Brussels time
The European Solidarity Corps is the EU's funding programme for volunteering and promoting solidarity.
This call support groups of young people to implement a Solidarity Project to address needs of their local community.
A Solidarity Project is a non-profit solidarity activity initiated, developed and implemented by young people themselves for a period from 2 to 12 months. It gives a group of minimum five young persons the chance to express solidarity by taking responsibility and committing themselves to bring positive change in their local community. The project should have a clearly identified topic which the group of young people wish to explore together and which has to be translated into the concrete daily activities of the project and involve all the members of the group.
Solidarity Projects should address key challenges within the communities, where relevant including those identified jointly in the border regions and it should also present European added value. Participation in a solidarity project is an important non-formal learning experience through which young people can boost their personal, educational, social and civic development.
Read more in the Call Document.
A Solidarity Project should clearly refer to the European Solidarity Corps' objectives and principles in particular solidarity.
This common value provides the necessary unity to cope with current and future societal challenges, which young Europeansare willing to help address by expressing their solidarity in practice. A Solidarity Project could address young people facingsituations that make their inclusion in society more difficult. A solidarity project should also consider sustainable andenvironmental-friendly practices in the planned activities.
The young people should take the initiative to respond to the issues and challenges around them, which is why a solidarity project should be directly linked to the local community they live in, although some of them can also tackle regional or even national issues. Some solidarity projects could also tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions. A Solidarity Project should have an impact on the local community by addressing local issues, targeting a specific group or developing local opportunities (particularly in communities located in rural, isolated, marginalised or cross-border areas) but also through involving different actors and developing new partnerships. Thus, by setting common goals and cooperating to achieve them, communities can benefit from a solidarity project.
Together with addressing the local challenges, a solidarity project should also demonstrate European added value by addressing priorities identified at European level. A solidarity project should reflect a common concern for topics within the European society, such as for example integrating third-country nationals, climate change or active democratic participation. The European added value can be expressed through any element of a solidarity project that is linked with European issues, values and priorities. The European priorities will also be promoted through sharing of the results of the project. In cases of cross-border projects it should be clear what common challenges are jointly shared by the local communities spread over the border and living in proximity and how a solidarity project could bring benefits to those regions by addressing them.
Participation in a Solidarity Project will also be an important non-formal learning experience for young people. It should foster sense of initiative, active European citizenship and entrepreneurial spirit. In particular, young people managing the project could absorb in practice the concept of social entrepreneurship by creating new products or services that benefit local community or society in general and address important societal challenges. By putting their own ideas into practice, meeting unexpected situations and finding solutions for them, trying out innovative and creative measures, young people will learn new skills and develop their capacities, express their own creativity and take responsibility for their action. They will boost their self-esteem, autonomy and motivation to learn. Participation in managing and implementing a solidarity project could be also a first step into self-employment or setting up organisations in the solidarity, non-profit or youth sectors.
Who implements the project?
A group of minimum 5 young people aged between 18 and 30 years who are legally residing in one and the same EU Member State or a third country associated to the Programme and have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. There is no maximum number of members of the group. Access the portal here.
Who can apply?
The group that will implement the project. One of the young people in the group assumes the role of the legal representative and takes the responsibility of submitting the application.
Any public or private body, legally established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme, on behalf of the group that will implement the project.
Number of members
Minimum 5. There is no maximum number of members of the group.
Venue of the project
The project should take place in the country of the applicant. In cases in which the project addresses cross-border challenges, project activities can also take place incross-border regions of the EU Member States, third countries associated to the Programme and third countries non-associated to the Programme sharing the border with the country of the applicant
See the European Solidarity Corps Programme Guide.
2 to 12 months.
Brussels time
