The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has launched the 15th edition of its Civil Society Prize. This year, the prize will reward innovative and creative non-profit initiatives, implemented in the European Union (EU), that effectively combat poverty.
Projects should contribute to alleviating the consequences of material deprivation, improving the economic and social inclusion of people in poverty, or helping to create an environment that prevents and protects against poverty.
The Committee intends to award a maximum of three prizes: EUR 12,000 for the first prize, EUR 10,000 for the second, and EUR 8,000 for the third.
The deadline for submitting applications is November 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM (Central European Time). The award ceremony is scheduled for spring 2027, during the EESC's Civil Society Week.
Applications can be submitted by civil society organisations officially registered in the EU, operating at local, regional, national, or European level. The prize is also open to individuals residing in the EU, as well as companies registered or operating in the EU, provided their projects are non-profit. Public authorities, governmental organisations, and other public bodies are not eligible.
To be eligible, initiatives must be carried out in the EU and have already been executed or be ongoing by November 6, 2026. Projects whose execution has not started by that date will not be eligible. Applications can be submitted via this link.
Eligible projects must address at least one of the themes indicated in the prize's regulations. Eligible initiatives include those aimed at providing adequate income and social protection, improving access to high-quality, affordable social and essential services, offering education, training, and lifelong learning opportunities, creating quality jobs, particularly in disadvantaged regions, combating in-work poverty through fair wages and decent working conditions, tackling energy poverty, the cost-of-living crisis, homelessness, and financial exclusion, involving people in poverty in designing solutions and defining policies, addressing the needs of groups most at risk of poverty, or carrying out corporate volunteering actions or other non-profit initiatives organised by the private sector.
Contact for further information is civilsocietyprizeeesc[dot]europa[dot]eu.
