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Through volunteer activities that you can carry out in your own country or abroad, for periods of time ranging from 2 weeks to 12 months, The European Solidarity Corps is an extraordinary opportunity to grow humanly and in terms of skills, while offering help and leaving a mark in a concrete and tangible way in communities and among the people who need it most.
Participating in a European Corps project is therefore never just a way to volunteer, but it is also and above all a way to build our future as active and supportive citizens.
The Program guarantees those who participate, coverage of all travel, food, accommodation and local transport expenses, as well as insurance coverage. A small daily contribution is also assigned for personal expenses, which varies from country to country.
It is important to remember that no costs must be borne by the volunteers, and that therefore the organizations involved cannot ask for any mandatory payment from the volunteers, except for any small deposits to be returned after the end of the project.
But in addition to these practical "incentives", there are at least two very important aspects not to be underestimated when thinking about a volunteering experience with the European Corps: the first is that of acquisition of non-formal skills, the so-called soft skills, which prove to be very useful (and are highly sought after) in the world of work; the second is that of the possibility of learn a new language in the field and live. Obviously all this is greater when participating in long-term projects, but even experiences of a few weeks help to bring about a great change.
At the end of each project, participants receive both a certificate of participation to the program is it Youthpass, a document that identifies and certifies the skills developed and the individual learning outcomes achieved. They are potential cards to play when looking for work or to use during your studies.
Come already written in the general description of the Program, projects can be of short or long duration and can take place both in your own country and in other program countries or third countries.
Here we report a summary of the main characteristics of the three types of projects of the European Solidarity Corps for young people:
Volunteer projects
Who can participate?
Young people between 18 and 30 years old (it is possible to register in the database to apply from the age of 17). Projects can be individual or in groups.
How long do the projects last?
From 2 to 12 months for individual projects; or from 2 weeks to 2 months for group projects.
In which countries are the projects taking place?
These activities take place in Countries participating in the Programme. A project can include the presence of both foreign volunteers and volunteers from the same country.
Who organizes the activities?
The activities must be organized by a host organization accredited by the National Agency, which ensures the quality of the work program, its effectiveness both in terms of positive impact on the local community and on the personal growth path of the volunteers involved.
What does the EU contribution support?
Coverage of return travel costs up to a maximum established based on the distance and type of vehicle used; food, accommodation and local transport; language course. A small daily contribution is also given directly to volunteers who can use it for their own personal expenses.
It is worth noting that even in "individual" projects it may happen that more volunteers are involved, but their preparation and departure does not take place in a group. However, there may also be projects that require the presence of only one volunteer.
To find out more, read the Help section specific for volunteer projects (Italian)
To find out more, read the Help section Specification for volunteering projects (English)
Solidarity projects
These are very particular projects, because they can be organized directly by an informal group of boys and girls (at least 5), who want to carry out a voluntary and impactful activity in their local community. The formal application for funding can be submitted directly by young people or by an association that does it on their behalf.
Who can participate?
Young people between 18 and 30 years old all resident in the same country.
How long do the projects last?
2 12 from a month
In which countries are the projects taking place?
These activities take place in Countries participating in the Programme.
Who organizes the activities?
The group of young people who promoted the project is directly responsible for the activities which are important to be designed and managed directly by them. If necessary, for example because activities are planned for which specific skills are useful, the group of young people can be supported by a coach.
What does the EU contribution support?
There is a flat monthly contribution for each month of the project. The contribution for 2024 is 630 euros per month. Furthermore, a daily contribution that varies according to the country (up to a maximum of 12 days) is given for an adult coach who assists the group of young people in carrying out their project.
To learn more, read the specific part of the Guide for solidarity projects (Italian)
To learn more, read the specific part of the Guide for Solidarity Projects (English)
Humanitarian aid projects
This type of project is different from the previous ones, first of all because young people up to 35 years of age can participate and then because the volunteering activities take place outside Europe, in countries where there are humanitarian aid interventions for the assistance to populations affected by natural or man-made disasters and to build conditions of resilience to such disasters. Activities cannot take place in areas where there is ongoing armed conflict.
Both individual and group activities can be carried out within humanitarian aid projects.
Who can participate?
Young people between 18 and 35 years old (it is possible to register in the database to apply from the age of 17). In consideration of the specificity of the projects and activities, the selection of volunteers necessarily takes into account previous experience as well as personal aptitude for working in contexts that are normally more difficult than those in which normal projects take place ESC.
How long do the projects last?
From 2 to 12 months for individual projects; or from 2 weeks to 2 months for group projects with a minimum number of 5 participants.
In which countries are the projects taking place?
These activities take place outside Europe, in third countries where humanitarian aid interventions are underway.
Who organizes the activities?
The activities must be organized by a host organization accredited by the European Agency EACEA. The organization sending the volunteers must also have a specific accreditation with the EACEA, different from that for the projects ESC in Europe. The accreditation procedure evaluates, in addition to the quality of the work program and its effectiveness both in terms of positive impact on the local community and on volunteers, also the possession of the necessary skills and experience in the prevention and management of crisis or emergency situations and the procedures implemented to protect the safety of all people involved.
What does the EU contribution support?
Coverage of return travel costs up to a maximum established based on the distance and type of vehicle used; food, accommodation and local transport; language course. A small daily contribution is also given directly to volunteers who can use it for their own personal expenses.
It is worth noting that even in "individual" projects it may happen that more volunteers are involved, but their preparation and departure does not take place in a group.
Specific training of volunteers
In consideration of the particularity of these projects, due to the particular humanitarian context in which they take place, young candidates must necessarily participate in an online and in-person training course, which ends with a test. Only after passing the test is it possible to take part in the projects.
To find out more, read the Help section specification for Humanitarian Aid projects (Italian)
To find out more, read the Help section Specification for Humanitarian Aid projects (English)
How to participate?
Boys and girls who want to apply to take part in European Solidarity Corps projects, both in their own country and abroad, must first of all register in the European Youth Portal, in the part dedicated to the Programme.
Registration on the Portal is also mandatory for boys and girls who want to create a project Solidarity project in your local community.
Once you have registered, you will be able to consult the project database, which includes both short-term and long-term ones.
Through the portal it will be possible to send your application, but it is important to also consult the offers published by the host organizations, because many often also have their own systems for collecting applications.
It is important to remember that each organization that welcomes volunteers has its own selection method (usually based on the CV, a letter of motivation and one or more online interviews). The selection must however always be impartial, non-discriminatory and inclusive of people with fewer opportunities. It is therefore essential that when you send your application you check the selection procedures and methods.
For Humanitarian Aid projects, as written, it is also mandatory to participate in an online and in-person training course.
Return to the general Help page on “European Solidarity Corps” Program
This guide was created as part of the annual work plan of the European network IGNet, co-financed by the European Union. The content of this guide reflects the views only of the authors and neither the European Commission nor any of its agencies can be held responsible for its content or any use made of it. The content of this guide has no official value for the purposes of submitting applications and projects, for which only the official guides of the individual programmes and initiatives are valid.