The ESF+ Support Centre provides on-demand technical support to strengthen the implementation of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) during the 2021 – 2027 programming period.
The services are delivered by the European Commission’s external contractor, ICF.
Who can benefit?
- Local, regional, national and intermediate bodies managing the ESF+ and other shared management funds in ESF+ policy areas
- Social partners and stakeholders involved in the implementation of the ESF+.
Services
The Support Centre helps organisations strengthen policy implementation and project management by providing practical knowledge, tailored expertise and opportunities for mutual learning.
The ESF+ Support Centre works through three complementary pillars.
- Pillar 1: Tailored support, including targeted capacity building, tailored trainings, and analytical support.
- Pillar 2: Transnational cooperation, including action learning sets, study visits, and meetings.
- Pillar 3: Peer-to-peer support, including learning visits.
Learn more about the ESF+ Support Centre's services in the sections below.
Learning visits
Have you identified an organisation you would like to learn from about specific practices or methods? Apply to a learning visit via the following form!
If you are interested in a learning visit but have not identified a hosting organisation yet, please consult:
ESF+ Success Stories – Visit the ESF+ website for examples of funded projects and ideas for collaboration.
Social Innovation Match Tool (SIM) – Browse innovative initiatives that may serve as inspiration.
Kohesio Website – Search a comprehensive database of projects funded under Cohesion Policy.
These visits can include various formats like field visits, workshops, and presentations, tailored to the visiting peers’ needs.
Focus of the visits
Organisations requesting peer-to-peer support define the focus and agendas of the visits. Depending on the needs they can cover:
- Thematic issues (e.g. youth employment, deinstitutionalisation, tackling early school leaving, etc.)
- Horizonal principles (e.g. gender equality, partnership principle, etc.)
- Administrative issues (e.g. indicators, monitoring and evaluation, simplified cost options, etc.)
- Other issues related to the ESF+ or other shared management funds supporting the implementation of specific objectives that contribute to a more social and inclusive Europe, the objectives related to Partnership and multi-level governance and the horizontal principles as defined in Articles 8 and 9 of the CPR, as well as the implementation of the social and employment activities funded under the JTF.
What is included and provided?
- Learning visits can last up to 2 days for a number of participants up to 5 participants per organisation.
- These visits can occur in-person or online; however, a hybrid format is not supported. For in-person visits, the host organisation is responsible for providing the venue and catering, while the meeting platform for online visits will be provided by the ESF+ Support Centre.
- The support can be provided in English or in the participants' national language.
If requested, the ESF+ Support Centre will arrange relevant interpretation services.
In line with the existing unit costs, the ESF+ Support Centre will arrange travel for participants from public authorities, social partners and stakeholders; accommodation for representatives of social partners and stakeholders. Please note that government representatives will have to arrange and cover their accommodation costs as they are not provided by the ESF+ Support Centre.
How to apply?
Through the following form: Expression of interest for peer-to-peer support
Study visits
Study visits are small-scale learning events designed to examine and showcase a very specific topic or a practice. They are extremely ‘hands-on’ and practical in nature, so that participants can learn about the practice in detail and explore the potential to transfer aspects to their own context.
Focus of the visits
The study visits will be organised around pre-defined topics, please see agenda of call of proposals below (to be defined with GU suggestions)
What is included and provided?
- Study visits can last up to 1.5 days for a number of participants up to 20 participants in total.
- These visits will occur in-person or online; however, a hybrid format is not supported. For in-person visits, the host organisation is responsible for providing the venue and catering, while the meeting platform for online visits will be provided by the ESF+ Support Centre.
- The support will be provided in English or the participants' national language.
If requested, the ESF+ Support Centre will arrange relevant interpretation services.
In line with the existing unit costs, the ESF+ Support Centre will arrange travel for participants from public authorities, social partners and stakeholders; accommodation for representatives of social partners and stakeholders. Please note that government representatives will have to arrange and cover their accommodation costs as they are not provided by the ESF+ Support Centre.
How to apply?
Through the following form: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/ESF_Expression_interest_study_visits
For more details or inquiries, reach out to the ESF+ Support Centre at
ESF-SUPPORT-CENTRE@icf.com and EC-ESF-SUPPORT-CENTRE@ec.europa.eu.
