This forthcoming Horizon 2020 funding call aims to provide policymakers, civil society organisations and other relevant actors with effective, responsive, flexible, context-specific and culture-specific proposals to promote socio-economic integration, inclusion and access to rights and services.

Scope

Projects may be funded either based on costs incurred (Research and Innovation Action) or by a pre-determined lump sum (Innovation Action). The Commission considers that proposals requesting EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately, though selected proposals may request other amounts.

Innovation Action (Lump Sum contribution)

Proposals should examine the provisions for migrants’ rights and access to social services in the host countries, particularly in the aftermath of migration flows since 2014. The proposals should pay special attention to mechanisms to support the integration of migrant men and women through participatory practices, social innovation and entrepreneurship, diaspora communities and local civil society initiatives. Projects will develop and test potentially viable approaches through pilots.

Research and Innovation Action

Proposals should comparatively assess the effectiveness of integration policies and practices in major migrant-receiving spaces in local communities. This should include migrants’ access to civic and social rights, social services and facilities (e.g. language tuition and healthcare) in accordance with their legal status, as well as intercultural interaction (including gender aspects) and adaptation to increased diversity of the population.

Proposals should also explore social cohesion and societal fragmentation, and how these aspects are accounted for in migrant integration policies. The projects should study attitudes to migration and integration among migrants and host communities and analyse urban and rural governance of integration processes against the backdrop of a broader multi-level governance framework, exploring tensions between the local and other levels of governments.

Projects should compare different practices and experiences on their viability, efficiency and transferability. They should deliver policy recommendations and establish a regular exchange with stakeholders from different communities and municipalities.

Expected impact

Projects will enhance the knowledge base on integration of migrants in local communities. The actions will contribute to improved practices, policies and strategies at local, national and EU levels for the integration of migrants. This will help increase the possibilities for migrants to thrive and flourish in the labour market and in society. The projects will advance the implementation of the EU Urban Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals related to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

The pilots developed under the Innovation Action will offer new tools for enhancing the integration of migrants across Europe. This will provide actors working in this multilevel system of governance with tested options that are scalable and replicable in different environments with context-specific adaptations. Their evaluation will provide conclusions and recommendations for policymaking at local, regional, national and European levels to create the best possible conditions in which local authorities and their stakeholders can operate.

The Research and Innovation Action should deliver analysis for better understanding migrant integration. Projects should identify approaches and practices which can be applied in both cities and rural communities, as well as those that are specific to either context. This will expand knowledge of the dynamics of integration and the policies managing such processes, shedding light on potential gaps and needs to be addressed by policymakers. The actions will contribute to finding new ways to integrate migrants into European societies, thus exploiting the potential opportunities of migration.

The opening date for this call is 5 November 2019 and the deadline will be 12 March 2020 at 17:00 Brussels time. More information about this call, including eligibility and other conditions, can be found on the European Commission’s funding and tender opportunities website.