accessibility and translation (at least into 24 official EU languages) and targeted outreach via community networks and channels used by people in vulnerable situations.
2. 2Facilitation of participation: individual guidance and support for applicants (workshops, helpline), organisation and full cost coverage of introduction meetings (one day before each structured dialogue meeting) including catering, interpretation, facilitators, reasonable accommodation and other necessary costs; online training for remote participation; administrative support and assistance including provision for personal assistants where needed.
3. 3Full organisation and coverage of travel, accommodation and subsistence for participants for both introduction and structured dialogue meetings; introduction meeting scheduled one day before structured dialogue meeting to allow single travel.
4. 4Setting up national and regional participation hubs to enable outreach, peer exchange and capacity building; at least two online thematic meetings per year and at least two workshops per year on horizontal civic engagement topics (EU basics, public speaking, advocacy, communication, confidence building); dissemination of meeting minutes nationally.
5. 5Summarisation and translation of documentation ahead of meetings.
6. 6Development of a toolkit/guidance material for meaningful participation of people with lived experience in policymaking at EU, national, regional and local levels.
7. 7Set up and maintenance of a dedicated communication channel (mailbox, interactive platform or the most suitable tool) for day-to-day communication with participants and alternates and to share translated documentation.
8. 8Communication campaign and awareness-raising actions to combat stigma and hostile narratives about poverty.

Project organisation and required methodology:Proposals must include a methodology for facilitating direct participation, an illustration/example of a panel of persons with lived experience of poverty showing diversity, a methodology for preparing participants (core methodological pillars), a work plan and timetable, and a risk assessment with mitigation measures. Projects must be structured into mandatory work packages: WP1 Project coordination; WP2 Dissemination of calls and applicant support (mandatory); WP3 Facilitation of participation in structured dialogue meetings (mandatory); WP4 Building capacity of people with lived experience to engage meaningfully with policymakers (mandatory); WP5 Communication campaign to combat stigma (mandatory). Additional WPs may be added. Accessibility for persons with disabilities and compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA are required.

Eligibility — who can apply

Eligible applicants:legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries (EU Member States and their overseas countries and territories; EEA countries in accordance with the EEA Agreement; EU acceding, candidate and potential candidate countries in line with agreements; third countries having signed an agreement to participate or listed in the EaSI work programme where necessary). Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed where legal personality does not exist. International NGOs and non-profit organisations are eligible. EU bodies (except JRC) and international intergovernmental organisations are not eligible as beneficiaries. Participants and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register and be validated (REA validation).

Consortium composition — mandatory requirements:Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least two applicants (beneficiaries). Each applying consortium member must be an EU-level network of NGOs or an international NGO with headquarters in an EU Member State. At least two consortium members must demonstrate direct experience facilitating the participation of people with lived experience of poverty in EU policymaking by organising dialogues with EU policymakers at EU level and must have national member organisations or branches in at least seven EU Member States. The consortium collectively must demonstrate combined geographical coverage of all 27 EU Member States (i.e. members together must have national members or branches covering all 27Member States).

Eligible countries and geographic scope

Geographic eligibility:activities must take place in the eligible countries listed above. The action is EU-level with expected participation from all 27 EU Member States (the Commission will target at least one participant from each Member State in the structured dialogue plus alternates). National and regional hubs should cover Member States to strengthen outreach.

Funding, budget and grant conditions

Call budget:€900 000 (indicative, for budget year 2027). Expected number of grants: 1 project. Funding instrument: ESF Action Grant Budget-Based (ESF-AG), budget-based mixed actual-cost grant with unit cost and flat-rate elements as applicable. Funding rate: 95% (as indicated in call document for this ESF+ EaSI budgeting approach). Maximum requested grant amount is expected up to €900 000 per project but proposals requesting other amounts may be submitted; awarded grant may be lower than requested. Projects normally 30–36 months duration. Project starting date will be fixed in the Grant Agreement (normally after signature; retroactive start only exceptionally).

Budget categories and cost rules (summary):Eligible cost categories: A Personnel (employees; natural persons under direct contract; seconded persons; SME owners and natural person beneficiaries via unit costs where applicable; volunteers via unit costs if allowed in call); B Subcontracting; C Purchases (C.1 travel & subsistence, C.2 equipment depreciation, C.3 other goods/works/services); E Indirect costs at flat-rate 7% of eligible direct costs (A-D except volunteers and any exempted categories). Travel and subsistence use unit costs per Commission decision where applicable; equipment only via depreciation; volunteers unit cost rules apply if specified. Financial support to third parties is NOT allowed for this call. VAT: non-deductible VAT may be eligible except where national law or public authority VAT rules exclude eligibility.

