This staff working document presents the main findings of the ex-post evaluation of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) for the 2014–2020 period.

FEAD supported efforts to alleviate the worst forms of poverty in the EU, such as food deprivation, child poverty and homelessness. With a total value of €5.2 billion (including national allocations and REACT-EU funding), the Fund delivered food and basic material assistance in 23 Member States and supported social inclusion programmes in 4.

The evaluation also looks at how FEAD adapted to new challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It highlights the role of the Fund in reaching people most in need and its integration into the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for 2021–2027.