Definition
These rules apply to all content relating to EU funding, independently from its allocation field (e.g. education, research and innovation etc.). Extensive external user research with stakeholders has shown that content relating to EU funding is one of the three main reasons why visitors are using the Commission’s websites. These rules are intended to ensure that such content is made as clear and as helpful as possible for stakeholders.
Funding categories
There are different categories in the European Union’s funding scheme:
- grants: direct financial contribution from the European Union’s budget in a form of a donation
- public procurement contracts: purchase of services, supplies or work
- financial instruments: loans, guarantees and equity implemented in partnership with public and private institutions
- subsidies: direct cash payment aiming at reducing economic and social disparities
- prizes: financial contribution given as a reward following a contest.
Learn more about EU funding categories in the EU funding for beginners section of the European Commission’s website.
Funding management
The funding proposal and application process depends on how the funding is managed. As a consequence, the obligations in terms of publication will also depend on its management mode. There are three different modes:
- Direct management: the European Union is responsible for carrying out all the steps of the process.
- Shared management: the Member States’ administrations are in charge of the selection and award procedures.
- Indirect management: the implementing partner (United Nations, World Bank, etc.) acts as the contracting authority and sets the application process.
Learn more about funding management types in the funding by management mode section of the European Commission’s website.
Two main types of calls published on a DG website
- A call for proposal is the official publication of a funding proposal submission. Applicants will find all necessary information on the award process on the call.
- A call for tender is the official publication of tender for public procurement of services, supplies or work.
Purpose
Effective web communication around funding programmes helps to:
- attract the right and best candidates, proposals and contractors (e.g. by simplifying the (digital) application process)
- promote and raise awareness about funding opportunities
- show the impact (on policy) of the funding programmes and public procurement
- improve connections between and with stakeholders
- show best practices for projects, based on projects that have received funding
- provide transparency of the processes and where the funding goes
- support the work of the European Commission in improving citizens’ life in various fields
- communicate rules and guidance on public procurement to governments and other stakeholder.
Rules
Calls for proposal
The European Commission’s website www.ec.europa.eu publishes an overview of the funding opportunities financed by the programmes under the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and NextGenerationEU, each with its own dedicated page to:
- offer a consistent way to present information on all EU funding programmes
- improve access to detailed information about the results of funding programmes
- provide links to calls for proposals for direct management programmes on a single page with links to content managed by the DGs or to the authority’s website.
If DGs are required to provide further information on a programme they have authority on for this content, DG COMM will be in touch with the Unit concerned.
Programmes under direct management
To ensure this effective and consistent communication of EU directly-managed programmes across the European Commission’s web presence, DGs must register the calls for proposal on the European Commission’s official Funding & Tender opportunities platform, also known as Single Electronic Data Interchange AREA (SEDIA). This is the entry point for participants and experts in funding programmes and tenders managed by the European Commission and other EU bodies.
The portal provides a platform for the electronic management of calls for proposals and tenders and facilitates interactions with the EU Institutions. Applicants can search for funding bodies, calls for proposals, find partners or submit a project.
If they wish to, DGs can communicate about a funding programme on their own website or a dedicated one but must link this content to the call for proposal on the funding and tender opportunities platform.
For more information about funding and tender opportunities platform, please contact EC-FUNDING-TENDER-SERVICE-DESK@ec.europa.eu.
Programmes under shared or indirect management
Programmes under shared or indirect management have dedicated sites or are hosted on the responsible DG’s or the managing authority’s website. The rules of the authority in charge of the selection and award procedures apply.
Calls for tender
Where to publish calls for tender
- it is mandatory to save calls for tender that are worth 140k€ or higher on the eTed Tendering platform.
- it is recommended to save calls for tender that are worth less than 140k€ on the eTed Tendering platform. If they are not saved on the eTed Tendering platform, they should at least be hosted on the programme site and/or the DG’s website.
How to organise calls for tender on your site
Your DG or funding programme website should provide access to calls for tender.
- preferred: include a dedicated page or section on your site: Funding and tenders
- provide a link to the eTed Tendering platform, towards search results for your DG, programme
- for calls for tender associated with direct-managed programmes: link to the Funding & Tender opportunities platform which in turn will link to the TED eTendering platform.
For more information about the the eTed Tendering platform, please contact: OP-TED-HELPDESK@publications.europa.eu.
Funding and tenders on DGs websites
All calls on Commission owned websites, may they be for funding or tender, under direct, shared or indirect management, have to appear in accordance with the European Commission’s web presence rules and guidelines on DGs websites, so pay attention to the following:
- explain brand names and acronyms (if any) for programmes
- respect the web writing guidelines
- respect the European Commission guidelines on visual identity.
When the calls for tender and the calls for proposal appear on Commission owned websites as well as on the official platform - respectively the eTed Tendering platform and the Funding & Tender opportunities platform - the content from the Commission owned websites should link to the official platform. Moreover, please make sure the calls for proposal also appear on the dedicated European Commission website’s page.
For sites developed on Corporate web development platforms
If your site is developed with the corporate web development platforms (Europa Web Publishing Platform or Open Europa), you must use the call for proposals content type for funding programmes and the call for tenders content type to launch a tender.
For more information on the content types, please go to the step by step guides to content types.
Contact and Support
Need further assistance on this topic? Please contact the team in charge: COMM Europa Management.