A new call for proposals was launched as part of the Education and Employment Programme in Romania: Active measures for youth employment, including for NEETs, funded through ESF+. The call addresses policy objective no. 4 of the Cohesion Policy 2021 - 2027: A more social and inclusive Europe.

In the context of a 22.8% unemployment rate among young people aged 15 – 24 years old (as of September 2022) in Romania, the call aims to ensure that the country's youth are offered a personalised set of active measures that include training and support for employment. 

These measures, provided as packages of integrated services, comprise:

• support for finding employment/integration into the labour market;

• professional training schemes;

• evaluation of competences gained in informal/non-formal settings;

• social and professional accompaniment of vulnerable groups (support measures such as home services for disabled and elderly dependents, nursery and kindergarten costs, etc.).

Eligible applicants:

• accredited public and private specialised service providers in the field of employment (e.g. information and counselling, professional training, etc.)

• competence evaluation centres

• public employment agencies and their co-ordinating or subordinated bodies

A needs analysis of the area/region of implementation, focusing on employment needs, opportunities and the number of potential service users, is mandatory for every proposal submitted.

Target groups: young people aged 16 - 30 years old looking for employment. Each project must reach at least 217 young people, of which a minimum of 40% must be NEETs and minumum of 9% must be of Roma origin.

The total available budget for this call is EUR 176 479 439.11, of which EUR 158 727 069.30 will be allocated to less-developed regions of Romania. The value of the grant awarded per project will range from EUR 201 000 to EUR 1 000 000, for a maximum project duration of 36 months.

Project proposals must be submitted online through the MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+ platform. 

Deadline for applications: 18 September 2024, 16:00 Romanian time (EET).