The call intends to increase the capacities of the framework partners to contribute actively to the development and implementation of EU policies in areas such as:

• promoting and protecting fundamental rights as enshrined in the Charter;
• combating hate speech and hate crime, including hate speech online;
• fight against specific forms of intolerance and discrimination, such as antiBlack racism, anti-Muslim hatred, antigypsyism, anti-Asian racism, and antimigrant sentiments, and promoting equal opportunities for racial and ethnic groups;
• promoting LGBTIQ equality and fighting discrimination against LGBTIQ people (including intersectional discrimination and inequality experienced on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics);
• promoting diversity and inclusion at the workplace;
• promoting equality on the grounds of age and fighting against ageism;
• fighting antisemitism, fostering Jewish life and promoting Holocaust education, research and remembrance;
• ensuring remembrance of enslavement and legacy of colonialism and diverse European cultural heritage, as well as promoting awareness about Roma culture and history, including the memory of the Roma Holocaust;
• supporting, advancing and implementing comprehensive policies to promote women’s full enjoyment of rights, gender equality, including work-life balance, equal pay between women and men, women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming;
• promoting and protecting the rights of the child, including children’s right to protection and care as well as their right to express their views and participate in decisions in matters that concern them;
• combating violence, including gender-based violence and violence against children by (1) preventing and combating at all levels all forms of genderbased violence, (2) preventing and combating all forms of violence against children, young people and other groups at risk and (3) supporting and protecting all direct and indirect victims of violence;
• promoting democratic standards, including free, fair, resilient and inclusive electoral processes, promoting election integrity, fighting disinformation, information manipulation and foreign interference;
• promoting EU citizenship rights;
• promoting citizens’ engagement, and democratic participation.

This call will support European networks, civil society organisations active at EU level, and European think tanks whose activities contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the programme and which will implement among others:

• policy analysis and advice;
• advocacy;
• research and data collection/sharing/analysis;
• citizens’ education at different levels and age groups;
• capacity building;
• for European networks: network activities, network development, and procedural improvements to increase clarity, transparency, respect of EU values, and equal treatment;
• mutual learning, training, and exchange of good practices;
• awareness raising;
• critical thinking and media literacy activities (including pre-bunking) to fight hate speech and disinformation, information manipulation and foreign interference;
• citizens’ (including children) engagement activities inspired by methods of participatory and representative democracy;
• information and dissemination activities with EU added value.

Applicants must provide a 3-year work programme (in Part B of the application form) starting in 2026 and outlining the proposed key activities and budget forecast in one of the nine priorities.

Framework partners that qualify as European networks have the possibility to re-grant (i.e. provide Financial Support to Third Parties, FSTP) to their member organisations.

• Financial support to third parties: the maximum amount of financial support per third party per financial year shall not exceed €60.000. The budget dedicated to financial support to third parties should not exceed in any case 25% of the CERV annual operating grant of the framework partner.
• Under the re-granting option, network members that receive a grant from a framework partner are expected to help to achieve at least one of the following objectives:
  • Strengthened capacity to protect and promote rights and EU values;
  • A more supportive environment for CSOs and human rights defenders, such as national human rights institutions;
  • A more developed advocacy and watchdog role for CSOs;
  • Increased involvement of CSOs in policy- and decision-making processes with local, regional, and national governments;
  • Increased citizens’ awareness of EU rights and values;
  • Strengthened national, regional and local cooperation within civil society.