Helpdesk, Unlocking EU Funds for Social Services

On 16 April, Caritas Europa, as part of the HELPDESK project, participated in a high-level conference in Brussels to share the project’s tools, which will help unlock EU funds for social services.

These tools are available to managing authorities, social service providers and intermediate bodies to facilitate access to and simplify the use of EU funds for Social Services. The project has also produced an e-training for social services on how to successfully fund their EU projects.

In the current EU funding period 2021-2027, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) has a total budget of €100 billion. Of this, 25% is earmarked for social inclusion projects. These funds have great potential to support and invest in quality services and support, thereby investing in improving lives. However, there is clear evidence that suggests that these funds are not being used effectively and social care and support services as well as local authorities report multiple difficulties in accessing EU funds. Key barriers to the use of these funds by social services include the large bureaucratic and administrative burden of handling EU-funded projects and a lack of knowledge among social services on how to get access to EU funds. Stakeholders also report that rigid and narrow project calls reduce the potential for EU funds to be used for innovative support and social care service delivery. Furthermore, Managing Authorities face challenges in defining, measuring, and monitoring the social impact of such projects.

Within this context, the HELPDESK (Social ServiceS Helpdesk on EU Funds) project was launched in May 2022. Co-funded by the European Union, it aimed to raise awareness about ESF+, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and other relevant EU funds and how such funds can better support quality social services. The project has also facilitated access to and simplified the use of EU funds for social services. It has also promoted exchange and cooperation between key partners to ensure that funding priorities are based on an assessment of social needs and target effective evidence-based social services interventions.

For more information on the project, download the joint statement and visit https://eufunds4social.eu/.