On 17 June 2026 the Commission launched a call for tenders for the "Creation and dissemination of a Toolkit for Local and Regional Social Economy Policy Support" (EC-EMPL/2026/OP/0009).
The regions and the cities are where social economy policies matter most, yet the capacity and the practice vary widely across regional and local authorities. The call for tenders aims to develop a modular, ‘off the shelf’ toolkit that local and regional authorities can use to design, fund and deliver credible social economy strategies and policies. This toolkit should include several elements, such as a strategy template with good-practice sidebars, a self-diagnostic tool with ‘maturity tracks’ and light KPIs, a stakeholder-ecosystem mapping and engagement kit, a funding navigator, communication toolkits in local languages, and starter packs for financing, State aid and procurement. The toolkit could also signpost existing EU instruments that support social economy policies and could be complemented with capacity building actions, such as peer learning or training. The contract aims to cover the creation/design of the toolkit, its testing, translation and dissemination, as well as some piloting with selected local authorities.
Key information:
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 02/09/2026 15:00 Europe/Brussels
Estimated value: 1 500 000 EUR