A new call for proposal from the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSi) programme offers operating grants to EU level networks or NGOs who signed a framework partnership agreement for the 2018-2021 period and are active in the field of either social inclusion and poverty reduction or microfinance and social enterprises finance.
The EaSI programme is an European level financing instrument directly managed by the European Commission. It promotes High level quality and sustainable employment as well as a better social protection for any forms of works and social inclusion such as vulnerable groups.
Purposes:
The main goal of the European Commission by launching this call for proposal is to implement the 2019 Work Programme of Eu level networks or NGOs whom with it concluded a Framework Partnership Agreement. Thus, this call for proposal concerns networks and NGOs who concluded such agreement with the European Commission at the end of 2017 in response to the call for proposals VP/2017/015 (EaSI - Establishment of 4-years framework partnership agreements to support EU-level networks active in the areas of social inclusion and poverty reduction or microfinance and social enterprise finance & Operating grants for 2018)
Two areas of work are targeted: Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction as well as Microfinance and Social Enterprise Finance.
As far as the first area is concerned, the focus is made on reforming the social protection framework. Thus, as the labour landscape is mutating with the appearance of new forms such as self-employment, the social protection framework needs to be widened. Another important field is monitoring social progress to keep track of the programme efficiency and thus the priorities. Then, finally, the challenge is to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, recently consecrated as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In order to support domestic measures taken by the Member States regarding these fields, the European Commission has numerous channels: exchanges best practices, expertise, sharing and policy guidance through the European Semester and its specific recommendations.
Concerning the financial side, new forms of work, like entrepreneurship or self-employment are emerging in the EU. It represents a great source of dynamism in the EU growth. However, they face many issues and among them the access to finance. Thus, the EU is strengthening its support for a better access for social enterprise and SMEs through, among other channels, the microfinance.
Activities to be funded:
The activities potentially fundable by this grant are the following:
- Analytical activities such as collection of data, building a database, conducting surveys, mapping.
- Training activities: seminars, staff exchanges, summer schools, workshops.
- Actions aiming at the creation and improving of networks, mutual learning, cooperation, awareness raising and dissemination activities.
This list being not exhaustive.
The application deadline is the 24th of September 2018.
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