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Strategic Analysis
This priority funds concrete instruments that protect and support victims and survivors of gender-based violence: one-stop shops or coordinated specialist support centres, rape crisis and sexual violence referral centres, and tools for immediate protection that help prevent femicide and support investigation and prosecution, in line with the VAW Directive. The strongest proposals start from victims' multiple support needs, bring in partners specialised in victim support (scored under Quality) and involve a public authority so the results last (scored under Impact).
Setting up or adapting services in one-stop shops (in person and/or online) or coordinated specialist-support centres
Setting up or adapting services in easily accessible rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres
Developing tools to tackle the need for immediate protection and support faced by victims of sexual and domestic violence, to prevent femicides, and allow effective investigation and prosecution
Activities that can be funded: one or more of the types listed in the call, driven by the priority addressed
Increased availability, accessibility and quality of victim support services, including those providing: (i) targeted and integrated support for victims with specific needs, such as victims of sexual violence, victims of violence in close relationships; and (ii) trauma support and counselling
Improved access to protection and support for victims in vulnerable situations, including refugees and migrants
Increased capacity of stakeholders and frontline professionals to respond effectively and with a gender-sensitive approach
Increased reporting of violence to the police and other services and an increased use of a gender-sensitive approach in the treatment of victims
Increased awareness of gender-based violence, including gender-based sexual violence, including in the context of migration and/or in the context of armed conflict
Prevention and response structures addressing violence against women, children (including as witnesses) and other targeted groups are extended or adapted to include refugees and other migrants
Improved protection and support standards for victims of gender-based violence, including migrants and refugees
Improved coordination on gender-based violence in national and cross-border contexts
Strengthened victim protection, including in cross-border cases of violence, through the application of Directive 2011/99/EU on the European protection order
EU Strategy on victims' rights
highListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported, alongside the Victims' Rights Directive as revised. The call's bibliography also lists the EU campaign on victims' rights.
Victim protection and support is the object of this priority. Evaluators expect the services and tools to improve availability, accessibility, quality and protection standards for victims, including in cross-border cases (European protection order).
VAW Directive
highDirective (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence, adopted in May 2024, to be transposed by 14 June 2027. It criminalises female genital mutilation, forced marriage and the most widespread forms of cyberviolence, and sets measures on access to justice, protection, support and prevention, recognising children as victims and witnesses. Article 41 requires Member States to cooperate and consult regularly with civil society organisations. The 2026 Daphne call focuses on its transposition and implementation.
Each instrument of this priority is tied to a VAW Directive article (25(4) one-stop shops, 26 rape crisis and sexual violence referral centres, 15 identification of domestic violence, 16 offender risk assessment, 21(g) intersectional needs). Evaluators look for a clear contribution to its transposition and implementation, due by 14 June 2027 (Relevance: contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context).
Roadmap for Women's Rights
mediumAdopted on 5 March 2025 and broadly endorsed by all Member States and various EU institutions and stakeholders in October 2025, it sets out the Commission's long-term vision for a gender equal society through eight women's rights principles. Principle 1, "Freedom from gender-based violence", states that every woman and girl has the right to security and to be treated with dignity, both online and offline, in public and private life.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030
mediumAdopted on 5 March 2026, it builds on the Roadmap for Women's Rights and sets out the concrete actions the Commission will deliver over five years. On gender-based violence it puts a strong emphasis on fighting cyberviolence (including sexually explicit deepfakes and deep nudes) and on supporting full implementation of the VAW Directive.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Istanbul Convention
mediumCouncil of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, to which the EU acceded as of 1 October 2023. The EU as a whole is bound to implement it and to abide by its monitoring process; it reported in November 2025 on the measures taken. Article 15 calls on the Parties to provide or strengthen appropriate training for relevant professionals dealing with victims or perpetrators.
The VAW Directive is based on the Istanbul Convention; the call supports its related provisions on protection and support of victims.
Victims' Rights Directive
mediumDirective 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, listed by the call "as revised". It is also part of the EU acquis referring to violence against children.
Relevant to minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, including victims' access to specialist support services.
EU Strategy on the rights of the child
lowAdopted on 24 March 2021. Combating violence against children is its third thematic area and one of the main objectives of the Commission's work on the rights of the child; the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems was adopted under it.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Commission Recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child
lowAdopted in April 2024. It encourages all relevant authorities and services to work together in a holistic, multidisciplinary and coordinated way, from prevention to protection, proposes a unified, child-centred framework for national plans to safeguard children from all forms of violence, asks for better use of EU tools to avoid silos, and calls for national anti-bullying (including cyberbullying) plans.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Action Plan against cyberbullying
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. The Recommendation on integrated child protection systems also calls for national anti-bullying (including cyberbullying) plans.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Digital Services Act
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. Relevant to actions on reporting, flagging and removing harmful online violent content, including through organisations acting as trusted flaggers on online platforms.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Artificial Intelligence Act
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. The call notes that the non-consensual sharing of intimate or manipulated material is exacerbated by the use of artificial intelligence, and that stalking and harassment through new technologies is increasing with the rise of AI.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. The call's objectives include preventing and combating violence against groups at risk such as LGBTIQ persons, and Priority 1 covers forced medicalisation of trans people and conversion practices targeting intersex and LGBTIQ people.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Enhanced Disability Strategy
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. The call's objectives include preventing and combating violence against persons with disabilities, and women and children with disabilities are named among the groups at heightened risk.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
EU Anti-Racism Strategy 2026-2030
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. The call asks for an intersectional perspective paying attention to attributes such as ethnic origin, and names racial or ethnic minorities among the groups at heightened risk of violence.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Participation and Inclusion (2020-2030)
lowListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported. Roma people and Roma children are named in the call among the groups at heightened risk of violence.
