Call

ESF-SI-2025-DEP-01

Published: June 3, 2025

Closing: 30 October 2025 17:00:00 CET

Implementing the Disability Employment Package – Innovative Approaches to Improve Labour Market Outcomes for Persons With Disabilities  

This call supports transnational projects under the ESF+ Social Innovation Plus Initiative that aim to transfer or scale up social innovations referenced in the Disability Employment Package. The goal is to improve the labour market outcomes of persons with disabilities by providing guidance and good practices for employers, employers’ associations, and public authorities, as well as by raising awareness about persons with disabilities and by combating stereotypes.

With an estimated budget of EUR 10 million, this call will support transnational projects that are based on one or more practices from the Disability Employment Package and demonstrate their potential to foster employment inclusion by addressing unmet social needs and systemic barriers. 

Specific practices to be transferred or scaled up are presented in six thematic deliverables of the Disability Employment Package: 

  • strengthening the capacities of employment and integration services,  
  • promoting hiring perspectives through affirmative action, and combating stereotypes, 3) ensuring reasonable accommodation,  
  • securing health and safety at work in case of chronic diseases, work accidents or disabilities,  
  • ensuring vocational rehabilitation schemes, and  
  • exploring quality jobs in sheltered employment and pathways to the open labour market.

Timeline of the Call

3 June 2025

25 June 2025

5 PM CET, 30 October 2025

November-February 2026

June 2026

Who can apply: Only consortia are eligible.   

The consortium shall comprise a minimum of three eligible entities established in at least two different eligible countries, of which at least one entity should be a public authority. This public authority should: 

  • be established in the same country as the applicant or one of the co-applicants, and  
  • be responsible for implementing policies relevant to the objectives of the call, particularly in the areas of employment and disability.

Duration: The expected duration of a project is 18-24 months.

Grant amount: The estimated size of a grant is between EUR 500,000 to 1,000,000 per project (but this does not preclude the submission/selection of applications requesting other amounts), constituting not more than 80% of the project’s total budget. A co-financing of at least 20% must thus come from other resources than the EU budget.

The form of grant: a lump sum grant.   

Call documents: 

How to apply

All applications must be submitted directly online via the Portal eSInnis (Electronic Social Innovation Information System).

Paper applications are not accepted.  

The applications must be submitted before the Call deadline: 2025 October 30, 5:00 PM CET

Please note that the system will not allow you to submit an application after the deadline.  

Guides for applicants

For IT-related questions, please get in touch with us at IThelp@socialinnovationplus.eu    

For the Call related inquiries, please get in touch with us at DEP@socialinnovationplus.eu  

https://ec.europa.eu/european-social-fund-plus/en/esf-social-innovation

https://socialinnovationplus.eu

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