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Call key data
Strengthening the remembrance of the Holocaust against Jewish people
Funding Program
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme
Call number
CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM-HOLOCAUSTJEW
deadlines
Opening
21.10.2026
Deadline
24.02.2027 17:00
Call budget
€ 14,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
min. € 50,000.00, max. € 500,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The Shoah is a defining legacy for the EU. Six million Jewish children, women and men were murdered, and all others were persecuted. While other groups were persecuted, the Nazis have set up across Europe and beyond a state policy with the sole aim to kill every single Jews they could find.
First-hand accounts of the Shoah continue to have the most powerful impact on following generations. As there are less and less survivors to share the story of their survival, the importance of memorial sites and education increases, as well as the work done by second and third generations of survivors and associations.
Call objectives
Current events show the instrumentalization of the Holocaust by Kremlin propaganda claiming to denazify Ukraine. In parallel, there is also an increasing politicization of the Holocaust in several EU Member States, and a tendency to minimize the atrocities of the Shoah. In addition, since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and the wars that ensued, we have seen a growing conflation of the Shoah with the conflicts in the Middle East. Citizens should be empowered to counter this conflation.
Holocaust distortion fuels antisemitism. In addition, hate speech relating to the condoning, denial or gross trivialisation of the Holocaust is criminalised under the Council Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.
Wounds of mass atrocities of the 20th century are still open today, fuelling divergences among Europeans. Free, open and independent research, education and memory on all aspects of the Shoah is essential to increase understanding. This implies exploring Europe’s negative history with the aim to reconcile divergent regional and national narratives related to the Shoah and its immediate aftermath.
European citizens should become ambassadors of this memory. Teachers, policymakers, university students (especially history students) could be among key target audiences and be empowered to develop a common European history, to counter historical falsification, distortion and inversion. Target groups could include local public authorities and policy makers, to raise awareness about their responsibility to safeguard the sites and combat antisemitism. Target groups could include newcomers and migrants that do not have a direct link with the Shoah. Target groups could also include journalists, to raise awareness about Holocaust distortion, Holocaust inversion and Holocaust-related contemporary events (such as for example Neo-Nazi marches).
In line with the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030), as well as with other key policy initiatives, this topic supports projects that can focus on developing networks of Young European Ambassadors to promote Shoah remembrance. This topic will also support projects that contribute to Holocaust sites especially regarding their educational purposes, and encourage cooperation with ESHEM, the network of European Sites of Holocaust Memory. Jewish communities are today small, as a direct consequence from the Holocaust. This results in direct responsibility to support Jewish life and raise awareness about Jewish presence in Europe.
Projects under this topic could focus on:
- Addressing how the Shoah took place, how the crimes were committed, which actors were involved, as well as pre-war and immediate postwar historical developments.
- Countering Holocaust denial, distortion, trivialisation and victims’ inversion. This includes countering false comparisons, antisemitic conspiracy theories, and conflation with the Middle East conflict.
- Monitoring and countering on the online sphere Holocaust distortion and inversion, as well as Nazi glorification. Addressing divergent and opposite national historical narratives, on regional basis, of the history of the Shoah, including parallelism with other negative common shared historical regional events.
- Promoting memory activism related to the Shoah including by supporting grassroot commemorative work.
- Digitalising historical material and testimonies of witnesses for education and training purposes.
- Shedding light on Jewish life before and after the Shoah.
- Raising awareness on Jewish life, history and culture, to contribute to strengthening multicultural European societies.
- Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day and national Holocaust remembrance days.
- Raise awareness on the Shoah and memorial sites at local level, including through visits of local authorities. Combating glorification of Nazism, countering neo-Nazis manifestations and activities.
- Promoting provenance research on looted art to foster awareness raising, mutual learning or training activities.
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Expected effects and impacts
- Contribution to the implementation of the policy initiatives supported by the call for proposals.
- Engagement of Europeans from different backgrounds – including young people and people who are multipliers (state administrators, law enforcement officials, members of the judiciary, policymakers, journalists, right-defenders, teachers, educators, etc) in advocating, strengthening and supporting democratic institutions and structures based on the rule of law.
- Serve the development of a common historical narrative, of a European culture of remembrance, including on Europe’s negative history.
- Improved recognition of the contribution and experiences of communities and minorities affected by racism in European history and contemporary societies.
- Digitisation of historical material and testimonies of eyewitnesses for education and training purposes.
- Inclusion of a European dimension in relevant national and international debates on important historical events and moments of recent European history.
- Facilitate debate on divergent and opposite national historical narratives, especially on common negative history, at regional and European levels, leading to creating a common shared history.
- Identification, safeguarding and availability in particular online, of archival material, testimonies and authentic sites for education purposes, commemoration and research.
- Engagement of Europeans in combating racism, antisemitism, antigypsyism, anti-Muslim hatred, LGBTIQ-phobia and all types of intolerance.
- Increased number of transnational coalitions on European memory.
- Enhanced combating of historical distortion, revisionism and negationism, including Holocaust denial, distortion and trivialization, and victims’ inversion.
- Stronger awareness of the contribution of minorities, such as Jews, Roma, Muslims, LGBTIQ+ people and other ethnic and racial minorities to the cultural richness, diversity and common history of Europe.
- Enhanced knowledge of the history of antisemitism and Jewish life in Europe.
- Enhanced knowledge of the history of antigypsyism and Roma culture in Europe.
- Ensure remembrance of victims of antigypsyism, violence and persecution throughout history.
- Enhanced knowledge of the history of LGBTIQ-phobia and LGBTIQ+ culture in Europe.