Application process and admissibility

Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System; paper submissions are not permitted. Use the specific Application Form Part A (online) and Part B (technical description) templates provided in the Submission System. Annexes and supporting documents must be uploaded as PDFs. Proposals must be complete and readable, accessible and printable, and Part B must not exceed 50 pages. The lead applicant must confirm mandate to act for all applicants and accuracy of information at submission and all beneficiaries and affiliated entities will sign a declaration of honour prior to grant signature. Required annexes include CVs of key staff, activity reports, list of previous projects (last 3 years), annex describing each consortium member’s experience facilitating direct participation of people with lived experience in EU policymaking and an annex demonstrating combined coverage of all 27 Member States.

Submission steps and IT guidance:Step 1: obtain EU Login account and register organisation in the Participant Register to receive PIC. Step 2: complete Application Form Part A online and upload Part B PDF and required annexes via the Submission System. Allow sufficient time to avoid last-minute technical issues; consult the Portal Online Manual and IT How To pages. For technical issues contact the Portal IT Helpdesk; for call-specific queries contact EMPL-ANTI-POVERTY@ec.europa.eu or for ESF+ general queries EMPL-EaSI@ec.europa.eu. An online info session will be organised on 14 September 2026 (registration required by 11 September 2026 via the registration form link).

Evaluation, award criteria and thresholds

Single-stage selection. An evaluation committee checks admissibility and eligibility then evaluates operational capacity and award criteria. Indicative evaluation timeline: evaluation in Nov–Dec 2026; outcome communicated Dec 2026–Jan 2027; grant preparation Jan 2027. Invitation to grant preparation is not a formal commitment; legal/financial validation checks will be performed prior to signature.

1. 1Award criteria and maximum points: Relevance (35), Quality (Project design & implementation 30; Project team & cooperation 15), Impact (20). Total 100 points.
2. 2Individual thresholds: Relevance 25/35, Quality (design) 20/30, Team 10/15, Impact 15/20. Overall threshold: 70/100.
3. 3Proposals must pass individual thresholds and overall threshold to be considered for funding.
4. 4Evaluation includes checks on financial and operational capacity and exclusion grounds; beneficiaries may be required to submit additional documentation (financial statements, audits) during grant preparation.

Selection and legal/financial set-up

Successful proposals will be invited to grant preparation. The Model Grant Agreement used is the ESF/SOCPL MGA (ESF Action Grant Budget-Based). Grant set-up includes Annex 1 (Description of action), Annex 2 (estimated budget), possible request for prefinancing guarantee depending on financial capacity assessment, reporting and payment schedule, deliverables/milestones and compliance with the Grant Agreement provisions (visibility, IPR, record-keeping, audit rights). Beneficiaries must accept standard legal and financial obligations under EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 and ESF+ Regulation 2021/1057.

Deliverables to be included in proposal:Mandatory deliverables include: agendas, participant lists and meeting reports for all introduction meetings; meeting reports from structured dialogue meetings; outputs for online thematic trainings and civic skills trainings; toolkit/guidance material on participation; the dedicated communication channel/platform for participant communication; and the communication campaign materials. All main deliverables demonstrating progress and project results should be public unless sensitivity or personal data requires otherwise.

Administrative, financial capacity and exclusion

Applicants must have stable and sufficient financial resources and operational capacity. Financial capacity is assessed via documents uploaded in the Participant Register (e.g. profit & loss, balance sheet, audit reports). Public bodies and beneficiaries requesting ≤ €60 000 may be exempt from full financial capacity checks. If capacity is insufficient, the Commission may request additional information, require prefinancing guarantees, limit prefinancing, propose joint and several liability or ask for replacement of participants. Exclusion grounds include bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, money laundering, human trafficking, serious breach of obligations under EU funding, and other grounds listed in EU Financial Regulation. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or conditionality measures are ineligible.

