Notice deadline: by 15 September 2026
The Citizens program, Equality, Rights and Values (DEER) con € 26 millions promotes interventions to strengthen the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and promote an enabling and safe civic space for civil society organizations.
Territory of intervention: Activities to be carried out in EU member states (including Overseas Countries and Territories). National or transnational projects (strongly encouraged).
Direct recipients:
- Civil society organizations (CSO)
- Human rights defenders
- National Institutions for Human Rights (NHRIs)
- Equality bodies and ombudsmen
- Public authorities (national/regional/local)
- Marginalized/vulnerable citizens and groups
Proposing subjects: Responsible party (Leader)
- NGO/Sector III entity
- EU countries
- You can submit ONLY ONE proposal in this call (under penalty of rejection)
Partner subjects:
EU countries and eligible EU countries – associated third parties.
Mandatory partnership:
- no restrictions on participation in multiple projects;
- Co-applicants: public or private bodies, profit o non-profit
- A proportion between profit and non-profit entities must be respected
- Partnerships with (associated third countries) strongly encouraged
- Networks with NHRIs, equality bodies, Ombuds institutions benvenute
The requirements are necessary:
- Be registered in the Participant Register and have PIC
- Verify absence of EU sanctions and conditionality measures
- Compliance with EU values (Art. 2 TUE) and ethical standards
- Mandatory gender mainstreaming and non-discrimination
- Child safeguarding policy (if activities with minors <18 years)
Type of interventions (choose ONLY 1 topic):
TOPIC 1: CERV-2026-CHAR-LITI-CHARTER
Raising awareness and capacity building on the EU Charter
- Awareness raising su: Paper in general, specific rights, field of application (Art. 51), available remedies
- Training and train-the-trainer for professionals (lawyers, communicators, policy advisers)
- CSO-NHRIs-public authorities cooperation
- Mutual learning and exchange of good practices
- Collection of data disaggregated by sex and creation of database
- Communication and dissemination
TOPIC 2: CERV-2026-CHAR-LITI-CIVIC
Promotion of enabling and safe civic space
- Monitoring: systematic systems based on existing indicators (FROM, international organizations)
- CSO/HRD protection: concrete support (canali reporting, legal/psychological assistance, emergency funding, cybersecurity)
- Strategic litigation: capacity building on enforcement Charter and strategic approaches (also SLAPP contrast)
- National/transnational coordination platforms
- Training on communication and advocacy
Eligible expenses:
- Personnel costs: employees, consultants, volunteers (unit cost), SME owners (unit cost)
- Subcontracting: max 30% (justify if superior)
- Travel and subsistence: unit costs according to Decision C(2021)35
- Equipment: strictly necessary
- Other goods/services: materials, functional services for the project
- Indirect costs: flat rate 7% on eligible direct costs (excluding volunteers)
- Communication and dissemination: information materials, public events
Use: NO creation of new websites (only existing sites/social networks)
Ineligible expenses:
- Financing to a person not participating in the network (grant a sub-beneficiary)
- Creation of new websites dedicated to the project
- Costs without actual outlay (valorisation of volunteering, real estate, ordinary users)
- VAT for public bodies
- Preliminary design costs
- Depreciation
- Costs that generate profit
- Double EU funding
Resources available: € 26.000.000 total
- Topic CHARTER: € 9.500.000
- Topic CIVIC: € 16.500.000
(The Commission reserves the right to redistribute between topics based on the quality of the proposals)
- Contribution required Minimum: € 75.000
- Massimo: no roof (subject to available budget)
- EU financing rate: 90% of eligible costs
- Mandatory co-financing: minimum 10%
Project duration: 12-24 months