Evaluators assess under Relevance the contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context. Reference this initiative where the project genuinely contributes to it.
Specific requirements
Eligible countries
Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or in a country associated to the CERV Programme (or in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement that enters into force before grant signature). International organisations are eligible. Natural persons are not eligible (except self-employed persons without separate legal personality).
EU values
Projects must comply with the highest ethical standards, EU values based on Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and applicable EU, international and national law (including the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679).
Child protection policy
Participants with activities involving children (below the age of 18) must have a child protection policy covering the four areas of the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards (private bodies: copy of their policy; public bodies: child protection policy declaration).
Gender and non-discrimination mainstreaming
Projects must seek to promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming, target a gender-balanced representation in project teams and activities, and break down individual data by sex, disability or age whenever possible.
Lump sum budget
For lump sum grants, the detailed budget table (annex 1 to Part B) is mandatory and serves as the basis for fixing the lump sum; its costs must comply with the basic eligibility conditions for EU actual cost grants.
Eligible participants
Legal entities (public or private bodies) established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or in a country associated to the CERV Programme or in ongoing association negotiations, if the agreement enters into force before grant signature. International organisations are eligible. Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed persons without separate legal personality. EU bodies, except the Joint Research Centre, cannot be part of the consortium. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures cannot participate in any capacity.
Consortium of at least 2 beneficiaries
Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries, not affiliated entities nor associated partners), each a public entity or private organisation established in an eligible country, or an international organisation. Consortia made only of a coordinator and affiliated entities or associated partners are ineligible.
Non-profit lead applicant
The lead applicant must be non-profit making. Profit-oriented organisations can only participate in partnership with public entities, private non-profit organisations or international organisations.
No financial support to third parties
Financial support to third parties is allowed only for Priority 1.
One application per lead applicant
A lead applicant (coordinator) cannot submit more than one application under the call, across all five topics; otherwise all its proposals are rejected. Each proposal addresses only one topic. Participation as a partner in other proposals is not limited.
Activities in eligible countries, matching the topic
Activities must take place in the eligible countries; projects can be national or transnational. Applications are only eligible if their content corresponds wholly, or at least in part, to the topic description for which they are submitted.
To be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submitting the proposal and will have to be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation). Other entities may participate in other consortium roles, such as associated partners, subcontractors or third parties giving in-kind contributions.
Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities nor associated partners). The beneficiaries must be public entities or private organisations, duly established in one of the eligible countries, or international organisations. The lead applicant must be non-profit making; profit-oriented organisations cannot submit applications as lead applicants, but only in partnership with public entities, private non-profit organisations or international organisations. Consortia that consist only of a coordinator and one or more affiliated entities or associated partners are ineligible.
Not mandatory but encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to also involve a public authority in support of their project to help achieve the sustainability of project results and outcomes. These public authorities can be national, regional or local Ministries/agencies/equality bodies responsible for gender equality and/or provision of services to victims of violence or perpetrators; police, judicial, health or education authorities etc., as relevant. The rationale for the choice must be documented and explained in Part B, Project description and implementation. This support can be expressed either via the involvement of a public authority in the consortium (either as beneficiary or as associated partner) or through a Letter of support from the public authority (Annex to the application). This will be taken into account in the scoring under the award criterion 3, Impact.
Financial support to third parties is allowed only for priority 1.
The lead applicant (coordinator) cannot submit more than one application under this call for proposals, across all priorities/topics. In case of multiple proposals submitted by the same lead applicant, all the proposals are rejected and not evaluated further. Each proposal must address only one of the five topics. Participation as a partner in other proposals is not limited.
Eligible activities are the ones set out in section 2 of the Call document (Themes and priorities, Activities that can be funded). The participation in one in-person meeting in Brussels with the European Commission can be foreseen under the work package for management and coordination, for a maximum of two people. Applications are only considered eligible if their content corresponds wholly (or at least in part) to the topic description for which they are submitted.
Proposals should consider the results of projects supported by other EU funding programmes; the complementarities must be described in Part B. Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities, and respect EU values and European Commission policy regarding reputational matters (e.g. activities involving capacity building, policy support, awareness raising, communication, dissemination).
Proposals must relate to activities taking place in the eligible countries. Projects under all priorities can be either national or transnational.
For priorities 2 to 5, projects must range between 12 and 24 months. Extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment to the grant agreement.
For Priorities 2, 3, 4 and 5, project budgets (requested grant amount) cannot be lower than EUR 200 000 and higher than EUR 600 000 per project. The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.
Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources (financial capacity, checked during grant preparation, except for public bodies and international organisations) and the know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement the project, including sufficient experience in projects of comparable size and nature (operational capacity). Operational capacity is assessed together with the Quality award criterion, on the basis of the general profiles of the staff responsible for managing and implementing the project, the description of the consortium participants, the activity report of last year and the list of previous projects. Public bodies, Member State organisations and international organisations are exempted from the operational capacity check.
