The European Solidarity Corps aligns with the European Union's political goals, involving both organizations and young individuals in supportive projects. With a focus on inclusion, diversity, and equal access, the program aims to implement eco-friendly practices and encourage responsible behaviour among participants and entities involved. It contributes to the digital transition by enhancing digital skills and literacy, while also advocating civic engagement and youth involvement in democratic processes. Prioritizing volunteering, the program empowers young people to actively shape society and adapt to unforeseen challenges like those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including health-related projects.
Funded actions
The 2021-2027 European Solidarity Corps program supports:
- Volunteering: activities can take place either abroad or in the participant’s country of residence. Individual volunteering can last up to 12 months,
whereas team volunteering usually lasts between 2 weeks and 2 months; - Solidarity Projects: those are bottom-up activities set up and carried out by a group of young people with a view to addressing the key challenges within their communities.
- Humanitarian aid volunteering, within the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps: this strand will be open to young people aged between 18 and 35 to provide emergency aid based on the fundamental principles of neutrality, humanity, independence and impartiality, helping to deliver assistance, relief and protection where most needed. It will help address humanitarian challenges in safe third countries, where EU humanitarian aid activities take place.
Traineeships and Jobs can still run this year funded by the budget from the previous programme, but for the 2021-2027 program, those actions are discontinued.
Funding and eligible entities
The European Solidarity Corps funding is provided in the form of grants to organisations through call for proposals. Young people wishing to engage in such activities need to register in the European Solidarity Corps portal, which offers a place for people and organisations, holding a grant, to implement activities and to find each other. Organisations can find the ongoing projects in the European Solidarity Corps dedicated page.
Organizations eligible to the program funds should have a registered office in:
- an EU Member State;
- a non-EU country associated to the program (Iceland, North Macedonia, Turkey, Liechtenstein);
- a partner country (Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine)
Budget
With an allocated budget of 1 009 000 000 euro for the period of 2021-2027, the European Solidarity Corps program aims to offer opportunities to a minimum of 270 000 young individuals. The program entered in force on January 1st, 2021, and will last until December 31st, 2027.
