Employment and Social innovation Programme (EaSi)

The European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation promotes a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions. It supports Member States efforts in the design and implementation of employment and social reforms at European, national as well as regional and local levels by means of policy coordination, theidentification, analysis and sharing of best practices.

Together with the European Social Fund, the Fund for the European Aid for the most Deprived and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, EaSI forms the fourth pillar of the EU Initiative for Employment and Social Inclusion 2014-2020.

Since January 2014, these programmes form the three axes of EaSI. They support:

The modernisation of employment and social policies with the PROGRESS axis (61% of the total budget);
Job mobility with the EURES axis (18% of the total budget);
Access to micro-finance and social entrepreneurship with the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis (21% of the total budget).

OBJECTIVES:

Srengthen ownership of EU objectives and coordination of action at EU and national level in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion.
Support the development of adequate social protection systems and labour market policies.
Modernise EU legislation and ensure its effective application.
Promote geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities by developing an open labour market.
Increase the availability and accessibility of microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises, and increase access to finance for social enterprises.

Focus

In pursuing these objectives, EaSI will:

pay particular attention to vulnerable groups, such as young people,
promote equality between women and men,
combat discriminations,
promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment,
guarantee adequate and decent social protection,
combat long-term unemployment,
fight against poverty and social exclusion.

Duration

2014-2020

Proposal Submission

Implementation

PROGRESS

The PROGRESS axis of EaSI helps the EU and its countries to improve policies in three thematic sections:

Employment, in particular to fight youth unemployment (20%);
Social protection, social inclusion and the reduction and prevention of poverty (50%);
Working conditions (10%).

The activities to be funded are defined in a work programme to be adopted by the Programme Committee.

To apply for funding, eligible organisations must respond to a call for tender or/and to a call for proposals.

EURES

The EURES axis supports actions in one or more of the following sections:

Transparency of job vacancies, job applications and any related information for applicants and employers (32%);
Development of services for the recruitment and placing of workers in employment (30%);
Cross-border partnerships (18%).

Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship

This axis supports actions in three thematic sections:

Microcredit and microloans for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises;
Social entrepreneurship, by supporting the development of the social investment market and facilitating access to finance for social enterprises;
Building up of the institutional capacity of microcredit providers.

The European Commission does not directly finance entrepreneurs or social enterprises, but enables selected microcredit providers and social enterprise investors in the EU to increase lending. Organisations that can apply for funding are public and private bodies established at national, regional or local level and providing microcredit for persons and microenterprises and/or financing for social enterprises in these countries.

The activities to be funded will be defined in a work programme to be adopted by the Programme Committee.

To apply for funding, eligible organisations must respond to a call for tender or/and to a call for proposals.

Terms And Conditions

Legal Basis: Regulation No 1296/2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ("EaSI”)

Link: Regulation

Budget

€ 919,47 million (current prices)

Available Calls

Total Funding Amount

Selection Criteria

Open To

Eligibility:

EU countries;
EEA countries, in accordance with the EEA Agreement, and EFTA countries;
EU candidate countries and potential candidate countries, in line with the framework agreements concluded with them on their participation in the Programmes.

The EURES axis of EaSI is open to:

national, regional and local authorities;
employment services;
social partner organisations and other interested parties

from EU countries and EEA countries, in accordance with the EEA Agreemen

The PROGRESS axis of EaSI is open to all public and/or private bodies, actors and institutions, and in particular:

national, regional and local authorities;
employment services;
specialist bodies provided for under Union law;
the social partners;
non-governmental organisations;
higher education institutions and research institutes;
experts in evaluation and in impact assessment;
national statistical offices;
the media.

It can support cooperation with international organisations, and in particular with the Council of Europe, the OECD, the ILO, with other United Nations bodies and with the World Bank.

Notes