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EuropeAid Funding for Employment, Labour Market Reform and Social Inclusion

EU External Action funding for employment, labour market and social inclusion projects. NDICI grants for vulnerable groups, youth employment and decent work.

Employment creation, labour market reform and social inclusion are central to the EU's development cooperation agenda. Through NDICI-Global Europe, IPA III and EU Delegation grants, the EU funds projects supporting youth employment, social enterprise development, labour rights, inclusive labour markets, pension reform and social protection systems — particularly in the Western Balkans, Eastern Neighbourhood and Sub-Saharan Africa.

EU funding landscape

  • IPA III Social and Employment Components

    Funding for Western Balkans countries to align their employment and social policies with EU standards.

  • NDICI Employment and Social Thematic Calls

    Development cooperation funding for employment and social protection in middle and low-income countries.

  • Decent Work and Social Justice Programme

    ILO-EU joint programming for labour rights, decent work and social protection floors.

Typical project types

  • Active labour market policies
  • Youth employment and NEET programmes
  • Social enterprise and social economy
  • Disability inclusion and employment
  • Migrant and refugee labour market integration
  • Social protection systems reform
  • Informal economy formalisation

Typical applicant types

  • Employment service organisations and NGOs
  • Trade unions and employers' organisations
  • Research institutes with labour market focus
  • Public employment services and ministries
  • Social enterprise support organisations

Relevant EuropeAid regions

  • Western Balkans
  • Eastern Neighbourhood
  • Africa
  • Mediterranean

How INTERALTER supports Employment & Social Inclusion projects

  • Call Identification

    We monitor employment and social inclusion calls across all EuropeAid regions and alert clients to relevant opportunities.

  • Proposal Writing

    We write employment sector proposals with familiarity with EU employment strategy frameworks, ILO decent work conventions and OECD labour market indicators.

  • Consortium Building

    We help form multi-country consortia for employment projects, identifying partner employment services, NGOs and research organisations.

Common questions

Can social enterprises access EU External Action employment funding?
Yes. Social enterprises are explicitly recognised as eligible organisations in many EU employment and social inclusion calls. The EU's support for the social economy extends to external action programmes.
Is there EU funding for refugee employment integration?
Yes. The EU funds refugee and migrant labour market integration through both EuropeAid and emergency instruments. This is a growing funding area, particularly for organisations working in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and along European migration routes.

Related sectors

  • education-skills
  • migration-displacement
  • private-sector-development