New Call: Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems and supporting access to the labour market for Roma NEETs

The European Commission and the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation launched a new transnational Call: ‘Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems and supporting access to the labour market for Roma NEETs’ under the European Social Fund+ Social Innovation+ initiative. 

This Call aims to support the implementation of the first EU Anti-poverty Strategy adopted by the European Commission by supporting vulnerable children, in line with the objectives and actions set in the Communication on ‘Breaking the cycle of child poverty – strengthening the European Child Guarantee‘, and to support vulnerable youth, in line with the Council Recommendation of 30 October 2020 on a reinforced Youth Guarantee.

The Call will support social innovations that strengthen the governance and implementation of the European Child Guarantee to ensure children in need have access to key services, while also targeting a particularly vulnerable group, Roma youth aged 15 to 29 who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs), to help them break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by improving their access to employment and self-employment opportunities.

This Call comprises of two strands:  

1. Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems 
2. Supporting access to the labour market for Roma NEETs 

Strand I ‘Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems‘

Under the Strand I ‘Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems, the Call will aim to support transnational projects which target testing new approaches and transferring or scaling up social innovations that strengthen the governance and implementation of the European Child Guarantee, ensuring children in need have access to key services.

Applicants are encouraged to propose activities best suited to their specific context, however the following activities should be covered:

1. Identification and framing of challenges to establishing and delivering integrated service delivery models.
2. Scaling up the integrated service delivery models of the ECG and improving outreach to children in need. 
3. Piloting integration of services on the ground for a specific target group (as mentioned in paragraph 5 of the ECG Recommendation) through testing or scaling-up a viable solution for integrated delivery of services. 
4. Scaling-up: identifying proven social innovation models, designing effective method(s) for scaling up and working towards mainstreaming social innovation. If the project involves social experimentation, activities should include developing an actionable strategy on supporting the replication, expansion, or integration of the selected method into the activities of key stakeholders relevant to the ECG.
5. Improving monitoring and evaluation systems to allow for evidence-based policy–making (in relation to policies impacting disadvantaged children). Where projects involve a testing component, they should include a proportionate evaluation methodology to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, with a view to informing possible future upscaling.
6. Promoting mutual learning in addressing child poverty and monitoring across the participating EaSI countries. 
7. Participation in mutual learning events organised by the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation.

Expected Outcomes. Applicants, applying under Strand I, should demonstrate in their projects a focus on achieving the desired outcomes, specifically by targeting the following areas:

1.Strengthened governance and coordination for the implementation of the ECG, for instance:

• Strengthened role and capacity of national ECG coordinators and relevant public bodies.
• Improved central coordination mechanisms for policies addressing child poverty.
• Increased collaboration and capacity building among relevant stakeholders (e.g. public bodies, service providers, civil society, NGOs, the private sector, and research institutions).

2. Improved access to and integration of services for children in need, for instance:

• Improved integrated delivery of key services (e.g. education, healthcare, nutrition, and housing).
• Reduced administrative and structural barriers to accessing services.
• Increased reach and coverage of services for children in need.
• Concrete support provided to a defined number of children.
• Better coordination between service providers leading to more effective support.
• Identification and support of innovative solutions for the transition of (vulnerable) children to adulthood.

3. Evidence-based policy recommendation, for instance:

• Strengthened use of data and monitoring systems to inform policy decisions.
• Developed policy recommendations based on project results.
• Clear contribution to policy reform improving the implementation of the European Child Guarantee.
• Adapted/ transferred social innovation models (e.g. documented for further replication).

Eligibility:
Only consortia are eligible to apply, and the coordinator must be a national Child Guarantee Coordinator established in an EU Member State. Each coordinator may submit only one application. All applicants and co-applicants must have a clear mandate to address child poverty, as demonstrated in their founding documents.

Consortia:
Consortia must include at least three organisations (one coordinator and at least two co-applicants) representing at least two different eligible countries. The partnership must include at least one additional national Child Guarantee Coordinator (or equivalent body as explained in the Call Conditions) and at least one regional or local public authority or non-governmental, non-profit organisation working on child poverty. Additional co-applicants or associated partners may be included but the associated partners do not count toward the minimum requirements for the consortium.

Strand II ‘Supporting access to the labour market of Roma NEETs’

Under the Strand II ‘Supporting access to the labour market of Roma NEETs’, the Call will aim to support transnational social experimentation projects which test innovative approaches to improve Roma NEETs’ access to employment through tailored activation strategies. 

Applicants are encouraged to propose activities best suited to their specific context, however the following key activities shall be covered in each proposal:   

1. Mapping of the specific problems and challenges faced by Roma NEETs. 
2. Designing a tailored job pathway support and activation model for Roma NEETs through strengthened stakeholder collaboration. 
3. Reaching out and matching
4. Activities supporting employment or self-employment of the target group.
5. Activities related to skilling. 
6. Selecting an effective method for scaling-up the social experimentation tested through the project and defining a scaling-up strategy. 
7. Monitoring and evaluation systems. 
8. Raising awareness. 
9. Participation in mutual learning events organised by the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation.  

Expected Outcomes. Applicants should demonstrate in their projects a focus on achieving the desired outcomes, specifically by targeting the following areas:

• Improved access to employment and self-employment for Roma NEETs.  
• Job retention of Roma NEETs for a minimum period of six months. 
• Evidence-based policy recommendations for more Roma-inclusive active labour market policies (covering also improved outreach models for the target group, including through the use of IT tools for a holistic approach). 

Eligibility:
Only consortia are eligible to apply, and the coordinator must be either an EU-level network or a national-level Roma organisation established as a non-profit legal entity in an EU Member State, with a primary mission focused on Roma rights and policy engagement. This mission must be clearly demonstrated through founding documents submitted with the application, registered or in force by March 2026. Each organisation may participate as coordinator in only one consortium.

Consortia:
Consortia must include at least three organisations (one coordinator and at least two co-applicants) representing at least two different eligible countries. They must include at least one PES, job centre, private employment agency, national, regional, or local public authority engagedin policies for Roma NEETs established in the same country as the coordinator, and at least one additional eligible entity – such as a company, NGO, education provider, or public authority – from another EU Member State or eligible listed third country. Additional organisations may participate as co-applicants or associated partners, but associated partners do not count toward the minimum requirements for the consortium.

Duration: The expected duration of projects is 18 – 24 months.

Grant amount: The estimated size of a grant is between EUR 800 000 and EUR 2 000 000 per project (but this does not preclude the submission/selection of applications requesting other amounts), constituting no more than 80% of the total project budget.  A co-funding of at least 20% must thus come from sources other than the EU budget.

Form of grant: a lump sum grant.   

The Social Innovation Match (SIM) is a platform where you can explore inspirational examples of successful social innovation initiatives and connect with future partners. For those seeking potential transnational partners, SIM offers the opportunity to identify organisations whose work can inspire and contribute to collaborative efforts across the European Union. 

The Call closes on 30 September 2026 at 5.00 PM CEST. For further details and application materials, visit the official call page here.