The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the European Union (EU)’s main instrument for investing in people and supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

With a budget of €142.7 billion for the period 2021-2027, the ESF+ will continue to provide an important contribution to the EU’s employment, social, education and skills policies, including structural reforms in these areas.

As part of cohesion policy, the ESF+ will also continue its mission to support economic, territorial and social cohesion in the EU – reducing disparities between Member States and regions.

Support under the ESF+ is mainly managed by Member States, with the Commission playing a supervisory role.

Funding therefore takes place through:

• The shared management strand - implemented by Member States in partnership with the Commission. These resources have a budget of €142 billion for the programming period 2021-27 (of which €95.1 billion from the EU budget).
• The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) Strand - implemented by the Commission with a budget of close to €762 million for 2021-2027.

For more information visit the ESF+ website.