Call: Civil Society Cooperation in the field of Youth

Erasmus+ 2021-2027 is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport, which are key areas that support citizens in their personal and professional development. High quality, inclusive education and training, as well as informal and non-formal learning, ultimately equip young people and participants of all ages with the qualifications and skills needed for their meaningful participation in democratic society, intercultural understanding and successful transition in the labour market. Spending time in another country to study, to learn and to work should become the standard, while speaking two other languages in addition to ones’ mother tongue should be the norm.

Objectives

The general objective of the Programme is to support, through lifelong learning, the educational, professional and personal development of people in education, training, youth and sport, in Europe and beyond, thereby contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and social cohesion, to driving innovation, and to strengthening European identity and active citizenship.

The Programme has the following specific objectives:

• promote learning mobility of individuals and groups, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of education and training;
• promote non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of youth;
• promote learning mobility of sport staff, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of sport organisations and sport policies.

Priorities

Inclusion and Diversity

The programme seeks to increase the qualitative impact of its actions and to ensure equal opportunities. To this end, the programme will reach out to people of different ages and from diverse cultural, social and economic backgrounds. It will focus on people with fewer opportunities, including those with disabilities, educational difficulties, or a migrant background, as well as those living in rural and remote areas.

Digital Transformation

In line with the Digital Education Action Plan’s priorities, the programme will develop accessible and high-quality digital learning, foster the capacity of teachers, trainers and youth workers, etc. to use digital tools and content, test and promote distance, as well as blended learning. The mobility actions of the programme will provide an increased number of opportunities to acquire and develop digital skills through initiatives such as the Digital Opportunity Traineeships scheme. The implementation of the programme will be significantly digitalised and simplified for participants, in particular through the European Student Card initiative and a revamped IT architecture for beneficiaries and implementing bodies.

Environment and fight against climate change

In line with the European Green Deal, the programme will lead by example, by encouraging participants to use lower-carbon transport as an alternative to flying. Erasmus funding will also be channelled into building up knowledge and understanding of sustainability and climate action, so that Europeans acquire the world-leading competences needed to create sustainable societies, lifestyles and economies.

Participation in democratic life

The Programme addresses the citizens’ limited participation in its democratic processes and their lack of knowledge about the European Union, and tries to help them overcome the difficulties in actively engaging and participating in their communities or in the Union's political and social life. Strengthening citizens’ understanding of the European Union from an early age is crucial for the Union’s future.

Objectives

The objective of the present call is to provide structural support, referred to as operating grants, to European non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) and EU-wide networks active in the field youth pursuing the following general aims:

• Raise awareness of European policy agendas in youth, in particular, the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 including the European Youth Goals.
• Increase stakeholder commitment and cooperation with public authorities for the implementation of policies and reforms in the field of youth, in particular for the implementation of policies in areas relevant for young people and the country-specific recommendations issued in the framework of the European Semester.
• Boost stakeholder participation in the field of youth including by building upon the potential of digital communication alongside other forms of participation.
• Boost stakeholder involvement in the dissemination of policy and Programme actions and results and of good practice among their membership and beyond.
• Develop, promote and support actions to engage, connect and empower youth in the spirit of the EU Youth Strategy.
• Increase awareness and youth participation in EU actions for young people, including Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps and DiscoverEU.
• Boost civil society involvement in the dissemination of policy and programme actions including results and good practices among their membership and beyond.

The call also embraces the four general priorities of the Von der Leyen Commission as embedded in the Erasmus+ programme namely – inclusion and diversity, - digital transformation, - environment and fight against climate change as well as participation in democratic life.

These general objectives draw on the assets of youth ENGOs and EU-wide networks and on their capacity to reach out to large numbers of interested parties and to advocate EU policy priorities. They should therefore be clearly embedded in the work plans, activities and deliverables of the applicant organisations.

Activities that can be funded

Eligible activities must be directly linked to the general and specific objectives of the present Call and must be coherent and well detailed in an annual work programme.

Activities may be performed at European, cross- border, national, regional or local level.

European Union financing under this Call takes the form of an operating grant to support part of the costs incurred by the selected bodies in carrying out a series of activities. These activities must be directly linked to the general and specific objectives of the Call and must be detailed in an annual work programme for 2022. Activities must not start before 1st January 2022 and must be completed by 31st December 2022.

