Call for Proposals 2023 - Borders & Security

The specific objective of this Call is to support borders and security actions that tackle irregular migration and transnational organised crime through strengthened cooperation between EU MS and partner countries via the provision of targeted and flexible funding. A whole-of-route approach, where relevant, is encouraged.

Target countries include: Eastern Partnership countries, Western Balkans, Southern Neighbourhood, West Africa, Horn of Africa, Silk Route countries, and Central Asia.

Eligible fields, themes and activities for applications:

Under BMVI funding framework:

• Integrated border management, in line with the European Agenda on Migration and in compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, enhancing the cooperation in border management between EU MS and partner countries;
• Investing in systems and services, training, exchange of experts, deployment of immigration liaison officers, innovative solutions and new technologies, studies;
• Strengthening the security of identity and travel documents in third countries;
• Support to dialogue on visa issues with third countries, as well as their consular capacities, and cooperation with the EU and EU MS, in line with the EU common visa policy;
• Review and development of legislation, policy documents/strategies, action plans, policy tools and instruments, standard operating procedures;
• Purchase of specific and limited equipment which would be indispensable to the above-mentioned capacity building support and training;
• Organisation of conferences, study visits and expert meetings, including peer to peer exchanges;
• Studies, reviews and mappings; and
• Evaluation and monitoring activities.

Under ISF funding framework:

• Support to thematic or cross-theme networks to improve mutual confidence, exchange and dissemination of know-how, information, experiences and best practices, pooling of resources and expertise in joint centres of excellence;
• Capacity building of relevant law enforcement, judicial authorities and administrative agencies based on expressed needs in the partner country;
• Support to joint operations, simulations and other exercises involving EU MS and partner country security actors (e.g. law enforcement, borders, judicial actors, NGOs etc.);
• Capacity building to combat criminal networks and organisations active in migrant smuggling into the EU, to ensure effective law enforcement cooperation in this regard;
• Initiatives targeting trafficking in human beings including sexual and labour exploitation of illegally staying third-country nationals and child trafficking;.
• Review and development of legislation, policy documents/strategies, action plans, policy tools and instruments, standard operating procedures;
• Purchase of specific and limited equipment which would be indispensable to the above-mentioned capacity building support and training;
• Organisation of conferences, study visits and expert meetings, including peer to peer exchanges;
• Studies, reviews and mappings; and
• Evaluation and monitoring activities.

The lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s).

The inclusion of co-applicants – particularly in the partner country - though is highly recommended and taken into consideration in the evaluation scoring.

Lead Applicants have to be legal persons.

Additionally, Lead Applicants have to be:

• Public bodies of an EU MS (at central, regional or local levels)

Co-applicants have to be:

• Public bodies of a partner country (at central, regional or local levels); or
• Public bodies of the same or another EU MS; or
• International organisations (IOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other private law bodies, established in the EU or in partner countries that cooperate with an EU MS in the implementation of migration-related actions, working on a non-profit basis.

For more detailed information, please consult the Guidelines of the Call.

The overall indicative amount made available under this Call for Proposals is EUR 13,900,000 - divided as follows:

• Lot 1: BMVI

           Approximately EUR 3,900,000 is available for projects under this Lot.

• Lot 2: ISF

          Approximately EUR 10,000,000 is available for projects under this Lot.

Size of grants

Any grant proposal submitted under this Call for Proposals must have a budget of minimum 200,000 EUR (no specific maximum is in place)

Co-financing

With BMVI and ISF funds, the MPF may finance up to 95% of the total eligible cost. The balance must be financed from other sources. In-kind contributions shall also be accepted as co-financing.

This is a rolling Call for Proposals with an open deadline.  Applicants may propose projects (i.e. submit a Concept Note) at any time BUT the duration of an action (i.e. end date of grant contract) cannot go beyond 31^st May 2027.

For this Call for Proposals, there is a two-step application process.

After reading the Guidelines for the Calls for Proposals and the FAQs section, if you are eligible and interested in applying, you are encouraged to submit a Concept Note.

This will be checked by ICMPD (for Administrative & Eligibility compliance) and subsequently assessed by DG HOME in line with the evaluation and award criteria indicated in the new MPF Guidelines.

In case of a positive assessment, you will be invited to submit a Full Application.

What happens once your Full Application is received?

• An Administrative & Eligibility Check will be carried out by the MPF
• A Consultation will be undertaken with (a) the MPF Steering Committee, (b) EU Member States Focal Points and (c) relevant EU Delegation(s) in partner countries involved in the proposed activities. (This process is aimed to verify complementarity with other projects in the same country(ies) or covering the same thematic areas, and in order to avoid duplications and overlapping.)
• Finally, a Grant Evaluation Committee, composed of representatives of EU services (DG HOME, DG INTPA, DG NEAR and EEAS) will assess your application, in line with the evaluation and award criteria indicated in the new MPF Guidelines and also taking into account the results of the Consultation process.

For all guidance and application documents regarding this Call, please click here.

In order to submit a Concept Note or Full Application, instead, please click here.

If you have a question about the MPF granting programme and the current Call for Proposals, you may find an answer in our FAQ section here.

Should you have any enquiries which are not addressed in the FAQ section or need technical assistance in the incubation phase of your project proposal, the MPF Team will be happy to help you. You can contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.