NEWS
The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) launches today a joint statement on the next EU Budget, endorsed by 68 European networks and 288 national organisations from 32 countries. Together, the EUFunds4Social coalition calls on the European institutions to safeguard and strengthen a standalone European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is the EU’s seven-year budget. Its current framework sets the spending priorities and ceilings for close to €2 trillion from 2021-2027. The two most relevant programmes for employment, education and social inclusion are the European Social Fund + and the European Regional Development Fund; which invests hundreds of millions each year into the inclusion of persons with disabilities. With the current framework coming to an end in 2027, the European Commission published last summer its proposals for the next 7-year programming 2028-2034. The highlight was a radical change to EU Funding, merging several funding streams (including ESF+ and ERDF) under National and Regional Partnership Plans. Both the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament are now negotiating their own positions on the Commission proposals.
To influence this process, the EUFunds4Social Coalition was set-up to bring the perspective of those who will ultimately be transforming funding into concrete initiatives for people across Europe, especially those most excluded. The Coalition now publishes its fourth joint statement. Launching the Joint Statement, Thomas Bignal, Secretary General of EASPD, highlights:
“the European Commission is right to want to make the biggest impact with the EU’s budget by focusing on big and strategic reforms. From our experience, the EU Budget is at its best when strategic priorities are set at European level, but the programmes themselves are adapted to regional needs. We already have a model for that: ESF+ and ERDF. Let’s build on what works, not overhaul a broadly successful system”.
Irene Bertana, Head of Policy EASPD, who also coordinates the EUFunds4Social Coalition, said:
“local and Regional authorities rely on the ESF+ and ERDF to fund social initiatives, including improving access to employment, education and training, and reaching out to those who need it the most. The EU Commission’s current proposal has less guaranteed funding for these initiatives, no earmarking for those most excluded, and risks that the EU budget becomes a bargaining chip between central and regional authorities. This is why we call for ESF+ and ERDF as strong, independent, and protected programmes.”
In more technical terms, the statement, endorsed by 356 organisations, including 68 European networks, calls on the European Parliament and Council of the European Union to:
- Secure strong and dedicated budgets for ESF and ERDF, at least equal to current budgetary funding levels adjusted for inflation, and provided as grants;
- Maintain the ESF as the EU’s core instrument for people-centred investment, aligned with the European Pillar of Social Rights, the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, and the Social Economy Action Plan;
- Preserve current ESF earmarking for social inclusion, child poverty, material deprivation, youth employment, and capacity-building for civil society and social partners;
- Strengthen and mainstream the partnership principle across all EU funds, including direct funds, ensuring meaningful participation of social actors at all levels of governance;
- Reinstate and enforce enabling conditions to ensure EU investments uphold fundamental rights and support implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- Improve access for small not-for-profit actors through simpler procedures, lighter reporting requirements, stable pre-financing, adequate co-financing, and national helpdesks.
The EUFunds4Social Coalition brings together European social services, NGOs, public health and service providers, lifelong learning and social economy actors, workers, and social partners. It represents millions of organisations, enterprises, and people, including those most excluded in society. Since March 2025, its actions aim to ensure social investment is strengthened, not weakened, in the next EU budget. The priority is ensuring that higher social spending is secured, and resources earmarked in particular for supporting the inclusion of disadvantaged people through the next EU budget. Read the full statement here.
Support Documents
- Joint Statement: “100 billion Euros for social spending? The devil’s in the details”
- Joint Statement “Time for Ambition: The EU needs a strong Social Fund to live up to its commitments”
- Joint statement: “Keep what works: 8 success factors for a future ESF+”
- European Commission – what is the ESF+?
- Helpdesk Project
- EU funds for social services: technical guidance on effective interventions
- MEPs demand a strengthened and separate European Social Fund Plus post-2027
- European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Opinion on the proposal for a Council regulation laying down the Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2028 to 2034
Created in 2020, the L’Oréal Fund for Women is an endowment fund dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations and associations that assist highly vulnerable women and girls and combat gender-based and sexual violence. The Fund supports projects that provide access to education, social and professional integration, and the protection of women’s rights, contributing to the resilience of women and girls in highly precarious situations.
While the 2026 call for applications has not yet opened, EMN members can prepare in advance and review the selection criteria. Having an account is required to apply:
New users: must review the selection criteria before creating an account.
Existing users: must confirm that they have read the selection criteria.
This is a unique opportunity for members to present projects that make a tangible difference for women and girls, and to gain visibility in the international social and microfinance community.
Check their website for more information and to review the selection criteria
EMN is excited to welcome Globus Bank as a new member of our network!
Globus Bank is a private commercial bank in Ukraine that focuses on supporting national recovery by providing sustainable and accessible financial solutions. Its mission is to promote economic stability and address the needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through tailored lending programs and sustainable finance instruments. The bank aims to accelerate Ukraine’s transition to energy independence by financing energy-efficient solutions for condominium associations and ESCO companies. Additionally, Globus Bank actively advocates for the economic interests of combat veterans by offering specialized preferential financial instruments.
All initiatives implemented by the bank are aimed at creating positive impact and are based on core values such as resilience, environmental responsibility, and social justice. By focusing on high-impact sectors, the bank ensures the sustainability of results and implements a results-oriented strategy. Globus Bank is committed to high social ideals and develops banking products that actively contribute to poverty reduction, peacebuilding, and the creation of a prosperous future for Ukraine.
Check the member profile.
Entrepreneurial activity in low-income communities faces numerous challenges, but it is not impossible for it to thrive. The Financial Health and Resilience project is committed to identifying strategies that support entrepreneurs and enhance their financial resilience. Since many entrepreneurs depend on their businesses for their livelihood, providing support not only contributes to their business success but also bolsters their personal and family resilience.
In the project, three hundred entrepreneurs received mentoring and coaching tailored to their individual needs and availability. In 2025, the partners focused on the following objectives:
- Establishing 150 mentoring relationships in each country
- Providing support based on each entrepreneur’s specific needs
- Encouraging the development of new, positive habits, such as collaboration, flexibility, and finding a balance between work and personal life.
In 2026, the partners will finalise the development of the support methodology aimed at strengthening entrepreneurs’ financial health and will pilot new support methods, including collaborative entrepreneurship, to alleviate the pressures faced by entrepreneurs. Results from the project will be presented at the 2026 Annual Conference in Barcelona.
Funder: JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Partners:
- Spain: Autoocupacio Foundation, Tomillo Foundation, Nantik Lum Foundation, Incyde
- France: Adie Association, Cresus Foundation, LiveMentor
In Spain and Greece, our local partners, Autoocupació and ANKA, are working with 60 young people who are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEETs) to help them find a path toward employment. The reasons for economic exclusion among these individuals vary, including issues related to education, housing, migration, and family obligations, such as caring for dependent family members. Despite their differences, these factors all lead to significant challenges for young people trying to re-enter the labor market.
The roles of our partners and the EMN are to test and develop a methodology aimed at assisting long-term market-excluded youth in discovering their own routes to economic independence. Drawing from Autoocupacio’s successful mentoring experience, the partners have crafted a methodology that focuses on building trust-based, non-judgmental relationships in which the motivations and aspirations of young people take center stage.
In 2026, the project aims to support an additional 120 young people, and the relationships formed during this initiative will help refine the methodology further. The findings from the project will be presented at the Annual Conference in Barcelona in 2026.
Funder: European Social Fund (ESF+)
Partners:
- Autoocupacio Foundation (Spain)
- ANKA (Greece)