Call for hosting EFRJ events 2026-2027

After the successful EFRJ Conferences, Seminars/ Symposiums and Summer Schools of the past years, hosted by active EFRJ members across Europe, we are re-opening the call: who is willing to take up this challenge, and host the EFRJ community in the upcoming years?

Learn from previous local co-organisers
Do you have questions? You can contact our members in one of these organisations:

• The Estonian Ministry of Justice and NGO RuaCrew, or the Team of Restorative Justice Practices of the University of Sassari (respectively, hosts of the conferences Tallinn 2024 and Sassari 2022);
• The Government of Navarra (who hosted the seminar in Pamplona 2023); 
• La Conference (host of the summer school in Varna 2023). 

We are sure that, despite the hard work, they remember our cooperation with a lot of enthusiasm and affection!

The call for hosts ends on 15 October 2024 (deadline extended). You will be informed about the Board's decision in November. 
All proposals will be evaluated together by the EFRJ Secretariat and Board, based on the country representation, organising team's work and motivation, local support and impact, and practical arrangements (in terms of accessibility and affordability, venue proposed, costs and funding). 

In case of acceptance of your candidature as a hosting organisation, each proposal will be negotiated on individual basis with the EFRJ Secretariat, before being announced to our community. Please note you may be re-contacted also to host a different event, instead of the one you proposed. 

Here you have a little summary of the cities that hosted EFRJ events in the past 24 years. As we try to give visibility to different realities, we will support candidatures coming from cities (regions and countries) we did not explore yet. Still, if you think we should come back to your city because of your innovative work in the field, feel free to submit your application and we will see how to find ways to cooperate!

Please note that all our events are co-financed by the Justice Programme of the European Union, meaning that we can use these funding only in EU Member States. Still, feel free to express your interest even if you are based in another country, but please propose already other sources of co-funding so that we can consider your application (at least this is certainly feasible for smaller events, such as seminars or trainings). 

Since 2023, the EFRJ has also started to organise regular (online) trainings, Winter Academies and Trainers’ Retreats: the call will include the possibility to host the Trainer’s Retreat (while the Winter Academy will be located in our home country, Belgium).

The webform below includes the following questions (think about it with your team and save your responses in a document, before submitting your expression of interest in the webform! You can also upload this file, including photos, at the end of the webform. You can download the questions here):

• EFRJ EVENTS - What event(s) would you like to host and why? Please note that you may be contacted to negotiate on the choice of the event you wish to host, but choose here your preferred one.

- EFRJ Conference in May/June 2026 (3 days for 380 ppl and 2 days for 50 ppl, incl. pre-conference training and AGM)
- EFRJ Seminar in May/June 2027 (1 day for 150 ppl, incl. AGM)
- EFRJ Trainers’ Retreat and/or Summer School in 2027 (4 days for 30 ppl)
- Other - please specify
Please note that we may give priority to those locations that can host two events in a close period of time (e.g. Seminar and Trainers’ Retreat), in order to promote more eco-friendly travels for those participants that will be attending both events.

• THE ORGANISING TEAM - Who are you? What is your specific area of work in restorative justice? Describe briefly your team and/or organisation and its work in terms of research, practice, policy work in restorative justice. Include also the contact details of the coordinator of this application.
• MOTIVATION - Why is it important for your organisation to host and co-organise the above chosen EFRJ event? Why should the EFRJ community visit you? What topics/ areas of work would you like to propose for an EFRJ event and why? Can your organisation (or the locality) be linked to a specific research topic or area of expertise relevant for restorative justice?
• PRACTICALITIES - Please provide a provisional list of practical arrangements for hosting an international group of participants (e.g. accessibility via plane, local transport, affordable accommodation and catering costs, etc.)? 
• VENUE – What space can you provide for hosting the above mentioned EFRJ event (e.g. size of the auditorium/ training venue, number of workshop rooms, technical equipment)? Can this venue be offered free of charge (e.g. by co-organising the event with a local partner such as a university)?
• SUPPORT – How can your organisation support the EFRJ staff with organising local services (e.g. accommodation, transportation, restaurants/catering, field trips, media contacts & local conference promotion, outreach to local participants, fundraising, social program, translation)? How can your organisation provide support the EFRJ staff during the conference days (i.e. finding local volunteers to fulfil different tasks)?
• LOCAL COOPERATION & IMPACT - Can your organisation mobilise local/regional/national partnerships and/or patronages (e.g. Ministry of Justice, universities, organisations, services, media) to promote and support the EFRJ event and the development of restorative justice in your country? Which other organisations/ authorities/ universities you plan to collaborate with? How could an EFRJ event in your country contribute to the development of restorative justice in your country? What local field visits (mostly for the conference) can you propose? What other contacts can you offer at the local/regional/national level?
• COSTS & FUNDING - Can you provide indicative prices for the venue, catering (coffee breaks and lunch), dinner (menu per person), accommodation (hotel nights), local transport? What local/ regional/ national funding can you or the EFRJ apply for? In case your country is not among the EU Member States (except Denmark), can you foresee co-funding for the event? (Explanation: Our EU grant can be used only for events organised in the EU Member States, except Denmark. We are open to applications from all European countries, but we need additional funding to cover the costs (approx. 25k for the summer school and seminar, approx. 75k EUR for the conference) in case we can not use our EU grant.)
• POSSIBLE CHALLENGES – Do you foresee any risks or challenges regarding the event that the EFRJ should consider?
• ANY OTHER REMARK – Please add any relevant extra information here that the EFRJ should take into account.

Please note that in case of acceptance of your candidature as a hosting organisation, your contribution will be negotiated on individual basis with the EFRJ Secretariat and Board, before being publicly announced in summer 2024. For more information contact Emanuela Biffi (emanuela.biffi@euforumrj.org).

Thanks for your submission and interest in hosting a EFRJ event! 

Photo credits: Knots by Ray Best through the lens on flickr.com