Business and consumer surveys - SGA
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Funding Description
What the grant funds
The "Business and Consumer Surveys – Specific Grant Agreement (BCS-2025-SGA)" finances the implementation of the Joint Harmonised EU Programme of Business and Consumer Surveys for the reference year 2026. Under this SGA, the Commission co-funds:
* Design, translation and continuous improvement of national questionnaires fully harmonised with the EU master questionnaires (Annex 1 of the Call document).
* Monthly/quarterly data collection from enterprises (industry, services, retail trade, construction) and households (consumer confidence) using CATI/CAPI/CAWI or mixed modes.
* Data validation, weighting, aggregation and transmission to DG ECFIN within the mandatory delivery timelines.
* Methodological upgrades (e.g. sampling frames, interviewer training, mode-effects analysis) clearly linked to survey quality indicators.
* Communication outputs: press releases, metadata, micro-data documentation and national dissemination events.
* Project management, quality assurance, IT infrastructure and minor durable equipment strictly necessary for survey operations.
Budget & funding rate
* Total EU envelope for this topic: €6.1 million (budget year 2026).
* Indicative grant size: €0.25 – 0.70 million per national beneficiary (historical average, non-binding).
* Co-financing rate: up to 80 % of eligible direct costs + 7 % flat-rate for indirect costs (as per BCS MGA).
* Personnel costs may be reimbursed either as unit costs (validated cost grid) or actual costs driven by timesheets/deliverables.
Who can apply
* Eligible entities: National institutes, research centres, statistical offices, universities, private or public polling organisations legally established in:
* EU Member States
* EEA/EFTA & other countries listed in the "BCS List of participating countries" annex.
* Consortium requirement: Mono-beneficiary model (one legal entity per country). Sub-contracting is allowed for fieldwork, IT or translation tasks.
* Applicants must demonstrate:
* Proven track record in large-scale survey implementation (≥ 3 years).
* Operational capacity (qualified staff, CATI/CAPI labs, GDPR-compliant data management).
* Financial capacity (positive equity or public-body exemption).
Key Dates
* Call opens: 15 May 2025
* Info session (Teams): 22 May 2025, 14:00 – 17:00 CET
* Deadline: 24 Sept 2025, 17:00 Brussels time
* Earliest starting date of funded action: 1 May 2026 (12-month duration).
Mandatory attachments
1. Part B Technical Description (max. 50 pp).
2. Survey Methodology Description (business and/or consumer template).
3. Detailed Budget Table (Excel; for drafting only, data encoded in Part A).
4. Unit Cost Grid Validation request (if using unit-costs).
5. CVs of all key actors (project managers, chief statisticians, IT lead; typically 10-15 CVs).
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📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages and Opportunities of the “Business and Consumer Surveys – BCS-2025-SGA” Grant
1. Strategic Alignment with EU Priorities
• Supports the European Semester & EMU surveillance by delivering forward-looking confidence indicators used in GDP flash estimates and inflation monitoring.
• Feeds into NextGenerationEU recovery tracking; survey modules can integrate questions on green & digital transitions, allowing the Commission to monitor RRPs consistently across Member States.
• Contributes to Better Regulation: harmonised evidence base for impact assessments and ex-post evaluations of Single-Market legislation.
2. Economies of Scale & Cost Efficiency
• Shared methodology and templates lower development costs for each national actor by an estimated 20–30 % versus standalone surveys.
• Centralised IT tools via the Funding & Tenders Portal reduce duplication in data collection platforms, CATI/CAPI licences and cloud storage.
• Unit-cost model (validated grid) simplifies financial management, decreasing administrative burden and audit risk across all participants.
3. Harmonised Methodology & Cross-Country Comparability
• Single questionnaire (Annex 1) ensures statistical comparability, enabling pan-EU composite indicators such as the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI).
• Co-ordinated fieldwork calendar (May 2026–Apr 2027) delivers synchronous monthly data, crucial for ECB, DG ECFIN and national ministries.
• Opportunity to pilot innovative modes (web-first / mobile panels) simultaneously in multiple markets, providing robust methodological evidence.
4. Enhanced Policy Impact & Visibility
• High-profile publication on DG ECFIN website & Eurostat database guarantees visibility for national institutes and academic partners.
• Regular mentions in ECB press conferences and Commission forecasts amplify stakeholder recognition.
• Data licensed under open-access policy spurs secondary research and media uptake, positioning grantees as reference authorities.
5. Data-Driven Innovation & Research Spill-Overs
• Rich micro-data across 27+ countries underpin Horizon Europe projects on behavioural economics, SME finance, consumer protection, etc.
• Possibility to combine with Copernicus regional climate data or DESI digital index, opening new interdisciplinary research lines.
• AI-ready datasets foster start-ups in fintech, retail analytics and sentiment-based investment.
6. Capacity Building & Labour-Market Benefits
• Training funds embedded in personnel unit costs upskill over 1 000 interviewers and analysts in multilingual survey techniques.
• Facilitates exchange programmes between National Statistical Institutes (NSIs), promoting best practice transfer and career mobility.
7. Synergies with Other EU Instruments
• Cohesion Policy (ERDF/ESF+): regional survey results can feed Smart Specialisation strategies.
• Single Market Programme (SMP) & SME Pillar: business survey waves can integrate SME financing modules aligned with InvestEU.
• Digital Europe Programme: leverage cloud infrastructures and cybersecurity standards for secure data handling.
8. Market Expansion & Private-Sector Leverage
• Public–private collaborations (banks, retailers, chambers) can co-fund thematic ad-hoc questions, extending budget without breaching State-aid limits.
• Pan-European sampling frames open commercial opportunities for survey firms in under-served markets (e.g., Western Balkans when associated).
9. Digitalisation & Methodological Upgrades
• Funding ring-fences resources for CATI-to-CAWI migration, lowering respondent burden and carbon footprint.
• Encourages adoption of machine-learning-assisted coding & real-time dashboards, enhancing timeliness for policymakers.
10. Long-Term Sustainability & Legacy
• BCS has run continuously since 1961; participation ensures stable multi-annual income streams (FPA to 2030).
• Standardised MGA clauses on data ownership & IPR secure future exploitation rights for national partners beyond the grant period.
Key Takeaways for Applicants
1. Highlight EU-added value: stress pan-EU harmonisation, policy relevance and spill-overs in Part B.
2. Exploit partner search tool early to form consortia that cover several Member States or outsource fieldwork cost-efficiently.
3. Leverage the info-session materials (recording & budget tips) to optimise unit-cost declarations and avoid ineligible expenditure.
4. Propose innovation pilots (mixed-mode, AI coding) to score high under the “quality & efficiency of implementation” criterion.
5. Demonstrate dissemination reach (open data portals, APIs, media strategy) to maximise impact scores.
Applying for BCS-2025-SGA is therefore not just a funding opportunity but a strategic gateway to influence EU economic governance, expand methodological expertise, and unlock new research and market possibilities across Europe.
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