Erasmus+ Programme Guide

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Mobility project for young people and youth workers

In 2019, in the selection of projects, emphasis will be put on1:

  • reaching out to marginalised young people, promoting diversity, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of human rights as well as on projects enhancing media literacy, critical thinking and sense of initiative of young people as well as
  • equipping youth workers with competences and methods for their professional development, including for digital youth work, needed for transferring the common fundamental values of our society, particularly to the hard to reach young people and preventing violent radicalisation of young people as well. 

In this regard, taking into account the critical context in Europe - and considering the fact that youth work, non-formal learning activities can significantly contribute to address the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and/or increase awareness about this issue within local communities – particular attention will also be given to support youth mobility projects involving or focussing on the refugees/asylum seekers and migrants.

A mobility project can combine one or more of the below activities:

Mobility of young people: Youth Exchanges:

Youth Exchanges allow groups of young people from at least two different countries to meet and live together for up to 21 days. During a Youth Exchange, participants, supported by group leaders, jointly carry out a work programme (a mix of workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, simulations, outdoor activities, etc.) designed and prepared by them before the Exchange. Youth Exchanges allow young people to: develop competences; become aware of socially relevant topics/thematic areas; discover new cultures, habits and life-styles, mainly through peer-learning; strengthen values like solidarity, democracy, friendship, etc. The learning process in Youth Exchanges is triggered by methods of non-formal education. The rather short duration makes the involvement of young people with fewer opportunities appropriate; as such a Youth Exchange offers an international mobility experience in the safety of a group with the possibility of having an adequate number of group leaders to take care of the participants. A Youth Exchange can also be a good setting for discussing and learning about inclusion and diversity issues. Youth Exchanges are based on a transnational cooperation between two or more participating organisations from different countries within and outside the European Union.

The following activities are not eligible for grants under Youth Exchanges: academic study trips; exchange activities which aim to make financial profit; exchange activities which can be considered as tourism; festivals; holiday travel; performance tours.

Mobility of​ Youth Workers:

This activity supports the professional development of youth workers, through the implementation of activities  such as transnational/international seminars, training courses, contact-making events, study visits, etc. and job shadowing/observation periods abroad in an organisation active in the youth field. All these activities can be tailored and combined to address the needs and desired impact identified by participating organisations when arranging the project. The professional development of the participating youth workers should contribute to capacity building for quality youth work of their organisation and should have a clear impact on the participating youth workers' regular work with young people. The learning outcomes, including any materials and innovative methods and tools, should be further disseminated in the youth field to contribute to quality improvements of youth work and/or foster youth policy development and cooperation.

 

What is the role of organisations participating in this project?

Participating organisations involved in the mobility project assume the following roles and tasks:

  • Coordinator of a youth mobility project: applying for the whole project on behalf of all the partner organisations.
  • Sending organisation: in charge of sending young people and youth workers abroad (this includes: organising practical arrangements; preparing participants before departure; providing support to participants during all the phases of the project).
  • Receiving organisation: in charge of hosting the activity, developing a programme of activities for participants in cooperation with participants and partner organisations, providing support to participants during all the phases of the project.

 

What are the criteria used to assess this project?

Here below are listed the formal criteria that the mobility project must respect in order to be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant:

 

General Eligibility criteria

Eligible activities

A youth mobility project must comprise one or more of the following activities:

  • Youth Exchanges;
  • Mobility of Youth Workers

Eligible participating organisations

A participating organisation can be:

  • a non-profit organisation, association, NGO;
  • a European Youth NGO;
  • a social enterprise;
  • a public body at local level;
  • a group of young people active in youth work but not necessarily in the context of a youth organisation (i.e. informal group of young people).

as well as:

  • a public body at regional or national level2;
  • an association of regions ;
  • a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation;
  • a profit-making body active in Corporate Social Responsibility.

established in a Programme Country or in a Partner Country neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4; see section "Eligible Countries" in Part A of this Guide).

Who can apply?

Any participating organisation or group3 established in a Programme Country can be the applicant. This organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project.

A youth mobility project is funded in a specific way (see the section "funding rules") if the applicant is:

  • a public body at regional or national level4;
  • an association of regions;
  • a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation;
  • a profit-making body active in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Number and profile of participating organisations

A mobility activity is transnational and involves at least two participating organisations (sending and receiving organisation) from different countries. If a youth mobility project foresees only one activity, the coordinator must also act either as sending or receiving organisation. If a youth mobility project foresees more than one activity, the project coordinator can – but not necessarily has to – act as sending organisation or receiving organisation. In all cases, the coordinator cannot be an organisation from a Partner Country neighbouring the EU.

