The aim of this Call is to advance the institutional development and capacity of the National Roma Contact Points for Roma equality, inclusion and participation (NRCPs) in their role of facilitating national consultation processes, particularly through reforming and strengthening their established National Roma Platforms (NRPs).

The main mission of the Platforms is threefold: widen policy discussions on the implementation of national Roma strategic frameworks, deepen domestic accountability structures, and reinforce links between the local and national levels.
NRPs will promote and facilitate dialogue, mutual learning, cooperation and policy review among all national stakeholders (e.g., Roma and pro-Roma civil society organizations, activists, elected and appointed officials in public administration, representatives of public administration, academia, etc.). Within the context of the NRPs, the NRCPs are also expected to boost, in a gender-sensitive way, the representation of Roma in the platform structures, including of women and youth, as well as by nominating a Roma representative to ensure the link between National and the European Roma Platforms.

National Roma Platforms aim to:

• provide a transparent and participative forum which ensures a regular consultation process and co-operation between the National Roma Contact Points and all the other members of the Platforms (e.g., representatives of sectoral ministries, public authorities and administration, equality and antidiscrimination bodies, Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations, activists and professionals from various areas of relevance, elected and appointed Roma officials, entrepreneurs, trade unions, employers’ and children’s rights organisations, academia, etc.) to support and contribute to the implementation of NRSFs;
• support the NRCPs in their task of coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the national Roma strategic framework on equality, inclusion and participation;
• encourage self-mobilisation, co-operation and strengthening of the Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations;
• promote mobilization and co-operation between local authorities, Roma civil society and communities at local level, to jointly develop and implement EUfunded programmes and projects advancing Roma inclusion;
• strengthen multi-stakeholder accountability at national and local levels, ownership and transparency of the processes promoting Roma equality, inclusion, and participation, following the adopted EURSF and the Council Recommendation, and the set EU level objectives and targets;
• boost the commitment of the NRCPs and active involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including Roma, and their involvement to ensure an effective implementation of measures promoting Roma equality, inclusion, and participation at national and local level, improving equal access of Roma to public services and opportunities and strengthening mutual trust, understanding and co-operation between Roma and non-Roma;
• strengthen the genuine and meaningful participation of civil society – including in particular Roma and pro Roma civil society – in the implementation of national Roma strategic frameworks, EU funding programmes, and other equality and inclusion policies and measures benefiting Roma communities, as well as in monitoring and reporting.
• complement and increase synergies with other EU and/or national initiatives, such as the European Platform for Roma inclusion and the Roma Civil Monitoring initiative (ensuring a regular forum for presentation, discussion and debate on its results and recommendations for policy review and monitoring);
• identify gaps and challenges in the implementation of National Roma Strategic Frameworks and contribute with suggestions and recommendations to relevant stakeholders on how to tackle them; contribute to the monitoring and reporting processes at national and EU level on these findings and recommendations, including on data collection and evaluation studies;
• raise awareness, whenever necessary, and catalyse prompt responses by relevant stakeholders, concerning emerging challenging situations;
• encourage the active engagement of Roma, including of women and youth, in the work of the NRPs, including by offering dedicated traineeships or junior positions to Roma youth in national structures linked to the implementation of national Roma platform activities and processes.
• include a transnational dimension, facilitating exchange of knowledge, ideas and promising practices between National Roma Platforms to promote policy learning and upscaling and replication of good practices.

Projects may involve one or more organisations, i.e. a National Roma Contact Point (NRCP), as lead applicant, and co applicant(s) being private or public non-profit bodies (e.g. Roma civil society organisations, etc.). Projects submitted by consortia formed of NRCP and Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations are particularly encouraged.