Call: Competence centres for social innovation

The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme is a financing instrument at EU level to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions.

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

• To be eligible, the consortium, must include a lead applicant and at least one co-applicant. The lead applicant and the coapplicant(s) must come from at least two EU Member States. 
• For every EU Member State covered, the consortium must include at least one Managing Authority of the European Social Fund or a (public or private) entity with an endorsement from the national Managing Authority confirming that it will recognise it as (part of the) competence centre for social innovation for that EU Member State. The purpose of the endorsement is to avoid multiple competing applications covering the same EU Member State. 
• Please note that the competence centre does not have to be one single organisation but can be formed by a network of several organisations. Organisations looking for partners, in view of submitting a joint proposal, can express their interest by returning the partner search form.