Enabling Capable Citizens 2027

Enabling young people to become capable citizens in the green transition and encouraging their motivation for education

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The Enabling Capable Citizens (ECC) programme seeks to empower young people, particularly at-risk youth, to become capable citizens in European societies undergoing the green transition.

By green transition, we understand a systemic transformation towards sustainability across all sectors of society, requiring new approaches to education, skills and participation for all young people.

In ECC, focus is on providing equal opportunities for at-risk children and young people, ensuring that they are not left behind in the green transition. In this context, at risk refers to children and young people with immigrant or refugee backgrounds, as well as those from socially, geographically or economically disadvantaged circumstances. To support equal opportunities for these groups, we fund initiatives that strengthen their motivation for education and their capacity to understand, engage with and respond to societal challenges.

ECC funds long-term projects of three to five years, typically with budgets above EUR 500,000, to create sustainable and lasting impact.

In 2027, ECC will support projects based in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.

The deadline for the ECC call is 11 January 2027.

Two online information meetings will take place.
Register for the information meetings below:

1st online information meeting, 3 November 2026: Register here
2nd online information meeting, 9 December 2026: Register here

Status

Open

Full budget of the call

EUR 5.3m

Application

- Open for submissions

1 September 2026

Application

- Deadline for submissions

11 January 2027 14:00

Skills needed for the green transition

We particularly focus on holistic initiatives that use well-documented methods to enhance children’s and young people’s opportunities to participate as active citizens. Initiatives should improve the educational and employment prospects of at-risk children and young people and enable them to contribute to and benefit from the green transition.

Initiatives may be broad in scope or locally anchored and can focus on strengthening students’ green knowledge, establishing renewable energy learning environments, or developing teachers’ competences.

We fund activities such as:

After-school initiatives offering activities for children and young people to engage with topics related to the green transition.
Development of new approaches and teaching methods in schools that foster 21st-century transversal skills such as collaboration, entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Development and implementation of innovative didactic approaches that utilise digital tools and methods to actively enhance learner engagement and improve learning outcomes.
Facilities for new and inspiring learning environments: e.g. makerspaces, workshops, and outdoor learning facilities.
Pedagogical approaches and initiatives that address barriers for engaging at-risk children and young people in quality education.
Holistic activities in disadvantaged areas aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to education for children and young people.
Professional development of teachers to strengthen their competences within the green transition.
Enhancing the confidence and skills of children and young people to use digital technologies and foster digital literacy.‌

We do not support:

Physical facilities alone, nor do we support property acquisitions or the construction of new properties.
Projects that solely or primarily focus on mental health issues or youth with disabilities.
Stand-alone activities without developmental perspectives, such as summer camps or running costs alone.

Who can apply?

Schools and other educational institutions, civil society organisations, local innovators and public authorities can apply. Applications from private individuals will not be accepted.

Please note that English is our primary language for communicating with applicants and grantees. Applications and appendixes must therefore be submitted in English. Communication with project managers and key personnel must be possible in English without interpreters.

Which project setups are supported?

We prioritise projects that are:

Developmental: Projects should preferably have a clear developmental perspective.

Innovative: We support initiatives that introduce new approaches, as well as initiatives that adapt and scale proven solutions which have demonstrated success in achieving long-term sustainable and systemic development in other contexts.

Long-term: Project durations spanning three to five years are required. This allows sufficient time to enhance the likelihood of success and achieve systemic impact.

Which project costs are eligible?

All types of costs can be included in the project budget, provided they are relevant for the project.

We strongly encourage co-financing as it builds ownership and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the project.

Renovation and construction costs are eligible if they are necessary for the proposed activities and will enhance the sustainability of the activities.

We prioritise funding projects that generate systemic impact by contributing to lasting transformation and achieving an impact beyond their immediate goals. It is essential that project learnings are anchored and continued beyond the project period. Projects must involve relevant stakeholders and partners to achieve lasting systemic change.

Furthermore, we encourage projects to share their findings with peer organisations, integrate learnings into legislation or institutional practices and foster new ways of thinking.

We require projects to follow up on their objectives and results and to evaluate and communicate their project learnings. Applicants must therefore outline their plans for monitoring goals and measures.