Applicants subject to an EU exclusion decision or in an exclusion situation cannot participate: bankruptcy or similar procedures; breach of social security or tax obligations; grave professional misconduct; fraud, corruption, links to a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour or human trafficking; significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under an EU contract or grant; irregularities within the meaning of Article 1(2) of Regulation No 2988/95; creation under a different jurisdiction to circumvent fiscal, social or other legal obligations; intentionally resisting an investigation, check or audit by an EU authorising officer, OLAF, the EPPO or the European Court of Auditors. Applicants are also rejected if they misrepresented information required as a condition for participating, or were previously involved in the preparation of the call in a way that distorts competition.
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Call opening | 7 July 2026 |
| Deadline for submission | 3 November 2026, 17:00 CET (Brussels) |
| Evaluation | November 2026 to May 2027 |
| Information on evaluation results | May 2027 |
| Grant agreement signature | June to July 2027 |
Call deadlines cannot be extended. Complete the application sufficiently in advance of the deadline: problems due to last-minute submissions (e.g. congestion) are entirely at the applicant's risk. Consult the Portal Call and Topic pages regularly: they are used to publish call updates, including an invitation to an info session for applicants, if any.
All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Calls for proposals section). Paper applications are not accepted. Submission is a 2-step process:
Proposals must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System, not the documents available on the Topic page (they are only for information). Documents must be uploaded to the right category in the Submission System, otherwise the proposal may be considered incomplete and thus inadmissible. Proposals may be changed and re-submitted until the deadline.
Once the proposal is submitted, a confirmation e-mail is sent (with date and time of the application). Without this confirmation e-mail, the proposal has not been submitted. If this is due to a fault in the Submission System, file a complaint immediately via the IT Helpdesk webform, explaining the circumstances and attaching a copy of the proposal (and, if possible, screenshots).
Proposals follow the standard submission and evaluation procedure (one-stage submission and one-step evaluation). An evaluation committee, assisted by independent outside experts, assesses all applications.
No commitment for funding: an invitation to grant preparation is not a formal commitment for funding. Legal checks still take place before grant award: legal entity validation, financial capacity, exclusion check. Grant preparation involves a dialogue to fine-tune technical or financial aspects of the project, may require extra information, and may include adjustments to address recommendations of the evaluation committee or other concerns. Full compliance is a pre-condition for signing the grant.
Complaints: an applicant who believes that the evaluation procedure was flawed can submit a complaint, following the deadlines and procedures set out in the evaluation result letter. Notifications not opened within 10 days after sending are considered to have been accessed, and deadlines are counted from opening or access. Complaints submitted electronically may be subject to character limitations.
Selected projects prepare the Grant Agreement together with the EU Project Officer. The project starting date and duration are fixed in the Grant Agreement (Data Sheet, point 1). The starting date should be after grant signature (normally within 6 months). A retroactive starting date can be granted exceptionally for duly justified reasons, but never earlier than the proposal submission date.
| Criterion | What is assessed | Maximum score | Minimum pass score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relevance | extent to which the proposal matches the priorities and objectives of the call including adherence to EU values; clearly defined needs and robust needs assessment (if relevant presents a high quality overview and analysis of the targeted CSOs sector in the target country(ies), region(s), including the identification of key challenges); clearly defined target group, with gender perspective being appropriately taken into account; contribution to the EU strategic and legislative context (if applicable, extent to which capacity-building and financial support to third parties are balanced, well-proportioned, well-structured and relevant to address the identified needs; and contributing to the EU strategic and legislative context); European/trans-national dimension; impact/interest for a number of countries (EU or eligible non-EU countries); possibility to use the results in other countries (potential for transfer of good practices); potential to develop mutual trust/cross-border cooperation, building synergies and avoiding duplication with previous projects | 40 | 25 |
| Quality: project design and implementation | clarity and consistency of project; logical links between the identified problems, needs and solutions proposed (logical frame concept); methodology for implementing the project with gender perspective being appropriately taken into account (organisation of work, timetable, allocation of resources and distribution of tasks between partners, risks & risk management, monitoring and evaluation); ethical issues, measures and policies to guarantee child safeguarding (for activities involving children) and compliance with EU values are addressed; feasibility of the project within the proposed time frame; financial feasibility (sufficient/appropriate budget for proper implementation) including financial support to third parties (if applicable); cost-effectiveness (best value for money) | 40 | n/a |
| Impact | ambition and expected long-term impact of results on target groups/general public; appropriate dissemination strategy for ensuring sustainability and long-term impact; potential for a positive multiplier effect; sustainability of results after EU funding ends | 20 | n/a |
| Overall | 100 | 70 |
Proposals that pass the individual threshold for the criterion Relevance (25/40) and the overall threshold (70/100) are considered for funding, within the limits of the available call budget. Other proposals are rejected.
Particular attention is paid to the consortium size and composition, thoroughly assessed under the Quality criterion, to ensure that they are justified and suitable to deliver the proposed results effectively and efficiently. Applicants are expected to justify that the size and structure of the consortium are appropriate to the project's objectives, activities and budget, including an appropriate distribution of tasks and resources reflecting their expertise in the field of the call. Consortia should not be bigger than what is strictly necessary for the good implementation of the project. The partnership should be coherent and well-balanced, bringing together organisations with complementary and relevant expertise in the thematic areas addressed by this call, namely gender-based violence and violence against children.
