Through this call for proposals on social experimentation, Progress countries embarking on welfare reforms are offered financial support to experiment the envisaged policy changes and reforms before implementing them, if successful, on a wide scale. This will entail small scale testing, on the basis of rigorous evaluation methodology, of envisaged reforms in those Member States that choose to benefit from this support opportunity. At the present juncture this would often be related to reviews of social spending as part of austerity packages.The present call focuses on the methodological and governance aspects of the project in the different phases of policy reforms.

To be selected under this call, projects should focus on either of the following selected themes, keeping in mind in all cases the gender dimension of the issue:

• Social inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as Roma people, migrants and their descendants, homeless and young people.
• Quality of childcare services: this has great impacts on child well-being, but also on gender equality, poverty in jobless households, employment rates, birth rates and on long term sustainable development by supporting the development of human potential.
• Active and healthy ageing: this depends on various factors, such as life habits, working conditions or urban policies and represents a major condition in order to extend working lives and to reduce social protection expenditures.
• Transition from education to work for the youth as only a multidimensional policy approach combining actions on the education framework, the labour market, families can be successful. 

Organisations eligible to participate:

• Non-governmental organization
• Public authorities (all)
• Local authorities
• Regional authorities

Universities Bodies or institutes must have their registered legal seat in one of the countries taking part in the Programme which are: European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), Candidate Countries, European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Third countries.

The Community provisional funding available for the call for proposals is 3.50 M€ 

Deadline: Thursday, December 15, 2011 

Further information about the call: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=630&langId=en&callId=331&furtherCalls=yes