Funding programme

The European Solidarity Corps is the EU's funding programme for volunteering and promoting solidarity. Read more about European Solidarity Corps.

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Call overview

This action gives the opportunity to young people aged 18 to 35 years old to contribute to society by short-term or long-term volunteering activities aimed at improving living conditions of people in need.

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Call details

Volunteering under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps49 (Humanitarian Aid Volunteering) takes place in third countries where there are ongoing humanitarian aid operations. This action gives the opportunity to young people aged 18 to 35 years old to contribute to society by short-term or long-term volunteering activities aimed at improving living conditions of people in need. These projects must be in line with the humanitarian aid principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, as well as with the ‘do no harm’ principle.

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Objectives

The projects funded under Humanitarian Aid volunteering should:

• where relevant, facilitate the transition from the humanitarian response to long-term sustainable and inclusive development
• contribute to strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities;
• reinforce disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction;
• link relief, rehabilitation and development;
• ensure a high level of safety and security for volunteers.

Additionally, to increase the quality and impact of the action, projects can integrate complementary activities to facilitate the active involvement of local staff and volunteers from the countries and communities in which they are implemented.

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Activities supported

The following activities are supported under volunteering in the humanitarian aid strand:

• Individual volunteering
• Volunteering teams
• Complementary activities

See the European Solidarity Corps Guide for a detailed explanation of the three different activities.

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Project details

A project supported by this strand should include one or more volunteering activities with at least 15 participants per project. The volunteering activities can be combined in a flexible manner, depending on the objectives of the project, the identified needs at local level and the needs of the participating organisation(s) and volunteers.

A project is implemented by at least three organisations from at least two different eligible countries and shall involve at least one host organisation which is a separate legal entity with no affiliation to the support organisations.

See the European Solidarity Corps Guide for an overview of the single project stages.

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Eligibility

Eligible participating organisations:

Any public or private entity, whether non-profit or profit making, local, regional, national or international, legally established in an EU Member State, a third country associated to the Programme or a third country not associated to the Programme where humanitarian aid activities and operations take place and where there are no ongoing international or non-international armed conflicts, or any international organisation. Participating organisations (support and host role) must hold a valid Quality Label for Humanitarian Aid volunteering at the application deadline and for the entire duration of the project. Eligible participating organisations are expected to form a consortium.

Eligible participants:

Young people between 18 and 35 years old who are legally residing in a EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme and who have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal to express their interest in engaging in Humanitarian Aid Volunteering but who have not yet participated in the European Solidarity Corps’ Humanitarian Aid individual volunteering. The participant must have successfully completed the mandatory trainings organised by the Commission.

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Partner Consortium

A consortium must consist at least three eligible participating organisations with a valid volunteering Quality Label for Humanitarian Aid Volunteering from at least two support organisations from different EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme and at least one host organisation which is a separate legal entity with no affiliation to the support organisations taking part in the project. Only an eligible participating organisation established in one of the EU Member States or third country associated to the Programme may submit an application for funding on behalf of the consortium. Affiliated entities do not count towards the minimum eligibility criteria for the consortium composition.

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Project duration

Projects should last 12, 24 or 36 months (extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment). The duration has to be chosen at application stage, based on the objectives of the project and on the type of activities planned over time.

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Budget

Maximum EU grant per project: 650,000 EUR.

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