Funding Call on ‘Social Innovation and National Reforms’ for promoting Sustainable Employment and combating Social Exclusion

Deadline: 10 September 2019

European Union has launched a call for proposals on ‘Social Innovation and National Reforms’ to contribute to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy, by providing financial support for the Union’s objectives in terms of promoting a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions.

The social innovation activities supported under the call should aim to prepare and/or implement national policy reforms aimed at strengthening the adequacy, affordability and quality of LTC, including home care and community-based services.

Objectives

The objectives of this call are:

To develop and test innovative approaches to LTC provision with the aim to address the challenges of access, affordability, workforce, quality and sustainability of LTC;
To develop sustainable multi-level partnership models that would facilitate the implementation of social innovation in LTC provision;
To use social innovation in LTC policy planning and monitoring.

Actions

The innovative solutions to LTC to be developed under this call shall:

Be based on a user-centred approach;
Demonstrate a long-term vision based on a needs assessment and supported by an analysis of potential impact and sustainability;
Be supported by a robust and documented evaluation method and validation mechanisms;
Include mechanisms for transfer/replication, including with a view to potential up-scaling using EU funds or other sources of funding.

Expected Outcomes

Social innovation models in LTC, developed, tested and, if successful, prepared for mainstreaming on a larger scale;
Established multi-level partnerships in the area of LTC to facilitate the implementation of social innovation in LTC.

Funding Information

The total budget earmarked for the EU co-financing of projects under this call is estimated at 10 000 000 EUR.

Eligibility Criteria

Place of establishment
- Legal entities properly established and registered in the following countries are eligible as applicants:
  - EU Member States;
  - Iceland and Norway in accordance with the EEA Agreement;
  - Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey
Type of entities
- To be eligible, mono or lead applicant and co-applicants must be properly established and registered in one of the EaSI-PROGRESS participating countries. The applicants must fall in one of the following categories:
  - Public authorities or public agencies expressly mandated in writing by the competent public authorities to assume responsibility for the implementation of the action;
  - Non-profit organisations (private or public);
  - Research centers / institutes / higher education establishments;
  - Civil society organisations;
  - Social partner organisation at European, national or regional level.
Consortia
- Actions may involve consortia, which should have at least one applicant (lead or co-applicant), in charge of or involved in (meaning having a degree of responsibility for; or influence over) policy and actions for long-term care at national or regional level.
- If a proposal submitted by a single applicant is not considered to be eligible, the application will be rejected.
- For consortia, if the lead applicant is considered not to be eligible, the application will be rejected.
- If a co-applicant is considered not eligible, this organisation will be removed from the consortium and their costs/activities will be removed from the budget/project. The eligibility of the modified consortium will then be re-evaluated without them. If the application is accepted for funding, the work plan and budget will have to be adapted as appropriate.
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.