Operational capacity is assessed together with the Quality criterion, on the basis of the competence and experience of the applicants and their project teams, including operational resources. If the evaluation of the award criterion is positive, the applicants are considered to have sufficient operational capacity.
Proposals are ranked within each topic. For proposals with the same score, priority is given to the score for Relevance, then Quality, then Impact.
The grant is a lump sum grant: it reimburses a fixed amount unlinked to actual costs. The amount is fixed by the granting authority on the basis of the estimated project budget and a funding rate of 90%. The grant parameters (maximum grant amount, funding rate, total eligible costs) are fixed in the Grant Agreement (Data Sheet, point 3 and art 5).
For this priority, project budgets (requested grant amount) cannot be lower than EUR 200 000 and higher than EUR 600 000 per project. The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested. Grant applications must ensure a balanced project budget and sufficient other resources to implement the project successfully (e.g. own contributions, income generated by the action, financial contributions from third parties); applicants may be requested to lower estimated costs that are ineligible (including excessive).
The coordination and management costs of WP1 should not exceed 10% of the proposal total costs.
The reporting and payment arrangements are fixed in the Grant Agreement (Data Sheet, point 4 and art 21 and 22). After grant signature, beneficiaries normally receive a prefinancing to start working on the project (float of normally 80% of the maximum grant amount; exceptionally less or no prefinancing), paid 30 days from entry into force or financial guarantee (if required), whichever is the latest. Beneficiaries also submit one or more progress reports not linked to payments. At the end of the project, the final grant amount is calculated; if earlier payments are higher, the difference is recovered. All payments are made to the coordinator. Payments are automatically lowered if a consortium member has outstanding debts towards the EU, offset in line with the Grant Agreement (art 22). Beneficiaries are responsible for keeping records on all the work done.
If a prefinancing guarantee is required, it is fixed in the Grant Agreement (Data Sheet, point 4), normally equal to or lower than the prefinancing. It is in euro, issued by an approved bank or financial institution established in an EU Member State (a guarantee from a non-EU institution may exceptionally be accepted if it offers equivalent security), normally requested from the coordinator for the consortium, and provided during grant preparation (scanned copy via the Portal and original by post). Amounts blocked in bank accounts are not accepted. Certificates may be requested depending on the type of action, grant amount and beneficiaries (Data Sheet, point 4 and art 24). The liability regime for recoveries (limited joint and several liability with individual ceilings, unconditional joint and several liability, or individual financial responsibility) is fixed in the Grant Agreement (Data Sheet point 4.4 and art 22).
Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement the projects and contribute their share; organisations participating in several projects must have sufficient capacity to implement all of them. The check is based on documents uploaded in the Participant Register during grant preparation (e.g. profit and loss account, balance sheet, business plan, audit report) and normally applies to all coordinators, except public bodies and international organisations. If financial capacity is not satisfactory, the Commission may require further information, an enhanced financial responsibility regime, prefinancing paid in instalments, prefinancing guarantees, no prefinancing, or the replacement of the applicant or rejection of the proposal.
Applicants are encouraged to explore previously funded projects and to build on already existing materials (Funding & Tenders Portal, "Projects and Results"). Proposals should consider the results of projects supported by other EU funding programmes and describe the complementarities in Part B; the Relevance criterion assesses building synergies and avoiding duplication with previous projects. The call's bibliography also points to the database on projects funded under the REC and CERV programmes.
The call encourages consortium partners specialised in victim support, such as women's rights organisations and NGOs that provide specialist services to victims (Quality). Applicants are encouraged to involve a public authority in support of the project: national, regional or local ministries, agencies or equality bodies responsible for gender equality and/or provision of services to victims of violence or perpetrators; police, judicial, health or education authorities, as relevant (Impact). One-stop shops and coordinated centres bring together, at the same premises or in a coordinated manner, practical, medical, psychological, legal, police and shelter services. Improved coordination on gender-based violence in national and cross-border contexts is an expected impact.
Activities must be grouped into work packages, which are major sub-divisions of the project (e.g. Project Management and Coordination; Communication and Dissemination). For each work package, an objective and lists of tasks/activities, milestones and deliverables must be defined. The deliverables and milestones must be quantifiable and measurable.
The coordination and management costs of WP1 should not exceed 10% of the proposal total costs. Under lump sum funding, project coordination is simplified as there are no costs reporting obligations.
The Part B template adds: projects should normally have a minimum of 2 work packages, with WP1 covering the management and coordination activities (meetings, coordination, project monitoring and evaluation, financial management, progress reports) and the cross-cutting activities; each activity, milestone, output, outcome and deliverable is entered only once; the number of deliverables is limited to a maximum of 20 for the entire project; for each work package, the specific objectives, the tasks (with participants and task leader), milestones (with means of verification) and deliverables (type, dissemination level, due month, description including format and language) are listed. Month 1 marks the start of the project.
The participation in one in-person meeting in Brussels with the European Commission can be foreseen under the work package for management and coordination, for a maximum of two people.
Beneficiaries will have to ask attendees in events to participate in the EU Survey on Justice, Rights and Values. This survey allows the granting authority to collect data on training, mutual learning and awareness-raising events of all projects financed under the CERV programme. The beneficiaries receive a weblink to the survey, to be forwarded to the attendees; they have access to the survey results for their project and can use them for their project evaluation.
