Collaboration - The key to unlocking cohesion
Good practices from EU-funded partnerships between public authorities and civil society.
This report highlights good practices of how Public Authorities (PAs) across Europe are meaningfully involving civil society organisations (CSOs) in the design, delivery, and/or evaluation of European Union (EU) funded projects that aim to strengthen social cohesion. While set in different countries, each initiative has improved the lives of children, particularly those at risk of poverty.
Drawing on examples shared by Eurochild members (2023–2025) and complementary desk research, the report identifies replicable models from 4 country-level project: Finland, Hungary, Ireland, and Slovakia.
Within each case study, success depended on structured CSO roles, co-creation between institutions and affected communities, and sustained support beyond the lifetime of the project, either financially or through non-financial support, such as commitment to continue participatory practices.