- Ensure remembrance of victims of LGBTIQ-phobia and related violence and persecution throughout history.
- Enhanced knowledge of the history and legacies of colonialism, enslavement and the slave trade and the overall historical roots of racism; recognition of the histories of People of African descents (PADs) in Europe.
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Expected results
Projects are expected to:
- Link different types of organisations to create synergies (between non-profit, grassroot, local, regional and national administration, academia, with museums, memorial and learning sites and educational institutions).
- Develop different types of activities (training activities, exhibitions, public debates, non-formal education, awareness raising, research, collection and digitisation of testimonies, publications, online tools, innovative and creative actions, etc.).
- Establish and conduct trainings for rights defenders, civil servants, members of the judiciary, law enforcement officials, journalists and policymakers, including on structural racism, unconscious bias, inclusive communication, anti-racism education and the prevention of racial discrimination and hate speech.
- Promote inclusive, participatory and forward-looking approaches to remembrance, with a focus on education, intergenerational dialogue, and outreach to diverse audiences.
- Establish and conduct education activities. Target groups can include pupils, students, young people, teachers, and other education professionals.
- Provide opportunities for inter-generational exchanges between witnesses and future generations.
- Support and empower memory activists and local grassroot organisations. local and community-based remembrance initiatives that contribute to anti-racism action at local level and strengthen cooperation between public authorities, civil society organisations and communities affected by racism.
- Involve people from different target groups and gender, including, where possible, people facing racism, antisemitism, antigypsyism, LGBTIQ-phobia or other forms of discrimination and intolerance, as well as newcomers and migrants.
- Promote media literacy, critical thinking and counter-narratives to challenge stereotypes, prejudice, racism and historical distortion, including in online environments.
- Projects should have a European dimension and preferably be implemented on a transnational level (involving the creation and operation of transnational partnerships and networks).
- Projects’ implementations are expected to promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming. This includes a gender analysis, mapping relevant gender-differences in the context of European Remembrance. To this end, applicants are encouraged to watch the recording of DG JUST online workshop on gender mainstreaming project proposals. Applicants are also encouraged to consult the key questions listed on the EIGE website when conducting their gender analysis. Unintended negative effects of the intervention on either gender should be avoided (do no harm approach). Applicants are expected to design and implement their communication and dissemination activities in a non-discriminatory and gender-sensitive way. The same applies to the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities. Applicants are also expected to integrate a gender-perspective across their communication, dissemination and monitoring in their proposals.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Ukraine (Україна)
eligible entities
Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- for lead applicants (i.e. the “Coordinator”): be non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or an international organisation;
- for co-applicants: be non-profit or for-profit legal entities (public or private bodies). Organisations which are for profit may apply only in partnership with public entities, private non-profit organisations, or with international organisations;
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries: countries associated to the CERV Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries).
Other eligibility conditions:
- Activities must take place in any of the eligible countries.
- The minimum grant requested cannot be lower than EUR 50.000
- Projects can be either national or transnational.
- The application must involve at least two applicants (lead applicant and at least one co-applicant, not being an affiliated entity or associated partner).
Specific cases and definitions
Natural persons - Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
International organisations - International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.
Entities without legal personality - Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
EU bodies - EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.
Programme Contact Points - Are eligible as coordinator or beneficiary in this call, if they have procedures to segregate the project management and the information provision functions and if they are able to demonstrate cost separation (i.e. that their project grants do not cover any costs which are covered by their other grant). This requires the following:
- use of analytical accounting which allows for a cost accounting management with cost allocation keys and cost accounting codes AND application of these keys and codes to identify and separate the costs (i.e. to allocate them to either one of the two grants)
- recording of all real costs incurred for the activities that are covered by the two grants (including the indirect costs)
- allocation of the costs in a way that leads to a fair, objective and realistic result.
Associations and interest groupings - Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’.
Countries currently negotiating association agreements - Beneficiaries from countries with ongoing negotiations for participation in the programme (see list of participating countries above) may participate in the call and can sign grants if the negotiations are concluded before grant signature and if the association covers the call (i.e. is retroactive and covers both the part of the programme and the year when the call was launched).
EU restrictive measures - Special rules apply for entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). Such entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
EU conditionality measures - Special rules apply for entities subject to measures adopted on the basis of EU Regulation 2020/2092. Such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc). Currently such measures are in place for Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain (see Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022).
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
project duration
between 12 and 24 months
Additional Information
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Calls for proposals section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals (including annexes and supporting documents) must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System (NOT the documents available on the Topic page — they are only for information).
Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:
- Application Form Part A - contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) the Lump Sum Budget * NEW * and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
- Application Form Part B - contains the technical description of the project (template to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded)
- Part C (KPI tool) - contains additional project data regarding the project’s contribution to EU programme key performance indicators (to be filled in directly online; all sections to be completed)
- mandatory annexes and supporting documents (templates to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded):
- list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years) (template available in Part B n/a for newly established organisations)
- For any participant organisation implementing activities involving children (persons under the age of 18):
- Private entities must provide their child protection policy (CPP) covering the four areas described in the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards.
- Public entities must provide a declaration of honour (template available here or to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System – completed and attached to the Application) or their child protection policy (CPP), if any (see section 6 Ethics and EU values).
- Other annexes will not be retained for consideration and will not be evaluated.
Proposals are limited to maximum 70 pages (Part B).
Call documents
Call Document CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM - ENCall Document CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM - EN(865kB)
Call Document CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM - DECall Document CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM - DE(686kB)
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