The milestones and deliverables of each project are managed through the Portal Grant Management System and reflected in Annex 1 of the Grant Agreement.
IPR rules follow the Model Grant Agreement (art 16 and Annex 5). For this call, rights of use on results apply: Yes.
When generative AI tools are used to prepare the proposal, applicants must ensure that the generated content complies with intellectual property regulations and check original sources to avoid plagiarism.
Projects must comply with the highest ethical standards, with EU values based on Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and with other applicable EU, international and national law (including the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679). Applicants must show in their application that they respect ethical principles and EU values.
Projects must seek to promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming in accordance with the Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit. Project activities should contribute to the equal empowerment of women and men in all their diversity, ensuring that they achieve their full potential and enjoy the same rights. They should also seek to reduce levels of discrimination suffered by particular groups (as well as those at risk of multiple discrimination) and to improve equality outcomes for individuals. Proposals should integrate gender and non-discrimination considerations and target a gender-balanced representation in project teams and activities. Individual data collected by the beneficiaries should be broken down by sex (sex-disaggregated data), disability or age whenever possible.
Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities and respect EU values and European Commission policy regarding reputational matters (e.g. activities involving capacity building, policy support, awareness raising, communication, dissemination).
The application form asks applicants to describe the ethics issues that may arise during implementation and the measures to solve or avoid them; how gender and non-discrimination mainstreaming will be ensured in the project cycle; any direct or indirect impact on children and their rights, with a child rights approach based on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional protocols, addressing children as rights holders and ensuring their participation; how privacy and data protection issues related to data collection, analysis and dissemination will be addressed; and the measures and policies in place to guarantee compliance with the EU values of Article 2 TEU and Article 21 of the Charter.
Applications should clearly indicate which partner(s) will directly work with children (in person or online) and provide the necessary safeguards:
The Call document lists the child protection policy among the mandatory annexes for participants with activities involving children (section 5) and states that it should be submitted as a supporting document to the application and provided at the latest during the Grant Preparation Process for selected projects (section 2). It is assessed under the award criterion Quality, in particular under ethics and EU values: failure to provide a diligent child protection policy entails a lower score under Quality and could prevent the grant agreement signature.
The child protection policy declaration for public bodies (template in the Submission System) confirms that the measures adopted for the project are in line with Keeping children safe: the International Child Safeguarding Standards, based on four principles (all children have equal rights to protection from harm; everybody has a responsibility to support the protection of children; the organisation has a duty of care to children it works with, is in contact with or affects; all actions are taken in the best interests of the child), and that each activity ensures informed consent, voluntary participation, do no harm, background checks of everyone in direct contact with child participants, and data protection under the GDPR.
The submission of a proposal involves the collection, use and processing of personal data, processed in accordance with Regulation 2018/1725 solely for evaluating the proposal, subsequent management of the grant and, if needed, programme monitoring, evaluation and communication (Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement).
In accordance with Article 38 of the EU Financial Regulation, information about EU grants awarded (beneficiary names and addresses, the purpose of the grant and the maximum amount awarded) is published each year on the Europa website. Publication can exceptionally be waived on reasoned and duly substantiated request, if disclosure could jeopardise rights and freedoms under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights or harm commercial interests.
Multi-actor: expected. The instruments of this priority are multi-agency by design: one-stop shops, Barnahus-type and Family Justice Centre models bring together practical, medical, psychological, legal, police and shelter services. The call encourages partners specialised in victim support (women's rights organisations, specialist NGOs), scored under Quality, and the involvement of a public authority (ministries, agencies, equality bodies, police, judicial, health or education authorities), scored under Impact.
Consortium: at least 2 beneficiaries with a non-profit lead. Size and composition are thoroughly assessed under Quality: no bigger than strictly necessary, coherent, well-balanced and with complementary expertise in gender-based violence and violence against children.
Interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity and SSH: not required; projects that focus mainly on research are not financed. The call expects a gender perspective, an intersectional approach and, for projects addressing children, child participation.
Projects that pass evaluation are invited for grant preparation and prepare the Grant Agreement together with the EU Project Officer. The Grant Agreement sets the framework for the grant and its terms and conditions, in particular concerning deliverables, reporting and payments. The Model Grant Agreement and all other relevant templates and guidance documents are on the Portal Reference Documents. The AGA (Annotated Grant Agreement) contains detailed annotations on all its provisions, including cost eligibility, payment schedule and accessory obligations.
A consortium agreement is recommended (even if not mandatory under the Grant Agreement) to deal with exceptional or unforeseen circumstances. It also allows the consortium to redistribute the grant money according to its own internal principles and parameters (for instance, one beneficiary can reattribute its grant money to another) and can help to protect the partners in case of disputes.
Breach of contract and other non-compliance issues are handled under chapter 5 of the Grant Agreement. Information about grants awarded is published yearly on the Europa website (Article 38 of the EU Financial Regulation).
The call asks applicants to look for answers first in the call documentation:
Call updates, including an invitation to the info session for applicants (if any), are published on the Call and Topic pages. For individual questions on the Portal Submission System, contact the IT Helpdesk. Non-IT questions go to the CERV Contact Point of your country (if established) or otherwise to EC-CERV-CALLS@ec.europa.eu, indicating clearly the reference of the call and topic. A request for the call documentation in another official EU language must be submitted within 10 days after call publication.
