Support for social dialogue

The SOCPL-2025-SOC-DIALOG call aims to enhance social dialogue across the EU and candidate countries, aligning with Principle 8 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. It focuses on building the capacity of social partner organizations in both cross-industry and sectoral contexts. The total budget allocated for this initiative is €13,250,000, with a single-stage application process open from April 10, 2025, and closing on July 10, 2025.

Eligible applicants include social partner organizations located in EU Member States and certain EEA countries, with a strong emphasis on capacity-building initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of social dialogue. The overarching goals include promoting the development of social dialogue, improving the capacity of social partners, and fostering dialogue at different levels within the EU framework.

The application process requires electronic submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal, requiring applicants to provide a detailed application form along with supporting documents, while adhering to a 70-page limit. The lead applicant must ensure compliance with EU regulations and possess a mandate to represent all participants involved. Evaluation of proposals is expected to occur between July and December 2025, with results communicated by January 2026 and grant agreements finalized by March 2026.

No co-funding is required for supported projects, allowing for 100% funding through the EU. The anticipated success rate for proposal acceptance is estimated between 10% and 39%, given the competitive nature of expected submissions. Overall, this grant opportunity aims to bolster the infrastructure for social dialogue, facilitating more robust bipartite negotiations and supporting the implementation of autonomous agreements across Europe.

The SOCPL-2025-SOC-DIALOG call, under the Social Prerogative and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL) Programme, aims to bolster social dialogue at both cross-industry and sectoral levels within the EU, including candidate countries. This initiative directly supports Principle 8 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, specifically paragraph (c), which encourages increased capacity for social partners to promote social dialogue. The call seeks to develop European social dialogue and strengthen the capacity of social partner organizations.

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

The call is structured as a single-stage submission process. The call opened on 10 April 2025, and the deadline for submission is 10 July 2025 at 17:00:00 CET (Brussels time). The total budget allocated to this topic is 13,250,000 EUR. The type of action is SOCPL-PJG SOCPL Project Grants, and the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is SOCPL Action Grant Budget-Based [SOCPL-AG].

To be admissible, proposals must adhere to specific conditions, including page limits and layout guidelines as detailed in the call document. Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System; paper submissions are not permitted. The application must include Application Form (Part A), Application Form (Part B), and annexes and supporting documents uploaded as PDF files. The lead applicant must confirm their mandate to act for all applicants and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the application, as well as the compliance of all participants with EU funding conditions. Applications 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. The call document provides further details on eligibility criteria. Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity, and must not be subject to exclusion criteria, as detailed in the call document.

The evaluation process includes submission and evaluation processes as described in the call document. The award criteria are detailed on page 17 of the call document. The indicative timeline includes evaluation from July to December 2025, information on evaluation results in January 2026, and Grant Agreement (GA) signature in March 2026. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in the call document.

Key documents for applicants include the call document itself, available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/socpl/wp-call/2025/call-fiche_socpl-2025-soc-dialog_en.pdf, and the annex to the call document, which is a letter of commitment available at https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=27244&langId=en. Additional documents include 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. Standard application form templates (ESF and SOCPL) are available in the Submission System, along with the ESF and SOCPL MGA.

For support, applicants can consult the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes, the IT How to guide for detailed instructions on applying for EU funding, the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for submission of proposals, and the IT Helpdesk for technical questions. Non-IT related questions can be sent to EMPL-VP-SOCIAL-DIALOGUE@ec.europa.eu for general questions on SOCPL, or to the call-specific email address.

There are 33 partner search announcements available for this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

In summary, this call for proposals aims to strengthen social dialogue within the EU by supporting projects that increase awareness, develop dialogue at various levels, and build the capacity of social partners. It is a single-stage application process with a deadline of July 10, 2025, and a total budget of 13,250,000 EUR. Applicants must adhere to strict admissibility and eligibility criteria, and must submit their applications electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call aligns with the European Pillar of Social Rights and seeks to foster a more robust and inclusive social dialogue across the EU.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call aims at building and strengthening the capacity of social partner organisations (both in Member States and candidate countries). The specific types of eligible applicants are not explicitly detailed in the provided text but are expected to be social partner organizations. Further details can be found in the call document.

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

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the mention of a "lead applicant" confirming the mandate to act for "all applicants" suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are EU Member States and, in some cases, countries from the European Economic Area (EEA), in accordance with the EEA Agreement. Candidate countries are also mentioned as benefiting from capacity building.

Target Sector: The program targets the social sector, specifically focusing on social dialogue, involvement of workers, and the capacity of social partner organizations. It aims to promote and develop European social dialogue at cross-industry and sectoral levels.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, European Economic Area (EEA) countries, and candidate countries are mentioned.

Project Stage: The expected project stage is not explicitly mentioned, but the focus on developing and strengthening capacity suggests projects that are in the development, validation, or demonstration stages. The call aims to support activities that increase awareness, develop social dialogue, and improve the capacity of social partners, implying projects that are beyond the initial idea stage.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the SOCPL-2025-SOC-DIALOG call is EUR 13,250,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process. Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their projects.

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

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

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Social Prerogative and Specific Competencies Lines (SOCPL) program, specifically targeting "Support for social dialogue" (SOCPL-2025-SOC-DIALOG). The call aims to promote social dialogue at cross-industry and sectoral levels, develop European social dialogue, and build and strengthen the capacity of social partner organizations in EU Member States, EEA countries, and candidate countries. The call relates to Principle 8 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, focusing on social dialogue and the involvement of workers.

The expected outcomes include increased awareness of European social dialogue, development of social dialogue at sectoral and cross-industry levels, and improved capacity of social partners. The total budget for this call is EUR 13,250,000.

Eligible applicants are social partner organizations from EU Member States and, in some cases, EEA countries. Candidate countries are also within the scope. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of 10 July 2025. Applications must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The indicative timeline includes evaluation from July to December 2025, information on evaluation results in January 2026, and grant agreement signature in March 2026.

Applicants must submit an application form (Parts A and B) along with annexes and supporting documents as PDF files. The lead applicant must confirm their mandate to act for all applicants and ensure compliance with EU funding conditions. Applications are limited to 70 pages.

The call document and annexes, including the letter of commitment, application form templates, SOCPL Work Programmes, EU Financial Regulation, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, and the EU Grants AGA, are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Support resources, including an online manual, IT How-to guides, FAQs, and an IT Helpdesk, are also available. Non-IT related questions can be sent to specific email addresses provided for general SOCPL inquiries and call-specific questions.