The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is the leading voice of disability services across Europe. Representing over 20,000 services in 50 different countries, we promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support. Our work focuses on key areas essential to quality support provision. This includes Inclusive Living, Employment, Education, Early Childhood Intervention, Person-Centred Technology, Workforce Development and Human Resources, Arts, Culture & Sport, and Policy Impact.
 

1. Tender specification

EASPD is looking for a Researcher or Research Team to carry out a study on the waiting list to access social care and support for people with disabilities.

2. Main elements of work

As part of its "Moving Forward!" Work Programme 2026, EASPD is seeking a Researcher or Research Team to conduct an in-depth study on waiting lists in the social and care support services sector for persons with disabilities. 

Despite the European Union’s (EU) commitment to inclusion and the full realisation of disability rights, including through a dedicated Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030, people with disabilities continue to face systemic barriers to access essential care and support services. Among these, persistent long-time waiting lists stand out as a particularly pressing challenge: evidence indicates that they are a common feature of publicly funded health and social care systems and can function as a form of implicit rationing when demand exceeds available capacity or when eligibility criteria are restrictive (OECD, Waiting Times for Health Services). This contributes to unmet needs and unequal access across population groups, including persons with disabilities. 

EU-SILC data on unmet need confirm that waiting times remain a significant barrier to access in several Member States, alongside financial constraints, and are particularly relevant for services that require specialist assessment or have limited capacity (Eurostat, EU-SILC unmet need indicators). National audits and ombudsman reports across Europe further document long waiting times for community-based services such as personal assistance, supported living, and day services, especially in contexts of deinstitutionalisation and constrained workforce supply. Individuals and families may thus wait months or even years for assistance that is critical to their independence, dignity, and well-being.  

While waiting lists are often discussed in healthcare, particularly in hospitals, where the EU Semester frequently highlights long waits and access gaps, their prevalence and impact in the care support sector for persons with disabilities remain largely overlooked. Despite regular EU Semester recommendations on healthcare delays, waiting lists for disability support services remain largely unexamined, resulting in scarce data and limited oversight, and leading to a lack of targeted policy actions to address the issue. There is currently no harmonised European framework for measuring waiting lists in disability support systems. Definitions vary significantly across countries, and data are often fragmented across health, social care, and local authority systems. As a result, the scale and nature of waiting times for disability-related support remain difficult to compare at EU level, despite consistent evidence that they represent a structural barrier to access and independent living (OECD; Eurostat). 

This study aims to bridge these gaps by providing a comprehensive, evidence-based picture of waiting lists in disability support across EU Member States. It aims to map the landscape, identify key patterns, and expose the disconnect between policy commitments and the daily realities faced by persons with disabilities. 

2.1 In detail, the study aims to reach the following objectives: 

• Map and analyse waiting times and waiting lists for access to social care and support for persons with disabilities in a representative sample of EU Member States.

• Collect and synthesise quantitative and qualitative data on:  

  • The scale and duration of waiting times and waiting lists;  

  • The types of services affected (e.g. personal assistance, supported living, residential services, day services, home and community-based support, early intervention, etc.);  

  • The systemic factors influencing waiting times, including service capacity, workforce shortages, eligibility criteria, and governance arrangements;  

  • The relationship between waiting times, service quality, and demand, including whether waiting lists are concentrated in specialised or high-quality services or are also present in mainstream/basic provision;  

  • If possible, the respective role of public, private, and non-profit service provision in shaping waiting times, access, and quality.  

• Develop a comparative understanding of how waiting times and waiting lists are defined, measured, and managed across different national systems and service models.  

• Examine the implications of waiting times for access to rights and independent living, including the gap between rights recognised under the UNCRPD (particularly Article 19) and the practical availability and accessibility of support services.

2.2 The study will first undertake desk-based research, including a review of existing literature, policy documents, administrative data, national reports, and relevant European and international datasets on waiting times and waiting lists in disability support services. 

This will be complemented by targeted primary data collection through a structured survey and interviews or consultation meetings with EASPD members and other relevant stakeholders, including service providers, organisations of persons with disabilities, and public authorities where relevant.  