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| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Setting up or adapting services in one-stop shops (in person and/or online) or coordinated specialist-support centresSetting up or adapting services in one-stop shops (in person and/or online) or coordinated specialist-support centres (see Article 25(4) of the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence), so that the multiple support needs of victims of gender-based violence (including cyberviolence) are addressed at the same premises to the largest extent or provided in a coordinated manner. This includes the model of Children's houses (Barnahus) or other integrated multidisciplinary and interagency services for child victims of violence or the model of the Family Justice Centres. These centres should also have the capacity to provide targeted and gender-sensitive support for groups at a heightened risk of violence due to their experiencing intersectional discrimination or due to their being in a vulnerable situation (e.g. people with a migrant background, LGBTIQ persons, racial or ethnic minorities which include women at risk of harmful practices, Roma people, women or children with disabilities or facing mental health issues, pregnant women, women in detention, women living in rural areas, women living and/or working on the street, persons in prostitution, elderly women). Multiple support needs means: information and support on practical matters (housing, trainings, financial support), first-hand medical care, and referral to further specialised medical care, social services, psychological support, legal services and police services or information on and direction to such services, as well as referral to services providing medical and forensic examinations, support to victims of cybercrimes, referral to women's support services, rape crisis centres, sexual violence referral centres and shelters. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Setting up or adapting services in easily accessible rape crisis or sexual violence referral centresSetting up or adapting services in easily accessible rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres in line with the requirements of Article 26 of the VAW Directive. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Developing tools to tackle the need for immediate protection and support faced by victims of sexual and domestic violence, to prevent femicides, and allow effective investigation and prosecutionThis could be achieved for example by: designing targeted training and innovative investigative tools to help relevant authorities increase their capability to swiftly identify and address (reported or suspected) instances of domestic violence (to support Member States in complying with the requirements of Article 15 VAW Directive); developing tools to help relevant authorities increase their capability to initiate the individual assessment of the risk emanating from the offender at the earliest possible stage (upon, or immediately after the victim's first contact with competent authorities), so that protection and support measures are immediately put in place, and further (domestic or sexual) violence is prevented (to support Member States comply with the requirements of Article 16 VAW Directive); developing guidelines to help relevant authorities identify the enhanced protection and support needs of victims experiencing intersectional discrimination (to support Member States in complying with the requirements of Article 21(g) VAW Directive). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Activities that can be funded: one or more of the types listed in the call, driven by the priority addressedAwareness-raising, including social media or press campaigns, outreach and empowerment activities, including communication activities and dissemination of information; Capacity-building and training for professionals and relevant stakeholders, in particular train-the-trainer programmes, training activities of national, regional and local authorities; Design and implementation of strategies, protocols, development of transferable working methods and tools, coordination of platforms and groups; Design of services and measures improving access to victim support services and development of guidelines and manuals for these support services; Identification and exchange of good practices, cooperation, mutual learning, development of working and learning methods, including transferable mentoring programmes; Development of resources, toolkits and manuals to provide practical guidance for specialised support services; Analytical activities and the creation and implementation of tools or data bases/data collection strategies and systems. Financial support to third parties is allowed only for priority 1. Practical projects developing and implementing specific measures are preferred. Measures should be developed and implemented with a view to be sustainable and aiming at systemic changes. Projects that focus mainly on research will not be financed under this call. Although research is not excluded, any research activities included in the project must not be its main focus; instead, they must be closely linked to the project objectives. This will be taken into account in the scoring under the award criterion 3, Impact. All activities must avoid discrimination, victimisation and stereotyping. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| No expected outcomes in this call. | |||
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Gender and rights-of-the-child mainstreamingIntegrate a gender and rights of the child perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project and explain how it will be mainstreamed and how relevant risks will be addressed; avoid discrimination, victimisation and stereotyping, target gender-balanced teams and activities, and break down individual data by sex, disability or age whenever possible. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Intersectional perspectiveAddress the specificities of the situation for women and men, girls and boys in all their diversity, recognising gender and age differences and paying attention to other attributes such as disability status, religious belief, ethnic origin and sexual orientation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Complementarity with results of other EU-funded projectsConsider the results of projects supported by other EU funding programmes and describe the complementarities in Part B; build synergies and avoid duplication with previous projects, which the Relevance criterion assesses. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Child participation in projects addressing childrenDesign and implement activities addressing children in direct cooperation with them, protect their right to be heard at every stage of design, implementation and evaluation, and include an analysis mapping the potential different impact of the project on children, including from a gender perspective (do no-harm approach). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ5Public authority support for the sustainability of resultsApplicants are encouraged to involve a relevant public authority (in the consortium as beneficiary or associated partner, or through a letter of support annexed to the application), with the rationale for the choice documented in Part B. Taken into account under the Impact criterion. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Increased availability, accessibility and quality of victim support services, including those providing: (i) targeted and integrated support for victims with specific needs, such as victims of sexual violence, victims of violence in close relationships; and (ii) trauma support and counselling | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Improved access to protection and support for victims in vulnerable situations, including refugees and migrants | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3Increased capacity of stakeholders and frontline professionals to respond effectively and with a gender-sensitive approach | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4Increased reporting of violence to the police and other services and an increased use of a gender-sensitive approach in the treatment of victims | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5Increased awareness of gender-based violence, including gender-based sexual violence, including in the context of migration and/or in the context of armed conflict | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6Prevention and response structures addressing violence against women, children (including as witnesses) and other targeted groups are extended or adapted to include refugees and other migrants | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI7Improved protection and support standards for victims of gender-based violence, including migrants and refugees | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI8Improved coordination on gender-based violence in national and cross-border contexts | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI9Strengthened victim protection, including in cross-border cases of violence, through the application of Directive 2011/99/EU on the European protection order | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1eu strategy on victims' rightsListed by the call among the policy initiatives supported, alongside the Victims' Rights Directive as revised. The call's bibliography also lists the EU campaign on victims' rights. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2vaw directiveDirective (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence, adopted in May 2024, to be transposed by 14 June 2027. It criminalises female genital mutilation, forced marriage and the most widespread forms of cyberviolence, and sets measures on access to justice, protection, support and prevention, recognising children as victims and witnesses. Article 41 requires Member States to cooperate and consult regularly with civil society organisations. The 2026 Daphne call focuses on its transposition and implementation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
Eligible countries
Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or in a country associated to the CERV Programme (or in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement that enters into force before grant signature). International organisations are eligible. Natural persons are not eligible (except self-employed persons without separate legal personality).