Application templates and annexes

Application templates:Standard Application Form (ESF and SOCPL) Part A (administrative) and Part B (technical description) templates are available in the Submission System and must be used. Mandatory annexes (as per call document) include CVs of core project team, activity report(s), list of previous projects (last 3 years), annex describing each consortium member’s experience in facilitating direct participation of people with lived experience of poverty in EU policymaking, and annex demonstrating combined coverage of all 27 Member States. The full Call document, Model Grant Agreement, annotated AGA, ESF+ Work Programme and legal references are available on the Portal. See footnote for direct call document link ¹.

Evaluation outcome, grant preparation and payments

After evaluation, applicants receive an evaluation result letter; successful proposals invited to grant preparation where legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and possible adjustments will be made. Payments: typical schedule includes prefinancing instalments and final payment (balance). Payment frequency depends on project duration; prefinancing guarantees may be requested. Beneficiaries must report via continuous reporting tools and periodic reports; payment of balance follows approval of final reports and financial statements and any certificate requirements (CFS thresholds apply). The grant may be reduced or subject to recovery if ineligible costs are declared or if non-compliance is established during audits and checks.

Eligible applicant types (extracted and structured)

Eligible Applicant Types:legal entities (public or private), non-profit organisations, NGOs (national, European-level networks and INGOs), research organisations, universities (if they meet NGO/non-profit criteria and have relevant competence), public bodies (where eligible), associations and interest groupings (including beneficiaries without legal personality in exceptional cases). Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed where no separate legal personality exists. EU bodies (except JRC) and international intergovernmental organisations are not eligible as beneficiaries.

Programmatic categorisation

1. 1Funding Type: grant (EU action grant — ESF Project Grant, budget-based).
2. 2Consortium requirement: consortium required (minimum 2 beneficiaries).
3. 3Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility): EU Member States; EEA countries; EU acceding/candidate/potential candidate countries as defined; third countries exceptionally if agreements permit or if listed in EaSI work programme.
4. 4Target Sector: social policy, poverty reduction, social inclusion, civil society engagement (cross-sectoral: policy, communication, capacity building).
5. 5Mentioned Countries: All 27 EU Member States (must be covered collectively); EEA countries and eligible non-EU countries as per Call document; Commission will seek at least one participant from each Member State to the structured dialogue. No specific third-country list is provided in the summary beyond the eligible country rules.
6. 6Project Stage: implementation and engagement/participation facilitation, capacity building, outreach and dissemination (development/implementation/demonstration level for participatory approaches and materials).
7. 7Funding Amount: indicative single project funding up to €900 000 (call budget), funding rate expected 95% per ESF rules in call document.
8. 8Application Type: open single-stage call (open call with published templates; submission via Portal).
9. 9Nature of Support: monetary funding (grant) to consortium beneficiaries covering eligible costs; non-monetary outputs include training, toolkits, communication channels and capacity-building services delivered to participants.
10. 10Application Stages: single-stage submission followed by evaluation and grant preparation (effectively two main stages: submission/evaluation and grant preparation/signature); the overall process includes adjudication, grant preparation and signature (so applicants pass 1 evaluation stage, then grant prep stage).
11. 11Success Rates: not specified in call; only one project expected and total budget €900 000 — competition dependent on quality of proposals and number of submissions (historical success rates not provided).
12. 12Co-funding Requirement: projects should ensure a balanced project budget and may indicate other resources (own contributions, income generated, financial contributions from third parties) — co-funding is not strictly required beyond the cost-sharing implied by the funding rate and eligible costs but applicants should demonstrate stable and sufficient resources to implement the project as required by financial capacity checks.

Templates and application form structure

Application structure follows ESF and SOCPL standard Application Form:Part A (administrative data in Portal) and Part B (technical description — downloadable template to be completed and re-uploaded as PDF). Part B structure includes cover page, project summary, sections on Relevance (background; needs analysis; complementarity), Quality (concept, methodology, consortium, teams, management, monitoring, risk management), Impact (ambition, dissemination, sustainability), Workplan (work packages, activities, resources, timing), Ethics and security where applicable, and declarations. Mandatory annex list appears in Part B and the Submission System. Page, font and layout rules: proposals must be readable, accessible and printable; Part B limited to 50 pages. Use the templates provided in the Portal Submission System; do not rely on versions outside the Submission System.

• Part A: administrative data entered online (participants, budget summary, contacts).
• Part B: technical description PDF using official template: includes objectives, methodology, WPs, deliverables, risks, team, budget justification, indicators.
• Annexes: CVs, activity reports, list of relevant projects, consortium experience annex, demonstration of 27-Member-State coverage annex, any additional requested annexes listed in call document point 11.b.

