The Council of Europe is launching 5 new calls for proposals under the European Youth Foundation (EYF). The EYF is a fund established in 1972 by the Council of Europe to provide financial and educational support for European youth activities. Only youth NGOs from the 46 Council of Europe member states. Under the European Youth Foundation (EYF) there are different grants available:
PILOT ACTIVITIES
The aim of pilot activity grants is to support actions which address young people’s needs or challenges at a local level. The actions have a clear link to the local context and address the priorities of the youth sector of the Council of Europe. These activities should be based on innovation or on replication of good practice, have a clear youth work dimension and be based on non-formal education principles. The link between the action and the envisioned impact on the community should be clearly thought out. Pilot Activities are flexible in their format and may utilise a range of approaches, such as training sessions, meetings with experts, local workshops, local actions, visits, campaigns, workshops in schools, festivals etc. An essential feature of a pilot activity is the educational element – the EYF supports education projects, using a non-formal approach. The pilot activity can be :
- An awareness raising activity
- A Skills development activity
- Collaborative work
The maximum duration of a pilot activity project is 6 months. The deadlines for EYF supported pilot activities starting in 2023 are: 1st February 2023, 1st June 2023, and 1st September 2023. The maximum grant available for a Pilot Activity in 2022 is €15 000.
For more information, please visit the Council of Europe’s website.
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
International activities are international meetings of young people or youth leaders in Europe which contribute to the work of the youth sector of the Council of Europe in topic, methodology and with a clear European dimension. The following hard criteria are a requirement for an international activity:
- Must fall under the priorities of the youth sector of the Council of Europe;
- Participants must come from at least 7 Council of Europe’s member states*;
- The activity must have a core project team where people of at least 4 nationalities are represented (this includes the trainers, facilitators, project coordinator, etc.);
- 75 % of participants are under 30 years old;
- A gender and geographical balance must be ensured;
- In the planning and running of the international activity, the grantee organisation puts in place measures to ensure gender equality and inclusive practices;
- the activity responds to the needs of young people and participants are at the centre of the activity, with non-formal educational approaches included;
The maximum grant allocated is €20 000. The EYF deadlines for international activities for the following year are: 1st April and 1st October 2023.
For more information, please visit the Council of Europe’s website.
ANNUAL WORK PLAN
It is a set of successive activities over a period of one year, interconnected and which contribute to the same broader aim. Within the strategic approach or global action plan of an organisation (what the organisation would like to achieve in the year(s) to come), you are asked to identify a coherent set of activities/elements to be submitted to the EYF. It should be in line with what you do and want to achieve, but it should also be in line with the work, priorities and principles of the youth sector of the Council of Europe. Each activity/element should contribute to the aim of the work plan and the accomplishments of the work plan as a whole should contribute to the global purpose of the organisation. The work plan does not need to reflect the whole strategy of your NGO; it can be one element of it only.
The maximum grant allocated is €50 000. The EYF deadlines for annual work plan for the following year are: 1st April and 1st October 2023.
For more information, please visit the Council of Europe’s website.
STRUCTURAL GRANT
The EYF offers structural grants for general administrative costs incurred by youth NGOs. Structural grants are for 2 consecutive years and are available every 2 years. These grants are available every 2 years (deadline 2019, 2021 and so on) and are only accessible to international youth NGOs and international networks of youth NGOs that have received support for at least 3 international activities during the 3 previous years (EYF grant or study session in the annual programme of the European Youth Centres). A structural grant needs to be confirmed after 1 year and is subject to specific eligibility and allocation criteria, which can be consulted in the link below. The grant is based on strategic long-term programme of the organisation.
The maximum grant allocated is €25 000 per year for 2 years (i.e. a maximum of €50 000 for 2 years). 1 October 2023, for the years 2024-2025.
For more information, please visit the Council of Europe’s website.
SPECIAL CALL FOR PILOT ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM UKRAINE
Following the decision of the Council of Europe’s Joint Council of Youth on 12 October 2022, the European Youth Foundation (EYF) is launching a special call to support young people from Ukraine. This initiative responds to the current needs expressed by the Ukrainian authorities and stakeholders in the field of youth. Youth organisations in Ukraine or youth organisations working with young people from Ukraine in the member states of the Council of Europe are invited to submit applications for this special call for EYF pilot activity grants. The activities must be designed for, support and involve young people from Ukraine affected by the war. Project applications will be assessed based on the EYF criteria for pilot projects. A successful project will:
- be a youth activity prepared, run and managed by a local, regional or national non-governmental youth organisation and involving young people from Ukraine.
- be an activity that supports young people from Ukraine affected by the war in their daily life, rights, and to navigate their challenges and access their rights.
- be an activity related to a local need and that brings an added value to the lives of young people from Ukraine.
- follow the basic principles of youth work, in particular the promotion of intercultural dialogue and understanding and the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy.
- be in line with the values of the Council of Europe and its priorities in the field of youth.
The EYF can provide a grant of a maximum amount of €15 000 to cover the costs of a pilot activity. However, you may apply for smaller projects, for any amount below €15 000. Projects can be submitted at any time during the period from 3 November 2022 to 31 October 2023 or until the funds are exhausted.
For more information, please visit the Council of Europe’s website.
To learn more about current calls for proposals or Eurodiaconia’s funding events, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our our Projects and EU Funding Officer Giorgia Signoretto at giorgia.signoretto@eurodiaconia.org.