EU values
Projects must comply with the highest ethical standards, EU values based on Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and applicable EU, international and national law (including the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679).
Child protection policy
Participants with activities involving children (below the age of 18) must have a child protection policy covering the four areas of the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards (private bodies: copy of their policy; public bodies: child protection policy declaration).
Gender and non-discrimination mainstreaming
Projects must seek to promote gender equality and non-discrimination mainstreaming, target a gender-balanced representation in project teams and activities, and break down individual data by sex, disability or age whenever possible.
Lump sum budget
For lump sum grants, the detailed budget table (annex 1 to Part B) is mandatory and serves as the basis for fixing the lump sum; its costs must comply with the basic eligibility conditions for EU actual cost grants.
Eligible participants
Legal entities (public or private bodies) established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or in a country associated to the CERV Programme or in ongoing association negotiations, if the agreement enters into force before grant signature. International organisations are eligible. Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed persons without separate legal personality. EU bodies, except the Joint Research Centre, cannot be part of the consortium. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures cannot participate in any capacity.
Consortium of at least 2 beneficiaries
Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries, not affiliated entities nor associated partners), each a public entity or private organisation established in an eligible country, or an international organisation. Consortia made only of a coordinator and affiliated entities or associated partners are ineligible.
Non-profit lead applicant
The lead applicant must be non-profit making. Profit-oriented organisations can only participate in partnership with public entities, private non-profit organisations or international organisations.
No financial support to third parties
Financial support to third parties is allowed only for Priority 1.
One application per lead applicant
A lead applicant (coordinator) cannot submit more than one application under the call, across all five topics; otherwise all its proposals are rejected. Each proposal addresses only one topic. Participation as a partner in other proposals is not limited.
Activities in eligible countries, matching the topic
Activities must take place in the eligible countries; projects can be national or transnational. Applications are only eligible if their content corresponds wholly, or at least in part, to the topic description for which they are submitted.
What the call requires for your dossier to be receivable: a mandatory section, a declaration, a document to attach. Nothing here can be checked automatically — confirm each one yourself once it's done.
Child protection policy for participants working with children
Mandatory annex for participants with activities involving children: private bodies provide a copy of their child protection policy covering the four areas of the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards; public bodies provide the child protection policy declaration (template in the Submission System). Assessed under Quality; a missing or weak policy lowers the score and could prevent the grant signature.
Detailed budget table
Mandatory annex: the detailed budget table template from the Submission System, re-uploaded filled out in .xlsx format. It is the basis for fixing the lump sum.
CVs of the core project team
Mandatory annex: standard CVs of the core project team.
Activity report of last year
Mandatory annex: activity report of last year of the coordinator. Public bodies are exempted. It highlights the activities and projects of the organisation; it is not a financial audit report or balance sheet.
List of previous projects (last 4 years)
Mandatory annex using the template in Part B: key projects of the coordinator for the last 4 years. Recently established organisations provide an empty form.
KPI tool completed online
Additional project data on the contribution to the EU programme key performance indicators, filled in directly online in the Submission System, with all sections completed.
Ethics and EU values section (Part B 5.1)
Show that the project respects ethical principles and EU values (Article 2 TEU, Article 21 of the Charter): ethics issues and measures, gender and non-discrimination mainstreaming, the child rights approach, privacy and data protection, and the policies guaranteeing compliance with EU values.
Double-funding declarations (Part B section 6)
Confirm that neither the project as a whole nor any part of it has benefitted from, or is or will be submitted for, any other EU grant, or explain and provide details.
Disclosure of AI tools used to prepare the proposal
When generative AI tools are used, disclose which tools were used and how, verify the accuracy of the generated content and citations, and provide a list of the sources used to generate content and citations.
Submission declarations
At submission, confirm the mandate to act for all applicants, that the information in the application is correct and complete, and that all participants comply with the conditions for receiving EU funding.
4 key insights you must internalise before writing. Each is grounded in the call text and tells you what evaluators will actually look for. Share these with your consortium before drafting.
The call encourages consortium partners specialised in victim support, such as women's rights organisations and NGOs that provide specialist services to victims, and states this is taken into account under the Quality criterion (40 points). A consortium of generalist organisations leaves points on the table; show which partner brings the specialist service and what it does in the work plan.