Contacts, help and additional resources

For IT submission questions:Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk (webform). For call-specific queries: EMPL-ANTI-POVERTY@ec.europa.eu. For general ESF+ questions: EMPL-EaSI@ec.europa.eu. Consult the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Model Grant Agreement (ESF and SOCPL MGA), ESF+ Annual Work Programme, ESF+ Regulation 2021/1057 and EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 for full legal and procedural details. An information session for this call will be organised online on 14 September 2026 at 15:00 CET; registration required by 11 September 2026 via the Commission registration form.

Quick checklist for applicants

1. 1Confirm your organisation(s) are legal entities and registered/validated in the Participant Register (PIC).
2. 2Assemble consortium meeting minimum composition requirements: at least 2 beneficiaries; each applying member must be an EU-level NGO network or INGO headquartered in an EU Member State; at least 2 members must show proven EU-level experience facilitating lived-experience participation and have national members/branches in ≥7 Member States; together consortium must cover all 27 Member States.
3. 3Prepare Part B using the official Portal template and limit to 50 pages; include methodology, sample panel composition, WP breakdown, timetable, risk assessment and monitoring indicators.
4. 4Prepare mandatory annexes: CVs, recent activity report, list of relevant projects (last 3 years), annexes demonstrating each member’s relevant experience and the consortium’s combined coverage of 27 Member States.
5. 5Plan budget up to €900 000 (indicative), ensure eligible costs categories, justify cost-effectiveness and capacity to implement; be ready for financial capacity checks and provide documentation in Participant Register.
6. 6Register for the info session (by 11 Sept 2026) and consult Portal guidance and templates; submit proposal via the Portal before 29 Oct 2026 17:00 CET.

Footnote reference:the detailed Call document (Call fiche and full call document including Annexes and Model Grant Agreement templates) must be consulted for full legal, eligibility, evaluation and budget rules — proposal preparation must follow the exact templates and requirements provided in the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System ¹.

Summary — What is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This is a targeted ESF+ action grant call to fund a consortium of experienced civil society organisations that can mobilise, prepare and support people with lived experience of poverty to participate meaningfully in a European Commission structured dialogue. The work covers outreach across Member States, accessible communications and translations, preparatory introduction meetings, travel and accommodation costs for participants, capacity-building, national and regional participation hubs, a dedicated communication channel, dissemination and a stigma-countering campaign. The consortium must demonstrate EU-level experience, broad Member State coverage and an approach that is trauma-informed, participatory and intersectional. Applicants must submit a single-stage proposal via the Funding & Tenders Portal, following the ESF application templates and Annex requirements, by 29 October 2026. The Commission expects to fund one project with an indicative total budget of €900 000. The action aims to embed lived experience into EU policymaking in a sustainable and respectful manner and to ensure that those most affected by poverty can influence the policies that affect their lives.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document and annexes for ESF-2027-PEP (Structured dialogue with people with lived experience of poverty) are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu and the call pdf: ec.europa.eu

This is a forthcoming ESF+ EaSI call for proposals designed to fund one consortium that can help the European Commission run a structured dialogue with people with lived experience of poverty and social exclusion. The call is focused on meaningful participation, accessibility, empowerment, trust building, and ensuring that policy discussions reflect the realities of poverty across the EU.

What the funding is about

The call supports a consortium that will facilitate a sustained structured dialogue between policymakers and people with lived experience of poverty. The aim is to ensure that those directly affected by poverty and social exclusion have a real and influential voice in EU policymaking, while also building their confidence, policy literacy, and capacity to participate effectively.

The action also aims to reduce barriers between institutions and marginalised communities, improve mutual trust, support intersectional participation, and amplify the voices of the most marginalised groups so that policies better reflect the complexity of poverty and social exclusion.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants must be legal entities, public or private, and non-profit organisations established in eligible countries. Eligible countries include EU Member States, EEA countries, and countries associated to the ESF+ programme. In exceptional cases, entities from countries mentioned in the work programme may be eligible if the granting authority considers their participation essential.

Natural persons are generally not eligible, international intergovernmental organisations are not eligible, and EU bodies are not eligible to be part of the consortium except the European Commission Joint Research Centre. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or EU conditionality measures are also excluded.