This will support the collection of both quantitative and qualitative evidence on: 

• Waiting times and waiting lists across the support pathway, including assessment/eligibility and service provision where relevant;  

• The types of services affected;  

• Systemic factors contributing to delays, such as workforce shortages, funding, governance, and eligibility criteria;  

• The implications of waiting times for service access, quality, and independent living.  

The study will adopt a comparative approach based on a representative sample of EU Member States, ensuring diversity of service systems and national contexts while promoting comparability of findings.

2.3 The target audience of the study will primarily include: 

• EU-level decision-makers and institutions, particularly those working on social policy, disability rights, social protection, and cohesion policy, with relevance to the implementation of the UNCRPD, the European Pillar of Social Rights, and community-based care and support.  

• National authorities, including ministries and public bodies responsible for social services, health and social care coordination, disability policy, and public funding systems, with responsibility for service design, regulation, and resource allocation.  

• Regional and local authorities, where relevant, particularly those involved in the planning, commissioning, and delivery of disability support services and the management of access and waiting lists.  

• Disability support service providers, including public, non-profit, and private organisations delivering services such as personal assistance, supported living, day services, and residential or community-based support.  

• Representative organisations and networks, including umbrella organisations such as EASPD members and organisations of persons with disabilities, which can use the findings for advocacy, benchmarking, and policy development.  

2.4 The Researcher/Research team is expected to deliver a report containing the main findings of the study (around 30-40 pages long). This report shall provide: 

• An executive summary. 

• An abstract (around 150 words). 

• A power point/word document with catch phrases of the study to use for dissemination.  

• A first overview of the findings in a presentable format by 1 September 2026. 

3. Deadlines

Deadline for application: 17/06/2026 

Response to application: ​24/06/2026​ 

Applicants are expected to take on the assignment ​starting from​ ​01/07/2026​. 

Deadline for the deliverables: 30/09/2026 

4. Expertise required 

The researcher(s) will be expected to demonstrate: 

• Proven experience in the theme of this study. 

• ​​Proven experience in coordinating international research projects and collaborative work; ​ 

• Solid academic and/or professional background with regards to the care service sectors and the right of persons with disabilities; 

• ​​Experience in data collection, analysis and presentation;​ 

• ​​Wide network of contacts and entry-points for collecting data at national level in EU countries; the selected candidate should ensure the processing of national data in local language(s)​ 

• ​​Experience of writing accessible reports for an NGO and/or EU/national organisation readership;​ 

• ​​Excellent command of English (written and oral)​ 

• An operational approach to the integration of good management principles, including correct personal data management in line with the requirements of the GDPR. 

• Only candidates from EU Member States are eligible. 

5. Selection and award criteria 

The applicant should submit the following documents until 15/06/2026: 

• A technical proposal explaining how you plan to conduct the research, including a review of what has already been done, a proposed methodology, a work plan, resources needed, budget, etc. (not more than 2-3 pages). 

• CV of researcher / research team including the list of published articles, reports, and studies if relevant. 

Only selected candidates will be contacted.   

6. Content of the bids 

The tenderer will ensure that their bid clearly identifies how they meet the selection criteria. It would also be useful to see examples of previous work demonstrating their ability to write and present in English to a primarily NGO audience.  

7. Payments and standard contract 

Payment will be made on receipt of ​the Draft Deliverables​ and the ​Final Deliverables​, 40% and 60% respectively.  

Only validated deliverables will be accepted and fully compensated. 

The contract will be drawn up between EASPD and the contractor. 

8. Price 

The estimated price is maximum EUR ​15.000​, all taxes included. 

The contract will be awarded taking into account the quality of submitted document and individual expertise. The contract will only be awarded to a tenderer who clearly proves that they have knowledge, experience and expertise which match at least 70% of the selection criteria.  

9. Contact details 

Please send your proposal and CV to ​Clara Massé​, ​EASPD Junior Policy Officer​:  ​clara.masse@easpd.eu​