Source: Call document section 2 (Priority 2) and section 9 (Quality)
Involving a public authority (ministry, agency, equality body, police, judicial, health or education authority) as beneficiary or associated partner, or through a letter of support annexed to the application, is taken into account under Impact. The rationale for the choice must be documented in Part B; a letter without a stated role in sustaining the services after funding ends adds little.
Source: Call document section 2 (Priority 2) and section 6 (Involvement of public authority)
Every instrument listed in the priority maps to a provision of the VAW Directive: Article 25(4) one-stop shops, Article 26 rape crisis centres, Articles 15 and 16 identification and offender risk assessment, Article 21(g) intersectional needs. With transposition due by 14 June 2027, Relevance rewards a visible contribution to the EU legislative context; name the article your instrument helps a Member State comply with.
Source: Call document section 1 (Background) and section 2 (Priority 2); section 9 (Relevance)
Proposals need at least 25/40 on Relevance and 70/100 overall, and ties within the topic are broken on the Relevance score first. Invest in a robust needs assessment with data broken down by sex, age or disability, a clearly defined target group with a gender perspective, and a transnational or transferable dimension.
Source: Call document section 8 (ranking) and section 9 (award criteria)
Talk to the Grant Coach to build your concept. There is no set order: start wherever your project starts. The sections below mirror what the conversation produces, and your coverage tracks the progress. You can refine everything once your project workspace is created.
Deliverables (2) — imposed by the call
Progress report at mid-term (not linked to payment)
Report on the EU Survey on Justice, Rights and Values
Fully managed by GrantForge
Click Create proposal above to start writing this form inside GrantForge. The structure below is what we generate for you.
Part B is downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF. It is limited to 45 pages for this priority (70 pages for Priority 1, 45 pages for the other priorities); evaluators will not consider any additional pages. The application must be readable, accessible and printable.
Structure of Part B:
Public authority support: the rationale for the choice of the public authority must be documented and explained in Part B. If the support takes the form of a letter of support, it is annexed to the application.
An annual activity report is not a financial audit report or balance sheet, but a report highlighting the activities and projects of the organisation.
When considering the use of generative AI tools for the preparation of the proposal, applicants must exercise caution: AI-generated content should be thoroughly reviewed and validated to ensure its appropriateness, accuracy and compliance with intellectual property regulations. Applicants are fully responsible for the content of the proposal (even the parts produced by an AI tool) and must be transparent in disclosing which AI tools were used and how. Specifically, applicants are required to verify the accuracy, validity and appropriateness of the content and citations generated, provide a list of sources used to generate content and citations, be conscious of potential plagiarism, not enter personal data and confidential information on AI platforms that are not managed on proprietary servers, and acknowledge the limitations of the AI tool, including the potential for bias, errors and gaps in knowledge.
Part A contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners) and the summarised budget for the project. It is filled in directly online in the Submission System. The project abstract/summary must always be in English.
Consortium roles are attributed according to the level of participation in the project: main participants participate as beneficiaries or affiliated entities; other entities can participate as associated partners, subcontractors or third parties giving in-kind contributions. Associated partners and third parties giving in-kind contributions bear their own costs. Affiliated entities receive part of the grant, must comply with all call conditions and be validated, but do not count towards the minimum eligibility criteria for consortium composition; documents demonstrating their affiliation link must be provided with the application. Consortia that consist only of a coordinator and one or more affiliated entities or associated partners are ineligible: make sure a partner is added in Part A.
The KPI tool contains additional project data regarding the project's contribution to EU programme key performance indicators. It is filled in directly online, with all sections completed.
All beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners must be registered in the Participant Register before submission; the participant identification code (PIC) is mandatory for the Application Form. At proposal submission, the coordinator confirms the mandate to act for all applicants, that the information in the application is correct and complete, and that all participants comply with the conditions for receiving EU funding (especially eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion). Before signing the grant, each beneficiary and affiliated entity confirms this again by signing a declaration of honour. Proposals without full support are rejected. Further documents may be requested at a later stage (legal entity validation, financial capacity check, bank account validation).
The detailed budget table is a mandatory annex: the template is available in the Portal Submission System and must be re-uploaded filled out in .xlsx format. It is annex 1 to Part B (detailed budget table/calculator).
The detailed budget table serves as the basis for fixing the lump sums for the grants, and lump sums must be reliable proxies for the actual costs of a project. The costs included must therefore comply with the basic eligibility conditions for EU actual cost grants (AGA, Annotated Grant Agreement, art 6). This is particularly important for purchases and subcontracting, which must comply with best value for money (or, if appropriate, the lowest price) and be free of any conflict of interests. If the budget table contains ineligible costs, the grant may be reduced, even later on during the project implementation or after its end.
The details and the breakdown of the "Other" cost items from headings A.1 and C.3 should be provided in the "any comments" sheet of the detailed budget table.
The work package tables of Part B show the budget headings A. Personnel, B. Subcontracting, C.1a Travel, C.1b Accommodation, C.1c Subsistence, C.2 Equipment, C.3 Other goods, works and services, D.1 Financial support to third parties and E. Indirect costs; for lump sum grants the figures are given in the detailed budget table/calculator. Figures must be consistent between the detailed budget table, Part A and Part B.