Activities within Programme Countries: all participating organisations must be from a Programme Country.

Activities with Partner Countries neighbouring the EU: the activity must involve at least one participating organisation from a Programme Country and one participating organisation from a Partner Country neighbouring the EU.

Duration of project

From 3 to 24 months.

Where to apply?

To the National Agency of the country in which the applicant organisation is established.

When to apply?

Applicants have to submit their grant application by the following dates:

  • 5 February at 12:00 (midday Brussels time) for projects starting between 1 May and 30 September of the same year;
  • 30 April at 12:00 (midday Brussels time) for projects starting between 1 August and 31 December of the same year;
  • 1 October at 12:00 (midday Brussels time) for projects starting between 1 January and 31 May of the following year.

How to apply?

Please see Part C of this Guide for details on how to apply.

Other criteria

A timetable for each of the Youth Exchanges and Mobility of Youth Workers activities planned in the project must be annexed to the application form.

A Declaration of Honour of the legal representative must be annexed to the application form.

 

Additional Eligibility criteria for Youth Exchanges

Duration of activity

From 5 to 21 days, excluding travel time.

Venue(s) of the activity

The activity must take place in the country of one of the organisations participating in the activity. 

Eligible participants

Young people aged between 13 and 305

resident in the countries of the sending or receiving organisations. Group leaders6 involved in the Youth Exchange must be at least 18-years old.

Number of participants and composition of national groups

Minimum 16 and maximum of 60 participants (group leader(s) not included) per activity.

Minimum 4 participants per group (group leader(s) not included) per activity.

Each national group must have at least one group leader.

A group of participants from the country of the receiving organisation must be involved in each activity. 

Other criteria

In order to maintain a clear link to the country where the National Agency is based, at least one of the sending organisations or the receiving organisation in each activity must be from the country of the National Agency to which the application is submitted.

Advance Planning Visit (APV):

If the project foresees an APV, then the following eligibility criteria must be respected:

  • duration of the APV: maximum 2 days (travel days excluded);
  • number of participants: 1 participant per group7. The number of participants can be raised to 2 under the condition that the second participant is a young person taking part in the activity without having a role as a group leader or trainer.

 

Additional Eligibility criteria for mobility of youth workers

Duration of activity

From 2 days to 2 months, excluding travel time.

The minimum 2 days must be consecutive.

Venue(s) of the activity

The activity must take place in the country of one of the organisations participating in the activity.

Eligible participants

No age limits. Participants, with the exception of trainers and facilitators, must be resident in the country of their sending or receiving organisation.  

Number of participants

Up to 50 participants (including, where relevant, trainers and facilitators) in each activity planned by the project.

Participants from the country of the receiving organisation must be involved in each activity.

Other criteria

In order to maintain a clear link to the country where the National Agency is based, at least one of the sending organisations or the receiving organisation in each activity must be from the country of the National Agency to which the application is submitted
 

Applicant organisations will be assessed against the relevant exclusion and selection criteria. For more information please consult Part C of this Guide.

 

Award criteria

Projects will be assessed against the following criteria:

Relevance of the project

(maximum 30 points)

 
  • The relevance of the proposal to:
    • the objectives of the Action (see section "What are the aims of a mobility project"):
    • the needs and objectives of the participating organisations and of the individual participants.
  • The extent to which the proposal is suitable of:
    • reaching out to young people with fewer opportunities including refugees, asylum seekers and migrants;
    • promoting diversity, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of human rights as well as on projects enhancing media literacy, critical thinking and sense of initiative of young people;
    • equipping youth workers with competences and methods needed for transferring the common fundamental values of our society particularly to the hard to reach young people and preventing violent radicalisation of young people.
  • The extent to which the proposal is suitable of:
    • producing high-quality learning outcomes for participants;
    • reinforcing the capacities and international scope of the participating organisations;
    • leading to quality improvements in the youth work of the participating organisations.
  • The extent to which the proposal involves newcomers to the Action.

Quality of the project design and implementation

(maximum 40 points)

 

 
  • The clarity, completeness and quality of all the phases of the project proposal (preparation, implementation of mobility activities and follow-up);
  • The consistency between project objectives and activities proposed;
  • The quality of the practical arrangements, management and support modalities;
  • The quality of the preparation provided to participants;
  • The quality of the non-formal learning participative methods proposed;
  • The extent to which the young people are actively involved  at all levels of the project;
  • The quality of arrangements for the recognition and validation of participants' learning outcomes, as well as the consistent use of European transparency and recognition tools;
  • The appropriateness of measures for selecting and/or involving participants in the mobility activities;
  • In case of activities with Partner Countries neighbouring the EU, the balanced representation of organisations from Programme and Partner Countries;
  • The quality of cooperation and communication between the participating organisations, as well as with other relevant stakeholders.

