Call for Proposals: Migration Partnerships Grants

The Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) Call for Proposals 2026 provides funding for projects that strengthen migration cooperation between EU Member States and partner countries. Implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), the programme has an indicative budget of EUR 6 million and supports projects that improve migration governance, legal migration, asylum systems, reintegration, institutional capacity, and human rights-based migration management.

About the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) Call for Proposals 2026

The Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) is a European Union funding programme that promotes effective migration governance through partnerships between EU Member States and countries outside the European Union. The programme supports practical cooperation, institutional strengthening, and policy development to address migration challenges while promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration.

The initiative is implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) with financial support from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

The programme aligns with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and the European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy, helping partner countries strengthen migration systems while fostering sustainable international cooperation.

Funding Amount

The programme offers the following financial support:

• Indicative total programme budget: EUR 6 million
• Minimum grant request: EUR 200,000
• Maximum grant amount: Not specified
• EU co-financing: Up to 95% of eligible project costs
• Applicant contribution: At least 5% of eligible project costs from the applicant or other funding sources

Programme Objectives

The MPF Call for Proposals aims to:

• Strengthen migration cooperation between EU Member States and partner countries.
• Improve migration governance and institutional capacity.
• Support the implementation of the EU’s external migration policy.
• Promote safe, orderly, and regular migration.
• Strengthen asylum and migration management systems.
• Improve legal migration pathways and labour mobility.
• Enhance migrant protection and access to information.
• Foster sustainable migration partnerships.
• Promote human rights in migration governance.
• Support evidence-based migration policymaking.

Priority Areas

Projects may focus on one or more of the following areas:

• Migration management.
• Legal migration.
• Labour mobility.
• Migrant information services.
• Outreach and migrant protection.
• Migration policy development.
• Legal and regulatory frameworks.
• National migration strategies.
• Migration action plans.
• Institutional capacity building.
• Migration monitoring and data collection.
• Readmission and reintegration.
• Asylum policy and protection.
• Migration dialogue.
• Cross-border migration cooperation.
• Governance and institutional reform.
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Human rights-based migration management.
• Sustainability planning.
• Training-of-Trainers programmes.
• Monitoring and evaluation.

Eligible Activities

The programme supports a wide range of actions, including:

• Developing migration policies and legislation.
• Strengthening migration governance systems.
• Building institutional capacity.
• Training migration officials.
• Organizing migration dialogues.
• Conducting expert meetings.
• Hosting conferences and workshops.
• Carrying out study visits.
• Producing migration studies and research.
• Policy reviews and assessments.
• Institutional mapping exercises.
• Monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Promoting cooperation between partner institutions.
• Supporting readmission and reintegration systems.
• Enhancing asylum management.
• Developing governance structures.
• Establishing sustainable migration partnerships.

Projects should contribute to long-term institutional development and sustainable migration management.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include legally established organizations from EU Member States participating in AMIF, including:

• Public authorities.
• Government agencies.
• Non-profit organizations.
• Foundations.
• Universities.
• Research institutions.
• Private law bodies.
• Other eligible legal entities.

Applicants should demonstrate experience in migration, governance, institutional development, public administration, or related fields.

Partnership Requirements

Projects are expected to involve:

• At least one eligible EU Member State.
• At least one eligible partner country.

Partner countries may be located in:

• Southern Neighbourhood.
• Sub-Saharan Africa.
• South Asia.
• West Asia.
• Central Asia.

Strong collaboration with public authorities and partner-country institutions is highly encouraged to ensure sustainable implementation and policy impact.

Eligible Costs

Grant funding may support eligible expenses such as:

• Personnel costs.
• Project management.
• Capacity-building activities.
• Training programmes.
• Research and studies.
• Workshops and conferences.
• Travel directly related to project implementation.
• Monitoring and evaluation.
• Communication and outreach.
• Limited equipment that is essential for project implementation.

All costs must comply with the programme’s eligibility rules.

Ineligible Activities

The programme does not support:

• Projects focused solely on scholarships.
• Conference participation without broader project objectives.
• Activities better suited for other European Union funding programmes.
• Non-essential equipment purchases.
• Activities that fall outside the programme’s migration priorities.

Applicants should carefully review the funding guidelines to ensure project eligibility.

Human Rights-Based Approach

A key requirement of the programme is integrating a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) throughout project implementation.

