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Call for Proposals for a National Contact Point under the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) Strand of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)

The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme is a financing instrument at EU level to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, improving working conditions, guaranteeing adequate social protection, and combating social exclusion and poverty.

The European Commission has launched a call for National Contact Points for the EaSI strand of ESF+. The call seeks to establish one National Contact Point (NCP) for the EaSI strand under ESF+ per country. The National Contact Points shall:

  • Promote the projects that are currently being funded by the programme, as well as the result the programme achieved in the particular country;
  • Support other National Contact Points in their tasks;
  • Raise awareness of the EaSI programme;
  • Actively support the submission of better-quality proposals, share funded projects’ results in such a manner that it facilitates their replication and scaling; and
  • Establish synergies with other EU funding programmes. The National Contact Points shall establish seamless cooperation with the National Competence Centres for Social Innovation, which are currently supported by the EaSI programme and ESF technical assistance.

Additional information and call documents can be found here.

Applications from organisations other than public authorities must be endorsed by the responsible national authority to act as the National Contact Point (NCP) for the EaSI strand for that country. In Ireland, the responsible national authorities in this area are the ESF Managing Authority, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Rural and Community Development.

If you wish to receive the endorsement of the Irish authorities as part of this call, please submit a short letter outlining your proposed approach and suitability for the call (with reference to the call documents).

Letters should be submitted by email to esf@dfheris.gov.ie copying lorna.tuohy@dfheris.gov.ie.

The closing date for receipt of letters is Thursday 12 August at 5p.m. Any letters received after this deadline cannot be considered.

Please include ‘EaSI National Contact Point Call for Proposals’ in the subject line of your email.