Europe for Citizens

The UK is no longer an eligible partner country – though it can still participate as a “third country” – but this is likely to mean UK partners are less attractive than they have been in the past.

The Europe for Citizens programme currently comprises 4 strands / sub-strands:

1. Projects focusing on European remembrance

2.1 Mobility involving town twinning associations & networks

2.2 Mobility involving networks of towns

2.3 Projects involving civil society organisations

All strands have a deadline in March each year, and there is also a deadline in September for the two mobility strands

For ALL strands:

Match Funding? Yes, but do not have to provide a specific amount, just indicate that some expenditure will be covered by other income.

Budget Needs?  Lump sum financing, based on number of participants & countries involved, and then by number of events.  Note that, for projects, there are no minimum numbers for “foreign” participants – much of the grant can be spent on project costs.

Application Form?  Fully online process, standard application for all strands.  Similar in structure to that for Culture programme: details of applicants, partners, no of events; description of project; technical capacity; responses to award criteria; timetable

Remembrance projects

Deadline:  1 March annually

Length / Start Date:  18 months.  Start between 1 August of deadline year and 31 January of year after.

Partners required?  Only 1 eligible country needs to be involved, but “preference will be given to projects with 2 or more partners”.

Max EU Grant?  €100,000

Budget Needs?  Grant can include up to €10K for “preparatory activities”

Project Focus?  Activities to focus on the themes of defining moments & reference points in recent European history, promoting tolerance & understanding.  Your project can focus on one of the themes OR anniversaries, as listed below:

Themes:

  • Civil society and civic participation under totalitarian regimes
  • Ostracism and loss of citizenship under totalitarian regimes: drawing the lessons for today
  • Democratic transition and accession to the European Union

Networks of towns (mobility)

Deadline(s): 1 March and 1 September annually

Length / Start Date: 24 months. For 1 March d/line, start between 1 Jul & 31 December; for 1 September d/line, start between 1 Jan & 30 June of the following year.

Partners required? At least 4 eligible countries.  Participants must include 30% invited from other countries.

Max EU Grant?  €150,000

Project Focus?  Must be at least 4 meetings.  Aim is to Integrate a range of activities around subject(s) of common interest.

Civil society projects

Deadline: 1 March annually

Length / Start Date: 18 months.  Start between 1 August of deadline year and 31 January of the year after.

Partners required?  From at least 3 eligible countries

Max EU Grant?  €150,000

Budget Needs?  Grant can include up to €10K for “preparatory activities”

Project Focus?  Should organise reflection, debates or other activities related to the annual priority themes (see below) of the Programme and propose concrete solutions that can be found through cooperation or coordination at European level, and ensure a concrete link with the policy making process indicated above. Projects should actively involve a large number of citizens in the implementation and aim at setting the basis for, or encouraging the development of, long-lasting networking between many organisations active in the field.

Project Activities?  Projects must include at least two of the following:

  • Promotion of societal engagement and solidarity: activities able to promoting debate / campaigns / actions on the themes of common interest in the larger framework of the rights and responsibilities of the Union citizens and making the link to the European political agenda and policy making process.
  • Gathering of opinions: activities aiming at gathering the individual opinions of the citizens on a specific topic to be yearly defined, favouring a bottom up approach (including the use of social networks, webinars, etc.) and media literacy.
  • Volunteering

Priority Themes?

  • Understanding and Debating Euroscepticism
  • Solidarity in times of crisis
  • Combatting stigmatisation of “immigrants” and building counter narratives to foster intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding
  • Debate on the future of Europe

Contact Points

Contact Points in other European countries: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php