Please note that we do not expect projects to initiate evaluations conducted by external researchers or consultants. However, the foundation may occasionally commission and fund cross-cutting external evaluations. Projects are expected to participate if deemed relevant.

Key dates

Early September 2026: The application portal opens.

Two online information meetings will take place.
Register for the information meetings below:

1st online information meeting, 3 November 2026: Register here
2nd online information meeting, 9 December 2026: Register here

11 January 2027: Deadline for applications

January – April 2027: Review of applications by an international external expert committee.

June 2027: The Villum Foundation's Board decides on grant allocations and applicants are notified accordingly.

How to apply?

All interested applicants must submit project proposals through our online application portal, which opens in early September 2026.

The Villum Foundation’s application form, budget template and CV template must be used. All forms and templates are available on the portal.

The Applicant Guide provides practical guidance on completing the application form for the ECC programme. It explains the information required in each section of the application and offers examples and recommendations for preparing a strong application.

Download the Applicant Guide 2027 here:

Applicant Guide 2027

Are cross-country projects eligible?

Yes, but it is not a requirement.

Can organisations from countries not mentioned in the current call apply?

Yes. However, we do not consider it likely that projects from non-prioritised countries will receive a grant.

We are applying from one of the prioritised countries and we plan to include activities in non-prioritised countries. Is that possible?

Yes. It is possible to include activities in non-prioritised countries, but the justification and added value must be very clear in the application.

We represent a for-profit organisation. Can we apply for funding?

The Villum Foundation does not support for-profit activities.

Can we use our own templates?

No. The Villum Foundation’s application form, budget template and CV template must be used. They can be downloaded from the application portal after logging in.

Should we attach a full application dossier?

No. Only a completed application form, budget, CV and annual report will be assessed by the Expert Committee.

What type of annual report should be uploaded?

The annual report should describe the organisation's activities and demonstrate its financial capacity. If these are documented in separate files, both may be uploaded.

How are characters (units) counted in the application form?

All text entered in the form, including letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces counts towards the character limit.

Should we upload letters of support with the application?

That is not required, but we encourage formal agreements between collaborating partners. For larger consortia or collaborations with authorities, letters of support can be helpful information for the Villum Foundation. Motivations for collaboration and partners’ roles should be described in the application form.

If there are more project partners in the application, who will be responsible for managing the grant?

All projects must have one coordinating organisation, which is responsible for the overall financial management and reporting.

Can a project partner be part of more than one funded project?

Yes

The working language of the Villum Foundation is English, and project managers and key contact personnel must be able to speak English. Do you require that the target group is able to speak English as well?

No, we do not require that the target group(s) is able to speak English.

Can VAT-related expenses be included in the budget?

Yes, VAT can be included as part of the budget.

Is co-financing required?

Co-financing is not a requirement, but based on experience, we know that it strengthens both anchoring and the scale of the project.

In the budget template, there is a mandatory field called ‘unspecified costs’. What does this cover?

A budget item of 15% for unspecified costs is automatically added to the applied amount. Unspecified costs are expected to cover unforeseen costs, overhead and other expenses that cannot be specifically itemised in the budget.

Is regranting possible?

Yes

How is the funding procedure?

The grant is typically transferred in yearly or half-yearly instalments, always in advance.

When can we expect the project to start?

Applicants are informed about the results in June. If granted, time must be allowed for paperwork and legal arrangements. A realistic start date is approximately 10 months after the call deadline.

Which age span is considered ‘youth’?

The programme is aimed at young people in the lower secondary age group and older. We apply a broad definition, depending on a country’s educational system. Reskilling of young adults is not within scope.

Can we get feedback before we apply?

No, but we will gladly read a one-page concept note to help determine if the project aligns with the scope of the call.

Why do you ask for different types of background information during the registration process?

As part of the registration, you will be asked to provide information about your region and the target group(s) your project aims to impact. This information provides us with key data, facilitating analysis of the pool of applicants, future promotion efforts, and is used to inform future calls. While similar details are requested in the application form, collecting them at registration allows us to categorise and track regional and demographic focus areas without manual extraction later. This helps streamline our processes and supports better alignment of our funding strategy with regional needs and target group priorities.

Why do you ask for a declaration on the use of generative AI?

This question is for statistical purposes only. Your response will not affect the assessment of your application.