Impact and dissemination

(maximum 30 points)

 
  • The quality of measures for evaluating the outcomes of the project.
  • The potential impact of the project:
    • on participants and participating organisations during and after the project lifetime;
    • outside the organisations and individuals directly participating in the project, at local, regional, national and/or European levels.
  • The appropriateness and quality of measures aimed at disseminating the outcomes of the project within and outside the participating organisations.

 

To be considered for funding, proposals must score at least 60 points. Furthermore, they must score at least half of the maximum points in each of the categories of award criteria mentioned above (i.e. minimum 15 points for the categories "relevance of the project" and "impact and dissemination"; 20 points for the category "quality of the project design and implementation").

 

What else should you know about this Action?

Exceptional costs for expensive travel

Applicants of mobility projects will be allowed to claim financial support for travel costs of participants under the budget heading "exceptional costs" (up to a maximum of 80% of total eligible costs: see "What are the funding rules?"), including cases where the participants opt for cleaner, lower carbon emission means of transport (e.g. train), which result in expensive travel costs. This would be allowed provided that applicants can justify that the standard funding rules (based on contribution to unit costs per travel distance band) do not cover at least 70% of the travel costs of participants. If awarded, the exceptional costs for expensive travel replace the standard travel grant.

Other information

More compulsory criteria and additional useful information relating to this Action can be found in Annex I of this Guide. Interested organisations are invited to read carefully the relevant sections of this Annex before applying for financial support.

 

What are the funding rules?

The budget of the mobility project must be drafted according to the following funding rules (in euro):

A) Youth exchanges

Eligible costs

Financing mechanism

Amount

Rule of allocation

Travel

Contribution to the travel costs of participants, including group leaders and accompanying persons, from their place of origin to the venue of the activity and return.

 

In addition, if applicable, travel costs for a possible Advance Planning Visit.

Contribution to unit costs

For travel distances between 10 and 99KM:

20 EUR per participant

Based on the travel distance per participant. Travel distances must be calculated using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission8. The applicant must indicate the distance of a one-way travel to calculate the amount of the EU grant that will support the round trip9.

 

For travel distances between 100 and 499 KM:

180 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 500 and 1999 KM:

275 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 2000 and 2999 KM:

360 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 3000 and 3999 KM:

530 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 4000 and 7999 KM:

820 EUR per participant

For travel distances of 8000 KM or more:

1500 EUR per participant

Organisational Support

Costs directly linked to the implementation of mobility activities (including preparation, monitoring and support of participants during mobility, support for validation of learning outcomes, dissemination activities).

Contribution to unit costs

A5.1 per day of activity per participant10

Based on the duration of the activity per participant (if necessary, including also one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity).

Special needs support

Additional costs directly related to participants with disabilities and accompanying persons (including costs related to travel and subsistence, if justified and as long as a grant for these participants is not requested through budget categories "travel" and "organisational support").

Real costs

100% of eligible costs

Conditional: the request for financial support to cover special needs support and exceptional costs must be motivated in the application form

Exceptional costs

Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications.

Costs to support the participation of young people with fewer opportunities on equal terms as others (excluding costs for travel and organisational support for participants).

Costs connected to board and lodging of participants during an Advance Planning Visit.
Costs for providing a financial guarantee, if the National Agency asks for it.

Expensive travel costs of participants, including the use of cleaner, lower carbon emission means of transport (for details, see section "what else you should know about this action").

Real costs

Costs for financial guarantee: 75% of eligible costs

 

Expensive travel costs: maximum up to 80% of eligible costs

 

Other costs: 100% of eligible costs

 

  

 

B) Mobility of Youth Workers

Eligible costs

Financing mechanism

Amount

Rule of allocation

Travel

Contribution to the travel costs of participants, including trainers, facilitators and accompanying persons, from their place of origin to the venue of the activity and return

 

In addition, if applicable, travel costs for a possible Advance Planning Visit.

Contribution to unit costs

For travel distances between 10 and 99KM:

20 EUR per participant

Based on the travel distance per participant. Travel distances must be calculated using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission11. The applicant must indicate the distance of a one-way travel to calculate the amount of the EU grant that will support the round trip12.

 

For travel distances between 100 and 499 KM:

180 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 500 and 1999 KM:

275 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 2000 and 2999 KM:

360 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 3000 and 3999 KM:

530 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 4000 and 7999 KM:

820 EUR per participant

For travel distances of 8000 KM or more:

1500 EUR per participant

Organisational Support

Costs directly linked to the implementation of mobility activities (including preparation, monitoring and support of participants during mobility, support for validation of learning outcomes, dissemination activities).