The organisations active in the field of youth that will be supported under this call are expected to carry out activities that aim to (non-exhaustive list):

• Contribute to the realisation of the European Youth Goals as attached to the EU Youth Strategy.
• Contribute to the activities as defined for the 2022 European Year of Youth.
• Adhere to the guiding principles set for the EU Youth Strategy and in this regard promote the following:
  • Equality and non-discrimination, by combating all forms of discrimination and promoting action to encourage young people's fair and equal access to opportunities and facilitate their transition to adulthood, including in civic life, at school or in the world of work.
  • Inclusion, catering for the diverse needs of young people and especially those with fewer opportunities or whose voices may be overlooked.
  • Participation of all young people in democratic and civic life in Europe; by meaningful action to involve young people and youth organisations at European, national, regional or local level in the development, implementation and follow-up of policy issues; promoting debate and actions to make young people's voices better heard in society; and encouraging them to vote in elections.
  • Global, European, national, regional and local dimension, ensuring European activities reach and impact young people at grassroots level and connect to global issues of concern to young people.
• Foster the development of competences and skills through non-formal and informal learning, youth organisations and youth work; promote digital literacy, intercultural learning, critical thinking, the respect of diversity, and the values of solidarity, equal opportunities and human rights among young people in Europe.
• Contribute to relevant EU policy initiatives beyond youth policy affecting young people in areas such as citizenship, education, culture, sport, employment or social inclusion. These could, for example, be related to the Conference for the Future of Europe, to the European Green Deal or the New European Bauhaus initiative.

All the above activities should contribute to widening the outreach towards young people to ensure a diversity of voices, reach young people within and beyond youth organisations and youth with fewer opportunities, thereby using a variety of traditional and digital channels.

In order to be eligible, the applicants must be:

• legal entities (natural persons, public or private bodies, including international organisations)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
  • EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    • Erasmus+ Programme Countries:
      • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
      • non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme (associated countries) or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature
• Individuals are not eligible

To be eligible, applicants must be:

• non-governmental;
• not-for-profit-making.

Only applications by single applicants are allowed (single beneficiaries).

Proposal page limits and layout:

The application form will have two parts:

• Part A to be filled in directly online  (administrative information, summarised budget, call-specific questions, etc.)
• Part B to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system
• Part C to be filled in directly online containing additional project data
• mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
  • list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years) (template available in Part B)
  • excel annex on eligibility criteria

Page limit - Part B: 70 pages

The available call budget is EUR 4,000,000.00. This budget might be increased by maximum 20%.

Project budget (maximum grant amount): between EUR 80,000 and EUR 125,000 per project. The grant will be a budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs). This means that it will reimburse ONLY certain types of costs (eligible costs) and costs that were actually incurred for your project (NOT the budgeted costs).

The costs will be reimbursed at the funding rate fixed in the Grant Agreement (80%).

European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) - https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/index_en

Since 2006, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency has been a catalyst for projects in education, training, youth, sport, audiovisual, culture, citizenship and humanitarian aid. On behalf of the European Commission, EACEA strives to foster innovation in these areas, always in a spirit of cross-border cooperation and mutual respect.

EACEA are project managers, facilitators of knowledge exchange, and supporters of European projects that connect people and cultures.

National Agencies

To bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to the participants and make sure it works well across different countries, the EU works with National Agencies to manage the programme.

The National Agencies are based in Programme Countries and their role involves

• providing information on Erasmus+
• selecting projects to be funded
• monitoring and evaluating Erasmus+
• supporting applicants and participants
• working with other National Agencies and the EU
• promoting Erasmus+
• sharing success stories and best practices

The list of National Agencies can be found here. Countries not in the list of Programme countries may alternately have a National Erasmus+ Office.

National Erasmus+ Offices

National Erasmus+ Offices (NEOs) assist the European Commission and local authorities in the implementation of Erasmus+ in certain Partner Countries.

These countries are located in the Western Balkans, the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean and Central Asia. Russia also has a National Office.

Providing information on Erasmus+, monitoring and evaluating funded projects, assisting applicants and participants, supporting policy dialogue and maintaining contact with local authorities and EU Delegations are among the responsibilities of the NEOs.

The list of National Erasmus+ Offices is available on the website of the Education, Culture, and Audiovisual Executive Agency.