2. Application process

The overall EUCF application process consists of two main steps: the eligibility check and the full application.

1. Eligibility check

The eligibility check is a simple, automated questionnaire, which can be answered by the applicant directly online. It verifies whether an applicant is eligible to apply for financial support from the EUCF. To be eligible, applicants must be able to answer YES to all five requirements. Applicants receive the result of the eligibility check immediately after answering all questions. At this stage, supporting documents are not required.

2. Full application

After successfully passing the eligibility check, the applicant can register in the EUCF website user zone to complete the application form and upload the supporting documents. Once the call for applications is closed, the submitted applications are evaluated by a dedicated team. The best scored applications are selected and will conclude the Grant Agreement to receive EUCF support. Unsuccessful applications receive feedback on the evaluation and can seek support from the EUCF Helpdesk to participate again in the next call for applications.

The overall EUCF application process consists of two main steps: the eligibility check and the full application.

1. Eligibility check

The eligibility check is a simple, automated questionnaire, which can be answered by the applicant directly online. It verifies whether an applicant is eligible to apply for financial support from the EUCF. To be eligible, applicants must be able to answer YES to all five requirements. Applicants receive the result of the eligibility check immediately after answering all questions. At this stage, supporting documents are not required.

2. Full application

After successfully passing the eligibility check, the applicant can register in the EUCF website user zone to complete the application form and upload the supporting documents. Once the call for applications is closed, the submitted applications are evaluated by a dedicated team. The best scored applications are selected and will conclude the Grant Agreement to receive EUCF support. Unsuccessful applications receive feedback on the evaluation and can seek support from the EUCF Helpdesk to participate again in the next call for applications.

Seven calls for applications with cut off dates are organised within the scope of the EUCF, of which four are already closed. Each call is organised in parallel for three geographic regions, as displayed in the map below. For the fifth call for applications, the EU 27 Member States, Iceland and Ukraine are included in the EUCF geographical coverage.

Regional call	Countries
Central and Eastern Europe	Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine
Nordic countries & Western Europe	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden
Southern Europe	Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain

Overall, each call for applications will be open for two months. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the application period for the first EUCF call has been extended. Similarly, the fourth EUCF call also had an extended application period, in order to better accommodate the reduced capacities of municipalities/local authorities and local public entities during the Summer holidays. The following timeline applies for the EUCF calls for applications:

The exact dates of the calls and any alterations regarding the opening and closing of application periods will be published on the EUCF website. The exact application period for call 7 is yet to be confirmed.

Municipalities/local authorities, groupings of municipalities/local authorities, and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities are able to benefit only once from the EUCF support. Thus, beneficiaries from previous EUCF calls are not able to participate again in the calls for applications. Unsuccessful applications, on the other hand, can be revised in the EUCF website user zone and re-submitted in the next call for applications.

Applicants can submit only one application in each EUCF call.

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Available on the EUCF website, the Guidelines for Applicants provide a comprehensive overview of all the information necessary for EUCF applicants. In case of further questions, municipalities, local authorities and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities can seek further support from the EUCF Helpdesk, which provides efficient and timely responses to the queries raised. Moreover, Country Experts provide hands-on guidance and technical support in national language.

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