Funding through CERV programme aims at protecting rights and values enshrined in the EU treaties in order to sustain open, democratic and inclusive societies.

The Shoah is a defining legacy for the European Union. Six million Jewish children, women and men were murdered, while many others were persecuted. Although other groups were also victims, the Nazis implemented across Europe and beyond a state policy with the sole aim of exterminating every Jew they could find.

First-hand accounts of the Shoah continue to have the most powerful impact on future generations. As the number of survivors able to share their personal stories decreases, the importance of memorial sites and education grows, as does the work carried out by the second and third generations of survivors and by dedicated associations.

Current events highlight the growing instrumentalisation of the Holocaust, such as Kremlin propaganda falsely claiming to “denazify” Ukraine. At the same time, in several EU Member States there is an increasing politicisation of the Holocaust and a tendency to minimise its atrocities. Since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, there has also been a worrying conflation of the Shoah with the conflicts in the Middle East. Citizens should be empowered to recognise and counter this conflation.

Holocaust distortion fuels antisemitism. Moreover, hate speech relating to the condoning, denial, or gross trivialisation of the Holocaust is prohibited under the Council Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.

The wounds left by the mass atrocities of the 20th century remain open today, feeding divisions among Europeans. Free, open, and independent research, education, and remembrance on all aspects of the Shoah are essential to strengthen understanding. This includes telling the stories of collaborators, bystanders, and rescuers, and confronting Europe’s darkest history with the aim of reconciling divergent and alternative regional and national narratives related to the Shoah and its immediate aftermath.

European citizens should become ambassadors of this memory. Key target audiences could include teachers, policymakers, and university students (particularly history students), who should be empowered to develop a shared European historical narrative and to counter falsification, distortion, and inversion of history. Target groups may also include newcomers and migrants who have no direct link with the Shoah, as well as journalists, in order to raise awareness of Holocaust distortion and of contemporary Holocaust-related events (such as Neo-Nazi marches).

In line with the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021–2030), as well as other key policy initiatives, this topic supports projects that:

• develop networks of Young European Ambassadors to promote Shoah remembrance, and

• establish and sustain networks that use places of memory — “where the Holocaust happened” — for educational purposes.

Minimum grant amount: €50,000 (The minimum grant amount that can be requested cannot be less than €50,000).

The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.

• Culture
• Education and training
• Public Administration
• Social Affairs & Human Rights

• Associations
• Educational Institutions
• International Organisations
• Legal Entities
• NGOs
• Non Profit Organisations
• Other Beneficiaries
• Private Bodies
• State-owned Enterprises
• Training Centres

Applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

• For lead applicants (the “Coordinator”): be non-profit legal entities (public or private bodies) or international organisations.
• For co-applicants: be non-profit or for-profit legal entities (public or private bodies).
  • Organisations that are for-profit may apply only in partnership with public entities, private non-profit organisations, or international organisations.
• Be established in one of the eligible countries:
  • EU Member States (including Overseas Countries and Territories — OCTs)
  • Non-EU countries:
    • Countries associated with the CERV Programme, or
    • Countries in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement, provided the agreement enters into force before the grant signature (see list of participating countries).

Other eligibility conditions:

• Activities must take place in one of the eligible countries.
• The minimum grant requested must not be lower than EUR 50,000.
• Projects may be national or transnational.
• The application must involve at least two applicants: a lead applicant and at least one co-applicant (not being an affiliated entity or associated partner).

Administrative requirements:

• Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submitting the proposal and will need to be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation).
  • For validation, entities will be asked to upload documents showing their legal status and origin.
• Other entities may participate in different consortium roles, such as associated partners, subcontractors, or third parties providing in-kind contributions (see section 13).

Duration
Projects should normally range between 12 and 24 months.
Extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment

Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations

Head of CERV Contact Point
Nenad Bogdanovic
Email: nb@epcr.org.cy
Website: www.epcr.org.cy

For help related to this call, please contact: EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu

• Funding & Tenders
• Call document