Contribution to unit costs

 

A5.2 per day per volunteer13

Maximum 1 100 EUR per participant14

Based on the duration of the stay per participant (if necessary, including also one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity).

Special needs support

Additional costs directly related to participants with disabilities and accompanying persons (including costs related to travel and subsistence, if justified and as long as a grant for these participants is not requested through budget categories "travel" and "organisational support").

Real costs

100% of eligible costs

Conditional: the request for financial support to cover special needs support and exceptional costs must be motivated in the application form

Exceptional costs

Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations.

Costs for providing a financial guarantee, if the National Agency asks for it.

Expensive travel costs of participants, including the use of cleaner, lower carbon emission means of transport (for details, see section "what else you should know about this action").

Costs to support the participation of youth workers with fewer opportunities on equal terms as others (excluding costs for travel and organisational support for participants).

Real costs

 

Costs for financial guarantee: 75% of eligible costs

Expensive travel costs: maximum up to 80% of eligible costs

Other costs: 100% of eligible costs

 

 

 

C) Organisational Support

The amounts depend on the country where the mobility activity takes place. For projects submitted by: a public body at regional or national level; an association of regions; a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation; a profit-making body active in Corporate Social Responsibility, the below amounts are reduced by 50%.

 

 

Youth Exchanges (euro per day)

 

Mobility of youth workers

(euro per day)

 

 

A5.1

A5.2

Belgium

42

65

Bulgaria

32

53

Czech Republic

32

54

Denmark

45

72

Germany

41

58

Estonia

33

56

Ireland

49

74

Greece

38

71

Spain

34

61

France

38

66

Croatia

35

62

Italy

39

66

Cyprus

32

58

Latvia

34

59

Lithuania

34

58

Luxembourg

45

66

Hungary

33

55

Malta

39

65

Netherlands

45

69

Austria

45

61

Poland

34

59

Portugal

37

65

Romania

32

54

Slovenia

34

60

Slovakia

35

60

Finland

45

71

Sweden

45

70

United Kingdom

45

76

North Macedonia

28

45

Iceland

45

71

Liechtenstein

45

74

Norway

50

74

Turkey

32

54
Serbia 29 48

Partner Country

29

48
  • 1. The main budget of these Mobility Projects is allocated to support transnational activities involving organisations and participants from Programme Countries. However, around 25% of the budget available can fund international activities including organisations and participants from Programme and Partner Countries neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4; see section "Eligible countries" in Part A of this Guide).
  • 2. In this context a public body at national or regional level is considered a public body that 1) provides services or has an administrative area of competence that covers the whole national or regional territory and b) has a monopoly, in the sense that there are no other bodies that carry out the same functions in the country or region (typical examples: Ministries, State Agencies, Regional public authorities, etc.). In this sense, schools, universities or other bodies, even if they are established by national law, are excluded from this category and qualify as public bodies at local level.
  • 3. In case of an informal group, one of the members of the group who is at least 18-years old assumes the role of representative and takes responsibility on behalf of the group).
  • 4. See previous note
  • 5. Please consider the following: 
    • lower age limits - participants must have reached the minimum age at the start date of the activity.
    • upper age limits - participants must not be older than the indicated maximum age at the application deadline.
  • 6. A group leader is an adult who joins the young people participating in a Youth Exchange in order to ensure their effective learning, protection and safety.
  • 7. The participant can be a group leader, a trainer or a young person taking part in the activity without having a role as a group leader or trainer.
  • 8. https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/distance-calculator_en
  • 9. For example, if a person from Madrid (Spain) is taking part in an activity taking place in Rome (Italy), the applicant will a) calculate the distance from Madrid to Rome (1365,28 KM); b) select the applicable travel distance band (i.e. between 500 and 1999 KM) and c) calculate the EU grant that will provide a contribution to the costs of travel of the participant from Madrid to Rome and return (275 EUR).
  • 10. Including group leaders and accompanying persons.
  • 11. https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/distance-calculator_en
  • 12. For example, if a person from Madrid (Spain) is taking part in an activity taking place in Rome (Italy), the applicant will a) calculate the distance from Madrid to Rome (1365,28 KM); b) select the applicable travel distance band ( i.e. between 500 and 1999 KM) and c) calculate the EU grant that will provide a contribution to the costs of travel of the participant from Madrid to Rome and return (275 EUR).
  • 13. Including trainers, facilitators and accompanying persons.
  • 14. Including trainers, facilitators and accompanying persons.
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