Deadline: 25 September 2019
The European Commission-Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion is accepting proposals for its “Operating Grants 2020 to EU level networks having signed a framework partnership agreement for the period 2018-2021 and being active in the area: rights of persons with disabilities”.
The objective of the call is to promote, protect and monitor the rights of persons with disabilities, to ensure that people with disabilities can fully enjoy their rights.
Main Purposes
- This call for proposals aims to provide specific operating grants for the year 2020 to European networks having signed a Framework Partnership Agreements 2018-2021 with the European Commission.
- The 4-year Framework Partnership Agreements established cooperation between the European Commission and European networks whose statutory aim is to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. The agreements set out the framework conditions governing potential specific operating grants, and include for each partner a 4- year strategic plan.
- The specific operating grants will enhance the capacities of the networks to contribute actively to the development and implementation of all relevant policies. The grants will fund operating costs and those activities of the networks which have EU added value and which contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the REC Programme for the year 2020.
Priorities
More specifically, the activities of the applicant should contribute to one or more of the following priorities:
- Supporting the implementation of the priorities of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, taking into account both the Progress Report on its implementation and the main results of the public consultation as mentioned above;
- Contributing to the evaluation process of the European Disability Strategy 2010- 2020;
- Contributing to the reflection on the post-2020 European disability strategic framework;
- Contributing to the study of the EU Disability Card project, its promotion and possible follow up
- Contributing to the implementation of the UNCRPD and promoting the involvement of the national member organisations in the implementation;
- Supporting the human rights model of disability, including in disability assessment and determination as well as in social protection matters;
- contributing to awareness-raising activities that would be launched by the Commission in the disability area;
- Supporting and contributing to implement the UN Concluding Observations of the report on the implementation of the UNCRPD by the EU and to prepare the next reporting exercise;
- Supporting the achievement of the Europe 2020 strategy targets on employment, poverty and social exclusion, and education as well as possible follow up initiatives;
- Supporting the development, implementation and monitoring of EU and national policies and legislation in the area of disability, including the development of statistical data;
- Contributing to mainstreaming different aspects of disability matters in EU and national policies and legislation, particularly in the areas of accessibility, employment, education, social inclusion (including housing, homelessness, migration, child poverty), social protection, health (including mental health), human rights, international cooperation and development to make sure that the rights and needs of persons with disabilities are properly addressed;
- Supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, in particular the principle 17 on disability, and mainstreaming disability in all its relevant areas;
- Contributing to improving the accessibility of products and services, including by supporting the implementation of the European Accessibility Act and other EU accessibility legislation as well as with awareness-raising activities about these new legislations;
- Supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably those with a direct impact for people with disabilities;
- Supporting the main EU driven processes such as the European Semester in the disability area;
- Supporting and contributing to EU youth initiatives targeted at young people, including those with disabilities, to encourage inclusive education and training, access to employment, participation and independent living, and including new initiatives such as the European Solidarity Corps;
- Contributing to the development of specific policies relevant to disability in the area of independent living, in particular as regards the transition from institutional to community-based living.
Grant Information
The total budget earmarked for the EU co-financing of projects under this call is estimated at € 2,900,000.00 EUR.
Type of Activities
The types of activities which may be funded under this call for proposals include:
- Analytical activities, such as the collection of data and statistics; the development of common methodologies and, where appropriate, indicators or benchmarks; studies, researches, analyses and surveys; evaluations; the elaboration and publication of guides, reports and educational material; workshops, seminars, experts’ meetings and conferences;
- Training activities, such as staff exchanges, workshops, seminars, train-the-trainer events and the development of online training tools or other training modules;
- Mutual learning, cooperation, awareness-raising and dissemination activities, such as the identification of, and exchanges concerning, good practices, innovative approaches and experiences; the organisation of peer reviews and mutual learning; the organisation of conferences, seminars, media campaigns, including in the online media, information campaigns, including institutional communication on the political priorities of the Union as far as they relate to the objectives of the Programme; the compilation and publication of materials to disseminate information about the Programme and its results; the development, operation and maintenance of systems and tools using information and communication technologies;
- Management activities to support the operations of the network as well as capacity building for its members.
In order to ensure an inclusive perspective, beneficiaries shall encourage the participation ofrelevant target groups in actions financed by the Programme, and in particular of people with disabilities, their families and representative organisations.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility of the applicants
- Proposals can only be submitted by organisations having signed a Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Commission following the 2017 Call for Proposals establishing four-year Framework Partnership Agreements for the period 2018-202114.
- For British Applicants: please be aware that eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. If the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU during the grant period without concluding an agreement with the EU ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, British beneficiaries will cease to receive EU funding (while continuing, where possible, to participate) or be required to leave the project on the basis of the Framework Partnership Agreement.
- Geographical Location
- To be eligible, actions must be fully carried out in eligible participating REC countries:
- EU Member State;
- Iceland and Liechtenstein;
- Serbia (an Agreement between the European Union and Serbia on the participation of Serbia in the REC programme was signed on 16.07.2018).
- Activities taking place in other countries are therefore not eligible in this Call for proposals. However, where the Beneficiary can adequately justify that participation in such activities are fundamental for the implementation of its annual work programme and maximise its European added value, and where they contribute to achieving the objectives of the funding programme, related costs could be accepted as eligible provided that they are originated in a REC programme country, and subject to prior explicit approval by the Commission.
- To be eligible, actions must be fully carried out in eligible participating REC countries:
- Core activities
- The following activities are considered core activities and may not be subcontracted:
- Work Programme management
- The following activities are considered core activities and may not be subcontracted:
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=629&langId=en&callId=572&furtherCalls=yes