Projects should:

• Respect international human rights standards.
• Protect migrants’ rights and dignity.
• Promote equality and non-discrimination.
• Encourage inclusive participation.
• Strengthen accountability and transparency.
• Support vulnerable migrant populations.

Embedding human rights principles across all project activities is expected to improve both effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

How to Apply

Organizations interested in applying should follow these steps.

1. Review the official MPF Call for Proposals guidelines.
2. Confirm organizational and partnership eligibility.
3. Establish collaboration with at least one eligible EU Member State and one partner-country organization.
4. Develop a project aligned with the programme priorities.
5. Prepare a detailed implementation plan and work schedule.
6. Develop a realistic budget that includes the required co-financing contribution.
7. Demonstrate governance arrangements, sustainability measures, and human rights integration.
8. Complete the official application form.
9. Submit all required supporting documentation before the application deadline.
10. Respond to any requests for clarification during the evaluation process if required.

Application Components

A strong proposal should generally include:

• Organizational information.
• Partnership details.
• Project description.
• Needs assessment.
• Objectives and expected outcomes.
• Work plan.
• Governance framework.
• Sustainability strategy.
• Human Rights-Based Approach.
• Monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Budget and budget justification.
• Risk management plan.

Selection Criteria

Applications are expected to be assessed based on:

• Relevance to programme priorities.
• Quality of project design.
• Strength of partnerships.
• Institutional capacity.
• Sustainability.
• Governance arrangements.
• Human rights integration.
• Cost-effectiveness.
• Feasibility.
• Expected policy and institutional impact.

Projects demonstrating strong cooperation between EU and partner-country institutions are likely to be more competitive.

Why This Funding Opportunity Matters

Migration is a global issue requiring coordinated international action. The Migration Partnership Facility helps governments and organizations build stronger migration systems while promoting safe, legal, and rights-based migration.

The programme contributes to:

• Better migration governance.
• Stronger institutional cooperation.
• Improved asylum systems.
• Increased legal migration opportunities.
• Enhanced labour mobility.
• Better protection for migrants.
• Stronger migration policies.
• Sustainable reintegration programmes.
• Regional and international cooperation.
• Long-term institutional resilience.

By supporting collaborative projects, the programme strengthens migration management both within and beyond the European Union.

Common Application Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid these common mistakes.

• Applying without the required international partnership.
• Failing to demonstrate policy relevance.
• Providing weak governance arrangements.
• Omitting sustainability planning.
• Ignoring human rights considerations.
• Preparing unrealistic budgets.
• Submitting incomplete documentation.
• Proposing activities outside the programme’s migration priorities.
• Failing to explain long-term institutional impact.

A successful proposal should clearly demonstrate strong partnerships, practical implementation, measurable outcomes, and sustainable institutional development.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) Call for Proposals 2026?

It is a European Union funding programme that supports projects strengthening migration cooperation between EU Member States and partner countries through improved governance, institutional capacity, and policy development.

How much funding is available?

The programme has an indicative budget of EUR 6 million. Individual projects must request at least EUR 200,000, while no maximum grant amount has been specified.

What percentage of project costs can be funded?

The programme may finance up to 95% of eligible project costs. Applicants must provide the remaining 5% through their own resources or other funding sources.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include public bodies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, foundations, universities, private law bodies, and other legal entities established in eligible EU Member States participating in AMIF.

Which countries can participate?

Projects must involve at least one eligible EU Member State and one partner country from the Southern Neighbourhood, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, West Asia, or Central Asia.

What activities are supported?

The programme supports migration governance, legal migration, labour mobility, asylum systems, migration dialogue, institutional strengthening, policy development, capacity building, monitoring, reintegration, research, and human rights-based migration initiatives.

What makes a strong application?

Competitive applications demonstrate strong international partnerships, clear migration objectives, effective governance structures, sustainability measures, human rights integration, realistic budgets, and measurable long-term impact.

Conclusion

The Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) Call for Proposals 2026 provides significant funding opportunities for organizations working to strengthen migration cooperation between the European Union and partner countries. With an indicative budget of EUR 6 million and funding covering up to 95% of eligible project costs, the programme supports sustainable migration governance, institutional capacity building, legal migration pathways, asylum systems, and human rights-based migration management. Through cross-border collaboration and long-term partnerships, the initiative contributes to more effective, coordinated, and resilient migration systems that benefit both EU Member States and partner countries.