Support for social dialogue

The SOCPL-2026 grant opportunity is part of the EU's Programme for Employment and Social Innovation. It is intended to enhance social dialogue across the EU and candidate countries by supporting social partner organizations such as trade unions and employers' associations. The grants, categorized under Action Grants with Budget-Based financing, focus on capacity building in social dialogue infrastructure. Eligible applicants must be public or private organizations with a relevant mandate to engage in European-level social dialogue. The call emphasizes consortium applications but also allows single applicants. Countries eligible for participation include all EU Member States, EEA countries, and several candidate countries like Albania, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, though the latter can only act as partners. The total funding for this initiative is €13.25 million, with individual project grants expected to fall within the €500,000 to €2 million range. This is aimed at supporting projects that will facilitate institutional improvements in collective bargaining and overall effectiveness of social dialogue among member and candidate countries. The application is an open call with a single-stage submission process, utilizing the Funding & Tenders Portal, with a submission deadline of April 15, 2026. Noteworthy is that paper submissions are not allowed. The evaluation process spans from April to September 2026, with results expected by October 2026 and grant agreements to be signed in December 2026. There is typically an implicit co-funding requirement, with previous grants often requiring complementary funding of 20-50%, although specific percentages for this call have not been disclosed. The expected impact includes improved social dialogue mechanisms, increased worker representation, and enhanced institutional capacity for social partner organizations. Applications must be comprehensive and within a 70-page limit, containing defined sections and supporting documents. The overall goal of this grant opportunity is to strengthen social dialogue mechanisms which the EU considers vital for navigating socioeconomic challenges and ensuring fair labor practices. For more details and resources, applicants are directed to consult the official EU Funding & Tenders documents available online. Contact points for questions regarding submissions are also provided.

The SOCPL-2026 call, under the Social Prerogative and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL) Programme, aims to support social dialogue at the cross-industry and sectoral level, develop European social dialogue, and build and strengthen the capacity of social partner organizations in both Member States and candidate countries. The call is for SOCPL Project Grants (SOCPL-PJG) and utilizes a SOCPL Action Grant Budget-Based [SOCPL-AG] type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement). The deadline model is single-stage.

The expected outcomes of this call are:increased awareness of European social dialogue, enhanced European social dialogue at the sectoral and cross-industry levels, and improved capacity of social partners, including in candidate countries. These results should lead to a strengthened EU level social dialogue.

The call opens on 21 January 2026, and the deadline for submission is 15 April 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period is from April to September 2026, with information on evaluation results expected in October 2026. Grant Agreement (GA) signature is planned for December 2026.

The total budget allocated to the SOCPL-2026 - SOCPL-PJG SOCPL Project Grants is €13,250,000.

To be admissible, applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System before the call deadline. Paper submissions are not allowed. The application must be complete and include: Application Form (Part A), Application Form (Part B), and Annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded as PDF files). The application must be readable, accessible, and printable, and must not exceed 70 pages.

Eligible countries include EU Member States and, in some cases, countries from the European Economic Area (EEA), in accordance with the EEA Agreement. Non-EU countries are also eligible, but not as coordinators or single applicants. These include candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

The call document, annexes, and additional documents are available online. The call document can be found at ec.europa.eu. The annex to the call document is a Letter of commitment. Application form templates include the Standard application form (ESF and SOCPL), which is available in the Submission System. Additional documents include ESF and SOCPL MGA, SOCPL Work Programmes, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, 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.

At proposal submission, the lead applicant must confirm that it has the mandate to act for all applicants, that the information in the application is correct and complete, and that the participants comply with the conditions for receiving EU funding, especially regarding eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion. Before signing the grant, each beneficiary and affiliated entity will have to confirm this again by signing a declaration of honour (DoH).

The award criteria for this call are described in the call document on page 17.

For questions about the Portal Submission System or uploading queries, applicants should contact the IT Helpdesk. Non-IT related questions directly related to the text and content of the Call for proposals should be sent to EMPL-VP-SOCIAL-DIALOGUE@ec.europa.eu.

Support sources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ Submission of proposals, the IT Helpdesk, the Online Manual, and IT How to guides.

This funding opportunity, SOCPL-2026, is designed to bolster social dialogue within Europe, particularly at the sectoral and cross-industry levels. It aims to enhance the engagement and capabilities of social partner organizations, including those in EU member states and candidate countries. The core objective is to foster a more robust and effective social dialogue, which is seen as crucial for addressing various socio-economic challenges and promoting fair and inclusive policies. The funding supports projects that increase awareness, improve dialogue mechanisms, and build the capacity of social partners to participate meaningfully in policy-making processes. Eligible applicants are expected to form consortia that include social partner organizations from eligible countries, and their proposals should clearly demonstrate how their projects will contribute to the expected outcomes of strengthened social dialogue and improved social partner capacity. The application process involves electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, adhering to specific guidelines regarding the content, format, and page limits of the proposal. Successful projects will play a key role in shaping the future of social dialogue in Europe, ensuring that the voices of workers and employers are heard and considered in the development of EU policies.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are social partner organisations, as the call aims at building and strengthening their capacity. The call document also mentions EU Member States and in some cases from the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, in accordance with the EEA Agreement. Non-EU countries are eligible but not for coordinator and single applicant.

Funding Type:The funding type is a grant, specifically SOCPL Project Grants (SOCPL-PJG) under the SOCPL Action Grant Budget-Based [SOCPL-AG] mechanism.

Consortium Requirement:While not explicitly stated, the mention of "lead applicant" having the mandate to act for "all applicants" and the possibility for LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants to publish partner requests suggests that a consortium is possible and perhaps encouraged, but not strictly required as non-EU countries are not eligible for coordinator and single applicant.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, certain EEA countries, and candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

Target Sector:The target sector is social dialogue, specifically at the cross-industry and sectoral level. The program aims to develop European social dialogue and build the capacity of social partner organizations.

Mentioned Countries:Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, EU member states, EEA countries.

Project Stage:The project stage is not explicitly mentioned, but the focus on building and strengthening capacity suggests projects that are in the development or validation stage, rather than purely research-oriented.

Funding Amount:The total budget for the SOCPL-2026 SOCPL-PJG SOCPL Project Grants is €13,250,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified.

Application Type:The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages:The application process consists of a single stage.

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

Co-funding Requirement:The co-funding requirement is not specified in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Social Prerogative and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL) program, specifically targeting support for social dialogue. The call, titled SOCPL-2026, aims to promote social dialogue at the cross-industry and sectoral level, develop European social dialogue, and build and strengthen the capacity of social partner organizations in both EU Member States and candidate countries. The funding mechanism is a SOCPL Project Grant (SOCPL-PJG), with a total budget of €13,250,000. The call is open to social partner organizations from EU Member States, certain EEA countries, and candidate countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The application process is a single-stage submission, with the deadline for submission on 15 April 2026. The call aims to increase awareness of European social dialogue, enhance social dialogue at various levels, and improve the capacity of social partners, ultimately strengthening EU-level social dialogue. The application must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System and must include Application Forms (Part A and Part B) and annexes as PDF files. The lead applicant must confirm their mandate to act for all applicants and ensure compliance with EU funding conditions. The application should be readable, accessible, and printable, not exceeding 70 pages. The evaluation process will take place from April to September 2026, with information on evaluation results expected in October 2026, and grant agreement signature in December 2026.