EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TIPS

This is the second webinar in a series called “How to build a corporate immune system for the crisis”, which was developed as a direct response to the challenges the COVID-19 outbreak has posed for many microfinance institutions.

• Session 3: Loan restructuring and refinancing policies and agreements – 16 April 2020 from 9:30 – 11:00 CET 
• Session 4: Amendments to lending policy for new products and online channels – 22 April 2020 from 13:00 – 14:30 CET
• Session 5: Risk management for beginners and back-up staff – 23 April 2020 from 11:00 – 12:30 CET
• Session 6: Financial planning and financial modelling – 29 April 2020 from 11:00 – 12:30 CET

In line with the objectives of the EaSI programme, the new EaSI Funded Instrument seeks to improve access to finance for micro-enterprises (including the self-employed and those that employ vulnerable people) and social enterprises in order to create jobs and support social inclusion.

The EaSI Funded Instrument provides senior and subordinated loans to eligible financial intermediaries in order to increase their capacity to provide financing to micro-enterprises and social enterprises, as well as mobilizing their own resources to grow their microfinance or social entrepreneurship portfolios.

The decision to provide EU financing will be made by the local financial institutions such as banks, venture capitalists or angel investors.

You have a right to get feedback from credit institutions on their credit decision. This can help you understand your financial position and improve your chances to obtain financing in the future. Use your right and refer to Article 431 of the EU Capital Requirements Regulation.

This call is intended to provide a financial support to finance pilot Joint Action Plans (JAPs), i.e.
- a set of complementary actions which are carried out by at least two organisations under the responsibility of the beneficiary with the aim to address a challenge identified in the pilot JAP areas (see below)
- based on an intervention logic, providing a logical link between the development needs, objectives, outputs and results with milestones and targets, and (types of) projects envisaged
- with a reimbursement of costs on the basis of actually achieved outputs and/or results.

The mix of output and/or results indicators may differ between and within proposals. It is possible for some project costs to be proposed to be reimbursed primarily based on actually achieved outputs, and for others to be reimbursed primarily based on actually achieved results, or a combination of both.

Pilot JAP areas:
The pilot JAPs to be financed under the call shall aim
- to support the achievement of a Member State’s Country Specific Recommendations2 relevant to the investment priorities listed under Article 3 (a) to (c) of Regulation (EU) 1304/2013
- and/or to support the Commission’s policy initiatives relating to Long Term Unemployment, Youth Unemployment, Integration of Migrants and the Skills Agenda.

Deadline: 19/07/2018 

Deadline: 18/04/2018 

Aim of the call:

- to support governmental and non-governmental actors, and social partners in delivering on the rights and principles set out in the Pillar through social innovation and national policy reforms as regards reconciling work and private life.

- funding projects to develop, test, and implement innovative work-life balance strategies in the workplace.

The purpose of these strategies is to facilitate the reconciliation of work and private life through supporting a more equal share of care responsibilities between working women and men, thereby encouraging a higher participation of women in the labour market.

The objective of the call is to ensure the continuity of the preparatory action for the second year. The action aims to test the feasibility of an intra-EU job mobility scheme for the age group above 35 for the placement of EU citizens over 35 years in jobs, traineeships or apprenticeships in an EU country other than their country of residence. The action will prioritise citizens who are in a vulnerable situation in the labour market, notably unemployed people, including long-term unemployed. Projects can cover all economic sectors and types of occupations, though specific sectors may be given priority by the applicant organisations in accordance with the demand side or the supply side needs.

Deadline:23/06/2017

Objectives: include measures and initiatives to strengthen the capacity of workers' organisations to address, at EU/transnational level, changes in employment and work and social dialogue related challenges, such as: modernisation of the labour market, job creation and job matching, quality of work, anticipation, preparation and management of change and restructuring, digitalisation of the economy and society, the greening of the economy, flexicurity, skills, (intra-EU) labour mobility, migration, youth employment, health and safety at work, modernisation of social protection systems, reconciliation of work and family life, gender equality, action in the field of anti-discrimination, active ageing, healthier and longer working lives, active inclusion and decent work. 

