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The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme provides funding for citizens engagement, equality for all and the implementation of rights and EU values. In the framework of the programme, the 2023 call for proposal for networks of towns has been published.

The Networks of Towns will give towns and municipalities the possibility to deepen and intensify their cooperation and debate, develop sustainable networks and outline their long-term vision for the future of European integration.

The call allocates 6,000,000 euros to finance transnational projects focused on the following priorities:

• Promoting awareness and building knowledge of EU citizenship rights and associated European common values and common democratic standards, ensuring the provision of information to mobile EU citizens;
• Promoting awareness and building knowledge of the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty;
• Promoting awareness, building knowledge and sharing best practice on the benefits of diversity, gender equality as well as effective measures on how to tackle discrimination and racism at local level;
• Bringing citizens together to discuss local actions on the climate and the environment.

In addition to this specific focus, Networks of Towns projects may also more generally, but not exclusively, reflect on any impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on life within their local communities, on the way in which their communities function and on the forms that civic participation and solidarity took under the COVID-19 crisis and how these forms could become sustainable in the future. Projects may also draw inspiration from or be related to the New European Bauhaus initiative.

Activities that can be funded may include workshops, seminars, conferences, training activities, expert meetings, webinars, awareness-raising activities, exchanges and dissemination of good practices among public authorities and civil society organisations, development of communication tools and the use of social media.

Proposed projects must have a duration of between 12 and 24 months.

The call is addressed to cities and municipalities and/or other levels of local authorities or their twinning committees or other non-profit organisations representing local authorities. These entities must be established in the EU States, including the OCTs, or in the candidate and potential candidate countries, provided that the association agreement to the CERV programme is finalised for these countries.

Projects must be submitted by a consortium consisting of at least 4 entities (the project coordinator + 3 partners) from 4 different eligible countries, of which at least 2 are EU countries. Activities must take place in at least two different eligible countries.

The call opens on 19 January 2023 and its deadline is 20 April 2023, 17.00 (Brussels time).

Official documents are available here

Written by: Margherita Genua