Consortium requirements

Applications must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants, and each applying consortium member must be an EU-level network of NGOs or an international non-governmental organisation with headquarters in an EU Member State. At least 2 applying consortium members must demonstrate direct experience in facilitating the participation of people with lived experience of poverty in EU policymaking through dialogues with EU policymakers at EU level.

Those same at least 2 members must also have national member organisations or branches in at least 7 EU Member States. The consortium must collectively cover all 27 EU Member States through its national members or branches.

What the project must do

• Disseminate calls for expressions of interest and create accessible communication materials, including translation of essential content into at least 24 official EU languages.
• Provide direct assistance to potential participants, including workshops, individual guidance, helplines, and support to prepare strong applications.
• Organise introduction meetings in Brussels one day before the Commission's structured dialogue meetings, and provide preparation, facilitation, interpretation, catering, and other participant support.
• Cover travel, accommodation, subsistence, and related accessibility needs for participants, including personal assistants where needed.
• Set up national and regional participation hubs to support outreach, peer exchange, civic skills building, and dissemination of meeting outputs.
• Summarise and translate documentation ahead of meetings and provide a toolkit or guidance material on meaningful participation in policymaking at EU, national, regional, and local levels.
• Provide a communication channel for day to day participant support and document sharing.
• Implement a communication campaign to counter stigma and hostile narratives on poverty.

Mandatory work packages

The call requires the project to be organised into five mandatory work packages:project coordination, dissemination of calls and support to applicants, facilitation of participation in structured dialogue meetings, capacity building for meaningful engagement, and a communication campaign to counter stigma and hostile narratives on poverty. Additional work packages may be added if useful.

Funding amount and financial conditions

The estimated available budget is €900,000 for the call, and the Commission expects to fund one project. The requested grant amount is expected to be up to €900,000 per project, although the grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.

The grant is budget-based and mixed actual cost, with reimbursement at a fixed funding rate of 95 percent. Grants may not produce a profit, and any surplus can be adjusted at final payment. No financial support to third parties is allowed.

Eligible cost categories include personnel, subcontracting, travel and subsistence, equipment depreciation, other goods works and services, and indirect costs. Indirect costs are calculated at a 7 percent flat rate of eligible direct costs, excluding volunteers and exempted categories. Non-deductible VAT is eligible, and in-kind contributions are allowed but cost neutral.

Duration, timing, and submission

Projects should normally last between 30 and 36 months. The submission deadline is 29 October 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time, with evaluation planned for November to December 2026, results expected in December 2026 or January 2027, and grant agreement signature expected in January 2027.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal, not on paper. The application package must include Part A, Part B, and the required annexes and supporting documents. Part B is limited to 50 pages and must be readable, accessible, and printable.

Eligibility and documentation to expect

Applicants must show financial and operational capacity, and the lead applicant must confirm it has the mandate to act for all applicants. Before grant signature, all beneficiaries and affiliated entities must sign a declaration of honour. The call document requires evidence of prior relevant experience, activity reports for the last year, CVs of the core project team, a list of key projects from the last 3 years, an annex describing each consortium member's experience in facilitating direct participation of people with lived experience of poverty, and an annex demonstrating combined coverage of all 27 EU Member States.

The call requires accessible implementation, including compliance with online accessibility requirements, with WCAG 2.1 level AA recommended. Travel, accommodation, venues, and communication outputs should be designed with disability access in mind.

How proposals will be assessed

Applications are evaluated against three award criteria:relevance, quality, and impact. Relevance is worth up to 35 points, quality up to 45 points across project design and implementation plus project team and cooperation arrangements, and impact up to 20 points. The pass thresholds are 25 out of 35 for relevance, 20 out of 30 for project design and implementation, 10 out of 15 for project team and cooperation arrangements, and 15 out of 20 for impact. The overall threshold is 70 out of 100.

The proposal must clearly explain the consortium's relevance to the call, its experience with participation of people with lived experience of poverty, the proposed methodology, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, the project team, cooperation arrangements, dissemination strategy, and how the approach can be replicated or adapted by Member States at national level.

Applicant considerations

This is a highly specialised call for organisations with strong participatory practice, policy engagement experience, and the ability to work across the EU with vulnerable and marginalised communities. Applicants should be ready to show credible reach across Member States, practical support structures for participants, trauma-informed and accessible facilitation methods, and a clear plan for turning lived experience into policy input.

The call documentation also notes an information session organised by DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion on 14 September 2026 at 15:00 Brussels time, with registration requested by 11 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.