Objective

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) aims to promote solidarity as a value, mainly through volunteering, to enhance the engagement of young people and organisations in accessible and high quality solidarity activities as a means to contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity, democracy and citizenship in Europe, while also responding to societal challenges and strengthening communities, with particular effort to promote social inclusion. It shall also contribute to European cooperation that is relevant to young people.

Structure and actions

The call implements three operational actions:

- Volunteering. It includes two sub-actions:

a) Individual volunteering: full-time unpaid solidarity activity in a broad range of areas for a duration from 2 to 12 months.

b) Volunteering teams: solidarity activities allowing teams of 10 to 40 participants from at least two different countries to volunteer together for a period between 2 weeks and 2 months.

- Traineeships and Jobs. It includes two sub-actions, which can take place either in a country other than the country of residence of the participant or in the country of residence of the participant:

a) Traineeships: periods of full-time remunerated work practice of between 2 to 6 months renewable once for a maximum duration of 12 months within the same participating organisation.

b) Jobs: solidarity activities for young people, for a period from 3 to 12 months, paid by the participating organisation that employs the participant.

- Solidarity projects: in-country solidarity activity on a clearly identified topic initiated, developed and implemented by young people themselves. 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.

Elegible appicants

- Individuals: the participants to Volunteering activities are 18-30-year-old young people residing in one of the ESC eligible countries. Jobs and traineeships and Solidarity projects are open to participants residing in the EU Member States. The participants must be registered in the online database of the ESC.

- Host Organisations: ESC projects are submitted and managed by public or private organisation established in an EU Member State. Volunteering and solidarity projects are also open to the participation of EFTA countries, Switzerland, EU acceding and candidate countries and a group of neighbouring countries specified in the call. To participate to the call, the host organisations must have previously obtained the accreditation (Quality Label) with the National Agency of their country. This is required to ensure their compliance with the principles and objectives of the ESC, as regards their responsibilities during all stages of solidarity activities. A Quality Label is not needed for solidarity projects.

Partnership Criteria

- Individual volunteering: for cross-border activities at least two organisations, one host and one supporting organisation. A supporting organisation from the country in which the participant is legally residing is required. For in-country activities, at least one host organisation is required.

- Volunteering teams and Traineeships and Jobs: at least one host organization. Solidarity projects: an organization can apply on behalf of the group that will implement the project. However, this is not mandatory and the project can be submitted directly from the group of young people.

Funding

All the actions are funded through a series of lump sum calculated on the basis of activities implemented and participants involved. These lump sums cover costs such as: travel, organisational support, inclusion support and pocket money for volunteers. Other exceptional costs are calculated as real costs and reimbursed up to 100% by the grant, depending on the type of cost.

Projects duration

- Volunteering Projects and Volunteering Teams in high priority areas: from 3 to 24 months

- Traineeships and Jobs: from 6 to 24 months.

- Solidarity projects: from 2 to 12 months.

Deadline

Volunteering Teams in high priority areas: 17 September 2020

Volunteering Projects, Traineeships and Jobs and Solidarity projects: 1 October 2020

In case of interest, please contact with FSJD Research Department.