Deadline: 18-Sep-25
The European Commission (EC) has launched the call for proposals to promote Civil Society Organisations’ Awareness of, capacity building and implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Objectives
Protecting, promoting and raising awareness of fundamental rights by providing financial support to civil society organisations active at local, regional, national and transnational level in promoting and cultivating those rights, thereby also strengthening the protection and promotion of Union values and respect for the rule of law and contributing to the construction of a more democratic Union, democratic dialogue, transparency and good governance.
This call for proposals will support several EU policy initiatives, including: the Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU, the European democracy action plan, the EU citizenship Package.
Themes and Priorities (Scope)
This call for proposals will promote the founding rights and values of the Union by building primarily civil society organisations’ awareness on and capacity to apply the Charter and to carry out activities to ensure that the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter are upheld. Projects can be national or transnational. Transnational projects are particularly encouraged.
Each project application under this call must address only one of the following priorities. Applicants wishing to apply for more than one priority must submit a separate proposal under each priority.
Capacity building and awareness raising on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
Promoting rights and values by empowering the civic space
Strategic litigation
Strategic litigation involving the rights enshrined in the Charter contributes to a more coherent implementation and application of EU law and to the enforcement of individuals’ fundamental rights.
Protecting EU values and rights by combating hate speech and hate crime
Supporting an enabling environment for the protection of whistleblowers
Funding Information
- The estimated available call budget is EUR 18 000 000.
- CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI-CHARTER EUR 3 600 000
- CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI-CIVIC EUR 3 500 000
- CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI-LITIGATION EUR 2 400 000
- CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI-SPEECH EUR 6 000 000
- CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI-WHISTLE EUR 2 500 000
Duration
- Projects should normally range between 12 and 24 months.
Expected Impact
Capacity building and awareness raising on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
Increased awareness on the Charter and the fundamental rights it enshrines by CSOs, NHRIs, equality bodies, Ombuds institutions, other human rights defenders, and other relevant partners, including authorities at national, regional and local levels;
Increased capacity of the above actors to apply the Charter and the fundamental rights that the Charter enshrines in their daily work, including for instance through fundamental rights impact assessments and participatory mechanisms to strengthen the application of fundamental rights;
Improved cooperation between CSOs, NHRIs, equality bodies, Ombuds institutions, other human rights defenders and authorities at national, regional and local levels on fundamental rights issues;
Increased prevention of fundamental rights breaches and improved knowledge of available redress mechanisms, including – where relevant – the preliminary ruling mechanism under national and EU law, and how they can be used for the benefit of various rights holders and rights holder groups, including people and groups in vulnerable situations.
Promoting rights and values by empowering the civic space
Increased awareness about the situation of civic space in the EU Member States based on sound evidence and comparable indicators;
Strengthened relations and creation of networks among the actors protecting the civic space at local, national and European level, and between them and the national and European authorities;
Increased dialogue about the civic space, and increased public attention to the topic, and developed positive narratives towards CSOs and rights defenders protecting and promoting fundamental rights, rule of law and democracy;
More protected CSOs, their members and rights defenders working in a safe environment, including an increase in recourse to existing support services;
Increased reporting of attacks faced by the targeted actors and more prompt and targeted response.
Strategic litigation
Increased awareness and knowledge by legal professionals and practitioners in CSOs, NHRIs, Equality bodies, Ombuds institutions and other human rights defenders about EU law, including the Charter and its principles and articles and existing remedies and redress mechanisms to enforce them at national and European level;
Increased awareness and knowledge by the general public of their rights under EU law, including the Charter, existing remedies and redress mechanisms to enforce them at national and European level as well as awareness and knowledge of available support by legal professionals and practitioners;
Increased ability of CSOs, NHRIs, equality bodies and Ombuds institutions and other rights defenders to develop a litigation strategy and communicate and advocate around it and to bring strategic litigation cases before national courts and the European Court of Justice.
Protecting EU values and rights by combating hate speech and hate crime
Increased awareness about the societal effects of hate speech and hate crime, including more effective outreach to individuals and groups at risk of hate victimisation, thereby raising awareness of their rights, including through schools and educational activities;
Increased knowledge of EU and national hate crime and hate speech legislation;
Strengthened national or local actions to enhance the capacity of authorities, in particular law enforcement agencies, to detect bias indicators and to effectively investigate and prosecute offences, including through multistakeholder cooperation;
Enhanced hate crime recording and data collection methodologies.
Supporting an enabling environment for the protection of whistleblowers
Increased awareness and understanding by the general public and by potential whistleblowers of the existing reporting channels and procedures, as well as of the rights provided under the Directive on whistleblower protection, thus fostering an increased and effective implementation of the national laws transposing the Directive;
Increased capacity and knowledge of civil society and, where relevant, of other representatives, such as compliance officers, national authorities or practitioners active in the field of whistleblowing protection, to correctly apply the Directive’s rules addressed to private organisations and public entities;
Improved effectiveness and coherence of the Directive’s application, including through improved cooperation between national, regional or local authorities and civil society;
Enhanced data collection on whistleblower reports and cases of retaliation and enhanced capacity of the national systems to record whistleblower reports and cases and to assess the effectiveness of the national laws transposing the Directive.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible, the applicants (lead applicants ‘Coordinator’, co-applicants and affiliated entities) must:
For lead applicants (i.e. the ‘Coordinator’): be non-profit legal entities (private bodies);
For co-applicants: be non-profit or for-profit legal entities (public or private bodies). Organisations which are for profit may apply only in partnership with private non-profit organisations;
Be formally established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
For more information, visit EC.
