€166 million boost to the European Solidarity Corps for youth volunteering in 2025

December 3, 2024 by European Union Leave a Comment

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the Commission published the European Solidarity Corps call 2025 which supports the participation of young people in volunteering activities in communities across the EU and beyond. The €166 million budget allocated for 2025 represents a significant increase compared to previous years, due to the recovery of funds from Covid-19 years, when many volunteering activities could not take place. The 2025 call will again support volunteering projects and activities promoting environmental sustainability, digital skills and literacy, inclusion and diversity, active citizenship, and more.

Dedicated actions will continue to provide relief to people fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Participants can engage in a wide range of inspiring solidarity activities focusing on priority areas such as social inclusion, green and digital transition, democratic participation, and health-related issues.

Together with the call, the Commission has released the European Solidarity Corps 2021-2023 Report, which showcases the programme’s impact in those years, and how it contributed to fostering solidarity across the globe. In 2021-2023, the programme offered opportunities to more than 66,000 young people to tackle societal and humanitarian challenges. The report tells powerful and inspiring stories from all over Europe, of how young people and organisations responded to climate and natural disasters and supported Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war of aggression. The report also serves as a call to action for more young people to get involved in solidarity efforts.

The Corps is open to people between 18 and 30 years old, extended to between 18 and 35 years old for volunteering in support of humanitarian aid activities outside the EU. Interested young people should register on the European Solidarity Corps portal, where they can find participating organisations. Groups of young people registered on the Portal may also apply for funding for solidarity projects which they lead.

Public and private bodies can apply for funding to carry out activities under the European Solidarity Corps. They need to hold a quality label certifying that they are able to implement high-quality solidarity activities in line with programme principles, objectives, and requirements. Applications can be submitted via the European Solidarity Corps National Agencies in EU Member States and associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of North Macedonia, and Türkiye), or for centrally-managed actions, such as volunteering teams in high priority areas or volunteering in Humanitarian Aid, via the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.

Background

Launched in October 2018, the European Solidarity Corps builds on previous EU solidarity initiatives. It creates a bridge between young people and organisations willing to contribute to solidarity efforts and drive positive change in areas that matter to them. Through their volunteering activities, whether abroad or in their own country, young people can contribute to building a more inclusive society.

Since 2022, the programme has broadened its scope to include support for humanitarian aid activities around the world.

With an indicative budget of €1,009 million for 2021-2027, the European Solidarity Corps aims to enable more than 185,000 young people to take part in solidarity actions.

The European Solidarity Corps engages with organisations and young people by:

Supporting projects and activities to protect, conserve and enhance natural habitats and the environment, to raise awareness about environmental sustainability and to enable behavioural changes;
Contributing to the digital transition by supporting projects and activities that aim to boost digital skills, foster digital literacy and develop an understanding of the risks and opportunities of digital technology;
Promoting inclusion and diversity and aiming to provide all young people with equal access to European Solidarity Corps opportunities; and
Engaging and empowering young people to be active in society and become true change-makers.
Showing solidarity to people in countries outside of the EU who have faced humanitarian disasters or need to increase their preparedness to possible disasters in the future, while learning new skills, cultures and ways of life.

For More Information

European Solidarity Corps call for proposals 2025

Youth Portal – European Solidarity Corps call for proposals 2025

2025 European Solidarity Corps Programme Guide

2025 European Solidarity Corps Work Programme

European Solidarity Corps report 2021-2023

Quote(s)

Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

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