Reminder deadline: 15/05/17

Objectives:

• Strengthen ownership of EU objectives and coordination of action at EU and national level in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion
• Support the development of adequate social protection systems and labour market policies
• Modernise EU legislation and ensure its effective application
• Promote geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities by developing an open labour market
• Increase the availability and accessibility of microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises, and increase access to finance for social enterprises

Deadline:15/04/17

The objective of the call for proposals is to contribute to the development of a social finance market, by designing and launching financial instruments for social enterprises and, at the
same time, generating effective demand for social finance among social enterprises by developing their “investment readiness”.

Two strands of action are planned:

• one aimed at enabling the first steps towards the establishment of social finance partnerships and
• one targeting more advanced stages of development, in view of launching a financial instrument or mechanism.

The call also encourages learning from different models and good practices in developing and enhancing social finance across the Union, through organised sharing and disseminating of expertise and experience.

The general objective is to contribute to the reduction of work-related MSDs in the EU, by promoting better enforcing requirements and reducing exposure to related risk factors. The campaign should address the importance of implementing a holistic approach for the prevention of work-related MSDs, taking into account aspects such as risk assessment, health surveillance, training, employee information
and consultation, ergonomic work systems and the prevention of fatigue.

Participation, and hence the chances of success, depends heavily on the themes and objectives of the call for proposals. Some calls can be very specific and targeted leading to a lower interest to participate and therefore less competition.

The average success rate of (see the chart) is quite high. However, most calls are open to a restricted audience only, increasing the chance of receiving a grant for those organisations that qualify for these calls.

General objective
This call will be used to finance consultations, meetings, negotiations and other actions as outlined in the European Commission's Communication on The European social dialogue, a
force for innovation and change (COM(2002)341), the Communication on Partnership for change in an enlarged Europe – Enhancing the contribution of European social dialogue
(COM(2004)557) and the Commission Staff Working Document on the Functioning and  potential of European sectoral social dialogue (SEC(2010)964).

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This call aims to ensure the continuity of the preparatory action for the third year.
The objective of the action is to test the feasibility of an intra-EU job mobility scheme for the age group above 35 years, with a particular focus on unemployed citizens, including long-term unemployed. Similar to the targeted mobility scheme "Your first EURES job"(YFEJ) helping young jobseekers under 35s, “Reactivate” intends to help adults to find employment or traineeship opportunities in other EU countries and foster their full integration into the labour market.The action aims to improve the conditions for jobseekers and workers to exercise their right of freedom of movement across the EU and to address labour markets' imbalances and skills shortages.

Deadline:05 September 2018 Swim, Courier and Post: 24:00
Brussels time (CET)
Hand deliveries 16:00 Brussels 

The objective of the call is to test a transaction cost support scheme in the form of a grant to be combined with financial instruments as a means to address the mismatch of needed and sustainable ticket sizes. More particularly, it aims at catalysing smaller risk-capital investments of below EUR 500 000 that otherwise would not happen.
The grant is aimed at financial intermediaries that undertake long term risk capital investments in ticket sizes of less than EUR 500 000 in the form of equity, quasi-equity, or hybrid financing to social enterprises in the EaSI Participating Countries.

The main purpose of this call is to support the upskilling of adults with low levels of basic skills or low qualifications11 by assisting public authorities in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on “Upskilling Pathways”.

The main objective of the call is to support the successful implementation of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways, thereby facilitating the access of low skilled and / or low qualified adults to flexible pathways for enhancing their literacy, numeracy and digital skills and/or progressing towards a higher qualification and re-engaging them in learning - as part of a New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment, one of the ten priorities of President Juncker's Political Guidelines and as part of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, launched by the Commission on 10 June 2016.

Info day webinar on 16 May 2017, from 14:00 to 16:00 (Brussels time): https://eu1.bbcollab.com/site/external/launch/meeting.jnlp?sid=2014023&password=M.6B18297F7103FCD31892315BFDA175

Deadline: 30/06/2017 

The main objective of this call for proposals is to complement and add value to the activities indicated in the work programme of the European Platform tackling undeclared work. Other objectives are to develop and fund initiatives which shall contribute to enhancing the implementation, application, knowledge and better enforcement of EU and national law in the area of undeclared work, thus contributing to the reduction of undeclared work and to the emergence of the formal jobs. The knowledge gained from these projects should also help building up evidence-based knowledge for better policy design.

Deadline: 12 June 2017