Unlike the other strand of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) the bulk of the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand is managed by the services of the European Commission. This direct management implies that the European Commission launches the calls for proposals to award grants to projects as well as calls for tenders to award service and/or supply contracts. The Commission could also award prizes. International organisations implement a small part of the programme under indirect management.

The activities are described in the annual work programmes, drafted following consultation with the EU Member States and stakeholders, including representatives of civil society.

The EaSI Technical Working Group under the ESF+ committee (EaSI TWG) is composed of government representatives of the Member States and the European Commission. The EaSI TWG discusses the implementation of the EaSI strand, in particular its work programmes.  More information on the EaSI TWG can be found on EaSI in your country page.

The EaSI annual work programmes can be found here.

What grants and tenders are

A grant is a financial contribution to support projects or organisations which further EU interests or help implement an EU programme or policy. Grants are awarded following calls for proposals, unless the beneficiary is the only one who can or may perform the action. Such exceptions appear in the earlier mentioned work programmes.

The calls for proposals are published on the Funding and Tenders portal.

Public procurement is used by the Commission for the purchase of services and supply necessary to the implementation of the programme, including mostly intellectual services (statistical or audit reports, consultancy work, communication material, translation, etc.)

The tenders launched under EaSI are published here ;   and the big procurements are also published in the supplement of the Official Journal of the EU and at the EU institutions’ eProcurement platform:  Ted – tenders electronic daily

Who can participate

Tenders are awarded following the public procurement rules deriving from the World Trade Organisation. Access is open to all entities established in the member States and third countries covered under an international or bilateral agreement.

As concerns grants participation in EaSI calls for proposals is open to persons and organisations from the following countries:

• EU Member States (and their overseas countries and territories);
• EEA countries, in accordance with the EEA Agreement;
• EU acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidate countries, in line with the framework agreements concluded with them;
• Third countries having signed an agreement to participate in the strand or a third country listed in the EaSI work programme, if necessary for the achievement of the objectives of an action. However, in the latter case, organisations established in such non EU country should in principle bear the cost of their participation.

Finally, EaSI is also open to any legal entity created under Union law or any international organisation.