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 call supports volunteering activities for young people. 

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Call details

Volunteering projects offer opportunities for young people to take part in solidarity activities contributing to the daily work of participating organisations, to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out. Volunteering is a full-time unpaid activity that has a duration of up to 12 months. This type of solidarity activity is undertaken through participating organisations that offer young people the opportunity to carry out a wide variety of activities, in a structured way.  

The scope of volunteering projects is broad, covering a wide range of areas, such as environmental protection, climate change mitigation or greater social inclusion. Volunteering may take place in a country other than the country of residence of the participant (cross-border) or in the country of residence of the participant (in-country).

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Activities to be funded under this topic

The following activities are supported:

• ‍Individual Volunteering is a solidarity activity of a duration of 2 to 12 months. This type of solidarity activity provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations in solidarity activities to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out. In duly justified cases, especially to encourage the participation of young people with fewer opportunities, volunteering activities of 2 weeks – 2 months can be accepted and implemented.‍

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• Volunteering teams are solidarity activities that allow teams of participants coming from at least two different countries to volunteer together for a period between 2 weeks and 2 months. Such solidarity activities could especially contribute to the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in the European Solidarity Corps. The composition of the volunteering teams must be international; at least a quarter of the volunteers must come from a country other than the one where the activity takes place. In volunteering teams, European Solidarity Corps’ volunteers will carry out tasks for a project over a short period of time (usually, but not exclusively, during holidays, breaks between study periods, transition from education to work, etc.). Despite their shorter duration, these activities will be valuable both for the individuals and for the communities in which the volunteering takes place.

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• ‍Preparatory visits to the venue of the volunteering activities before the start of the activities. The purpose of the preparatory visits is to ensure high quality activities by facilitating and preparing administrative arrangements, building trust and understanding and setting-up a solid partnership between the organisations and the young people involved. The visits will be organised for activities involving young people with fewer opportunities or when the visit is necessary for the implementation of an activity with a strong inclusion dimension. Participants with fewer opportunities that will take part in the planned volunteering activities can be involved in the visit, in order to help with their preparation and involve them in activity design so that their needs are taken into account from the start.

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Eligibility and Consortium Composition

Note: Obtaining a Quality Label is a precondition for participation in Volunteering activities. See the European Solidarity Corps Guide for details on attaining a Quality Label.

• Eligible Particpating Organisations

Any organisation legally established in a programme country or a partner country neighbouring the EU that holds a valid volunteering Quality Label or Erasmus+ volunteering accreditation. Participating organisations must hold a valid volunteering Quality Label or an Erasmus+ volunteering accreditation at the latest at the start of the activities and during the entire duration of the activities.

• Number of Participating Organisations

1. Individual Volunteering: For cross-border activities at least two organisations must participate, one host organisation and one support organisation from the country in which the participant is legally residing (country of origin of the participant). For in-country activities, at least one host organisation is required.

2. Volunteering Teams: At least one organisation – either host or support - is required.

• Eligible Participants

1. Individual Volunteering and Volunteering Teams: Young people between 18 and 30 years who are legally residing in a programme country or in a neighbouring partner country and have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. A volunteer can take part in only one Solidarity Corps individual volunteering activity. Volunteers who have taken part in an Erasmus+ volunteering activity or a European Voluntary Service (EVS) are not eligible. A volunteer can take part in more than one Solidarity Corps volunteering teams activity.  

2. Preparatory Visits: Representatives of the participating organisations and volunteers with fewer opportunities who will take part in the main activity.

• Number of Participants

1. Volunteering Teams: 10 to 40 participants per volunteering teams activity coming from at least 2 different countries out of which one is a programme country. At least a quarter of the volunteers should be legally residing in a country other than the one where the activity takes place.

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Budget

See the European Solidarity Corps Programme Guide.

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Project duration

• Individual Volunteering: From 2 to 12 months, excluding travel time. In the case of young people with fewer opportunities, the activity can start as from 2 weeks, excluding travel time.
• Volunteering Teams: 2 weeks to 2 months, excluding travel time