Progress axis of EaSI (2014-2020) – EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation
The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme is a financing instrument at EU level to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions, which will run from 2014 until 2020. The programme brings together three EU programmes managed separately between 2007 and 2013: PROGRESS, EURES and Progress Microfinance.

As of January 2014, these programmes form the three axes of EaSI and support:
– the modernisation of employment and social policies with the PROGRESS axis (61% of the total budget);
– job mobility with the EURES axis (18% of the total budget);
– access to micro-finance and social entrepreneurship with the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis (21% of the total budget).

The PROGRESS axis of EaSI helps the EU and its countries to improve policies in three thematic sections:
– employment, in particular to fight youth unemployment;
– social protection, social inclusion and the reduction and prevention of poverty;
– working conditions.

Objectives
– Develop and disseminate high-quality comparative analytical knowledge.
– Facilitate effective and inclusive information-sharing, mutual learning and dialogue.
– Provide financial support to test social and labour market policy innovations.
– Provide organisations with financial support to increase their capacity to develop, promote and support the implementation of EU instruments and policies.

Eligible applicants
– national, regional and local authorities, employment services, specialist bodies provided for under EU law, the social partners, non-governmental organisations, higher education institutions and research institutes, experts in evaluation and in impact assessment, national statistical offices, the media;
– countries eligible to participate are the 28 EU Member States, the EFTA-EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway), and the candidate and potential candidate countries in line with the general principles and the general terms and conditions in the framework agreements concluded with them on their participation in EU programmes.

Open calls:
 – VP/2014/014 Promoting the contribution of private savings to pension adequacy
 – Deadline was 23 December 2014

Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1081&langId=en