Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)
The European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (“EaSI”) is the new umbrella program for Employment and Social Policy.
General objectives
The European Union Programme on Employment and Social Innovation aims to increase coherence of EU employment and social aspects by bringing together the Progress Programme (Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity), EURES (European Employment Services) and the European Progress Microfinance facility.
The Programme supports Member States efforts in the design and implementation of employment and social reforms at European, national as well as regional and local levels. The objectives will be reached by means of policy analysis and the sharing of best practices. At the center of the EASI program is the concept of social innovation.
Specific Objectives
- Strengthen ownership of the Union objectives in the employment, social and working conditions among national policy-makers, as well as other interested parties in order to bring about concrete and coordinated actions at both Union and Member State level;
- Support the development of adequate, accessible and efficient social protection systems and facilitate policy reform, by promoting good governance, mutual learning and social innovation;
- Modernise Union law and ensure that Union law on matters relating to working conditions is effectively applied;
- Promote workers’ geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities by developing Union labour markets that are open and accessible to all;
- Promote equality between women and men and combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;
- Ensure that the requirements linked to the promotion of a high-level of employment, a guarantee of adequate social protection and the fight against social exclusion are taken into account in defining and implementing of the Union’s policies and activities.
Why is it important for Samaritan organizations?
EaSI programme is very important because it promotes employment and social inclusion by increasing the availability and accessibility of microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises. The programme guarantees adequate and decent social protection and fight against poverty and social exclusion.
EaSI is very important for all the Samaritan organizations because it tries to improve the level and the quality of social services. It finances the preparation and implementation of pilot social services and the evaluation of innovative solutions in view of their application on a wider scale.
Structure of the Programme
The Programme contains three complementarity axes:
Progress axis (61% of the total budget) which supports the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of employment and social policy on working conditions at European level. It promotes policy making and innovation, with the social partners, civil society organizations and other interested parties.
For the period 2014-2020 the ‘Progress’ element of EaSI has a specific budget for social innovation and for social policy experimentation with the aim that the most successful ones could be implemented.
EURES axis (18% of the total budget) which supports activities carried out by the EURES network (European Employment Services) with other interested parties. The aim is to develop information exchanges and dissemination and other forms of cooperation to promote workers’ geographical mobility.
Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis (21% of the total budget), which facilitates access to finance for entrepreneurs, especially those furthest from the labour market, and social enterprises.
Application and consultancy
To apply for funding, eligible organisations must respond to a call for tender or/and to a call for proposals. European Commission publishes a call for tenders when it tend to select a service provider for a specific mission and for its internal needs. This procedure is quite different from the call for proposals, by which the Commission may select several relevant projects in a field to afford them a grant.
Funding opportunities
You will find all the information on how to apply for funding and the conditions and procedures for the selection of beneficiaries on the SWIM system IT system to manage grant applications,
Responsible body
DG Employment, social affairs and inclusion
For more information and details
DG Employment, social affairs and inclusion