PROGRESS Funding

The European Commission is inviting proposals from Member States for funding for national awareness-raising activities in support of the Community's anti-discrimination agenda. National authorities can nominate non-profit making organisations, e.g. an NGO or an equality body, to carry out activities on their behalf. In the UK the Government Equalities Office is the "national authority".

The PROGRESS programme is concerned with:

“Raising awareness, disseminating information and promoting the debate about the key challenges and policy issues in relation to discrimination and the mainstreaming of anti-discrimination in all Community policies, including among the social partners, NGOs and other stakeholders.”

The following is a public link to the call for proposals, which also leads to the application form:

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=423&langId=en&callId=249&furtherCalls=yes

The amount of funding available from the Commission is €300,000 per Member State. Each national authority can present one or two projects. Activities must start in 2010, and can have up to 80% of total eligible costs financed. The remainder of the costs are to be found from other sources.

The Government Equalities Office, as required by the European Commission, has produced a framework document identifying the priorities and challenges for 2010/11 at national level in the fight against discrimination. The framework document can be found here:

UK FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT 20010/11

Timetable for applications

Applications must be submitted to the European Commission by 25 May, following consideration by the UK National Authority – the Government Equalities Office.

Applications should therefore reach GEO by 3pm on Tuesday 4 May 2010. They should be submitted to:

Charles Ramsden, Government Equalities Office, 9th floor, Zone H9, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU

Or email: charles.ramsden@geo.gsi.gov.uk 

If you wish to discuss this call then please call Charles Ramsden on 0303 444 3093.