TECH ACCOUNTABILITY CALL
Holding digital platforms and powerful gatekeepers of information to account is highly relevant to ensure the integrity of Europe’s information spaces. This call supports EFCSN members investigating and studying digital platforms, including social media platforms, video platforms, search engines, widely used AI models, services and products, or platforms that often receive limited scrutiny despite being used by malign actors to spread false or misleading information.
Investigations and studies should focus on their role in the production, spread, and/or amplification of dis- and misinformation, which includes assessments of their compliance with existing regulatory frameworks and self-regulatory commitments.
Selected grantees will conduct targeted investigations into one or more of the following areas:
- prevalence of misinformation on platforms or in services,
- effectiveness of measures intended to mitigate the spread of disinformation,
- compliance with existing regulatory or co-regulatory frameworks such as the Digital Services Act, the AI Act or the Code of Conduct on Disinformation,
- structures and policies that may incentivize the production, distribution or spread of disinformation such as monetisation or partnership programs,
- actual implementation platforms’ policies and potential deviations in enforcement from adopted policies,
- the transparency of their content moderation and algorithmic systems,
- their responsiveness to emerging threats or crisis situations,
By spotlighting concrete examples and identifying areas of improvement, the EFCSN seeks to support evidence-based policy development and enhance public awareness of the systemic risks posed by disinformation.
This call is part of the CERV OG “Operating Grant Y1 European Fact-Checking Standards Network”, Grant agreement number 101236606.
Expected results
- The publication of one or more in-depth reports per grant addressing issues within the scope of the call.
Conditions
- Call opens: April 1, 2026
- Call closes: EOD May 1, 2026
- Indicative starting date of grants: July 1, 2026
- Duration of grant: max. 5 months, can be shorter
- Applications can be submitted by a single EFCSN member organisation or a consortium of EFCSN member organisations; all applicants must fulfil the below listed eligibility criteria
- Selected grantees will have to submit their final report about the project by December 8, 2026.
Eligible organisations
Applicant organisations must fulfil all of the following criteria:
- EFCSN member organisations
- Non-profit organisations
- Must operate in the EU
- Must respect EU values as laid down in Art.2 of the Treaty on European Union and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
Budget and eligible costs
- Total max. call budget: 114,000€
- Min. grant amount: 5,000€
- Max. grant amount: 25,000€
- Indicative number of grants to be awarded: 5-7
- Funding rate: 100%
- Form of the grant: lump sum
- Costs must be reasonable, not excessive, and needed
- Exact amount must be calculated using this template table
- List of eligible costs:
- direct personnel costs – employees or equivalent: editorial personnel, research personnel, technical personnel, administrative personnel, others; natural persons under direct contract; seconded persons; SME owners and natural person beneficiaries
- direct purchase costs – travel and subsistence: accommodation, travels, subsistence; other goods, works and services: consumables, services for meetings and seminars, services for dissemination activities including website, publication fees, other (shipment, insurance, translation, etc.)
Submission & evaluation process
- EFCSN member organisations that fulfil the eligibility criteria can submit an application for a support grant via the application form.
- Applications will be assessed against the award criteria outlined below.
| Category | Description | Max. points |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | How relevant is the proposal with regards to the objectives and scope of the call? How comprehensive is the investigation, i.e. is it in-depth enough and/or does it cover several platforms to deliver relevant results? Is the proposal realistic and are its aims achievable? | 20 |
| Originality | Is the proposal original? Does it pose new or under-researched questions? Does it apply relevant concepts? | 10 |
| Impact | Will the proposal likely deliver actionable insights for stakeholders such as regulators? Does the applicant propose any specific actions to maximise the impact of their work? | 10 |
| Methodology | Is the proposed methodological approach sound? Is it suitable to answer the proposed questions? Is data that is relevant to the proposal accessible? | 10 |
| Organisational Capacity | Can the applicant demonstrate an ability to execute on the proposed work? Has the applicant a proven track record of similar work? | 10 |
- EFCSN staff will verify that applicants meet eligibility requirements.
- At least three members of the EFCSN Governance Body (GB) will make the final selection based on an analysis of proposals against the award criteria.
- All decisions will be recorded and disclosed to members in the GB meeting minutes according to Article 17 of the EFCSN Statutes.
- Applicants will be informed about the evaluation results within 21 days after the call deadline.
Transparency notice
Funding granted through this call will be disclosed on: https://efcsn.com/cerv-2026/.
Questions?
Please send questions about this call to [email protected].
