Main purpose: The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand under ESF+ – a European-level financing instrument managed directly by the European Commission – provides financial support to achieve: high employment levels, fair social protection, a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the future world of work, as well as inclusive and cohesive societies aiming to eradicate poverty.

The European Commission seeks to establish one National Contact Point for the EasI strand under ESF+ per country. These National Contact Points will inform (potential) beneficiaries and stakeholders about the EaSI strand, the opportunities available under the EaSI strand, and the application requirements to obtain funding under the EaSI strand. Moreover, the National Contact Points shall promote the projects that are currently being funded by the programme, as well as the result the programme achieved in the particular country. In addition, the National Contact Point might support other National Contact Points in their tasks. Ultimately, the National Contact Point should: raise awareness of the EaSI programme to increase the pool of potential applications, actively support the submission of better-quality proposals, disseminate funded projects’ results in such a manner that it facilitates their replication and scaling, and establish synergies with other EU funding programmes. To successfully reach these objectives, it will be paramount that the National Contact Point collaborates closely with the National Competence Centre for Social Innovation.

Concretely, National Contact Points must:

1. set up and run a helpdesk within three months from starting the implementation period, including establishing and maintaining a functional mailbox and dedicated phone number available 20 hours per week over 5 working days, maintaining a mailing list of stakeholders, answering questions from applicants and stakeholders, and interacting with the European Commission and disseminating European Commission information. Staff should be familiar with the EaSI strand and be able to communicate in English;
2. set up and run a functional website within three months from starting the implementation period. That website shall inform about the EaSI strand, its calls and projects, in the national language(s), contain contact details of the National Contact Point and be updated in a timely fashion with relevant European Commission information;
3. Organise and run at least two EaSI related events or webinars with a minimum of 15 participants and a minimum duration of 4 hours.

In addition, National Contact Points can receive a higher grant payment if organising one or more of the following activities:

1. Organising and running an additional EaSI related event or webinar in the same calendar year with a minimum of 15 participants and a minimum duration of 4 hours;
2. Attending an event which brings an added value for the implementation of the ESF+ EaSI strand;
3. Visiting an EaSI related project, which brings an added value for the implementation of the ESF+ EaSI strand;
4. Translation costs of EaSI related documents from the European Commission and calls for proposals into the national language(s), to be made available online;
5. Sending staff member for job shadowing to another National Contact Point, for a minimum of ten working days;
6. Receiving staff member for job shadowing from another National Contact Point, for a minimum of ten working days.

More information can be retrieved here.

Programme: European Social Fund+ (ESF)

Institution: European Commission (DG EMPL)

Deadline: 25 August 2021

Budget: 2 million EUR

Financing type: Action grant

Who is eligible: Individual applicants and consortia are both eligible.