European Solidarity Corps

The initiative has a proposed overall budget of 375.6 million
euro until 2020.

UK organisations of all sizes, from multinational companies to
small NGOs working in local communities, which support social
action and promote social inclusion, can submit an application. The
first deadline is 16 October 2018.
Find out how to apply.

Funding can enhance organisations’ capacity and provision, while
offering a meaningful experience for proactive young people. With
the European Solidarity Corps, people from 18 to 30 years old can
have the opportunity to engage with projects that make a difference
while learning new skills and receiving some financial support.

Get inspired by reading
Fiona Brown’s life-changing experience: she joined a project in
Poland, whose UK partner was the Language Academy Wales,
volunteering at a school in a small town for three months.
 

How it works

There are two strands of funding, for volunteering projects and
occupational projects, with three funding application deadlines per
year from 2019. All projects must address solidarity-related topics
such as:

• Inclusion
• Citizenship and democratic participation
• Disaster prevention and recovery
• Environment and natural protection
• Health and wellbeing
• Education and training
• Reception and integration of refugees and migrants

Projects can take place abroad, according to the area covered by
each activity, or in-country.

Types of activities

European Solidarity Corps funding for Volunteering Projects help
UK organisations to widen their impact by sending volunteers abroad
or hosting them. This type of activity gives young people the
chance to play a part in the daily work of organisations, providing
a valuable experience for both sides.

Volunteering Projects can combine one or more of the main
activities: Individual Volunteering Placements and Volunteering
Teams. Overall, these projects last from three months to two years.
Activities as short as two weeks can be funded, especially to
encourage the participation of people with fewer opportunities.

European Solidarity Corps funding for Traineeships and Jobs
provides young people with opportunities for work practice or
employment, helping them to enhance their skills and transition
into the labour market. These projects last from six months to two
years and can take place in the UK or in Europe.

Also, an organisation (public or private) can apply on behalf of
an informal group of young people for Solidarity Projects, which
are youth-led activities. These projects take place in-country and
can last from two to 12 months.

Any organisation wishing to take part in a European Solidarity
Corps project must have an accreditation called the Quality Label.
It is designed to ensure consistently high standards in all
Solidarity Corps’ activities. If your organisation is already
accredited under Erasmus+ for volunteering projects, you do not
need to apply for the Quality Label. 

 

Matching young people and organisations

After completing a simple online registration process, young
people can be invited to join activities run by accredited
organisations. These organisations have access to a matching tool
called Placement Administration and Support System (PASS), which
allows them to search the database for suitable candidates for
their projects.

The tool is a single-point access to information, placement and
recruitment services offering a pool of young people much broader
than typically found locally or nationally. If your organisation is
already accredited under Erasmus+ for volunteering projects, then
it is already able to access PASS.

 

For more information

In the UK, the European Solidarity Corps is implemented by the
Erasmus+ National Agency, a partnership between the British Council
and Ecorys UK.

A dedicated website with information for UK organisations is now
live: eusolidaritycorps.org.uk.
Also, you can subscribe to the
European Solidarity Corps UK newsletter to receive the latest
updates.

If you have any questions, please contact the European
Solidarity Corps team by email: eusolidaritycorps@ecorys.com