European Solidarity Corps (ESC)

Summary

The European Solidarity Corps brings together young people to build a more inclusive society, supporting vulnerable people and responding to societal and humanitarian challenges. It offers an inspiring and empowering experience for young people who want to help, learn and develop and provides a single entry point for such solidarity activities throughout the Union and beyond.

Programme Description

The Programme opens up more and better opportunities covering a broad range of areas, such as integration of migrants, environmental challenges, prevention of natural disasters, education and youth activities, preservation of cultural heritage, humanitarian aid. It also supports national and local actors, in their efforts to cope with different societal challenges and crises. 

By extending its scope to cover volunteering activities in support of humanitarian aid operations, the European Solidarity Corps provides needs-based emergency aid and helps to deliver assistance, relief and protection where most needed. It thus helps addressing not only unmet societal needs in Europe but also humanitarian challenges in third countries.
The activities of the European Solidarity Corps support the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy for 2019-20273 which encourages young people to become active citizens, agents of solidarity and positive change for communities across Europe, inspired by EU values and a European identity.

Total Budget

€ 1 009 billion (page 13 of the call document)

Thematic Categories

  • Social Affairs & Human Rights
  • Youth

Eligibility for Participation

  • Central Government
  • International Organisations
  • NGOs
  • Non Profit Organisations
  • Private Bodies
  • State-owned Enterprises

Call Opening Date

01/01/2021

Call Closing Date

31/12/2027

National Contact Point(s)

Foundation for the Management of European (EU) Lifelong Learning Programmes

Website: Erasmus+ – IDEP
Website with Contact details: Εpikoinonia – Erasmus+ – IDEP
Address: Prodromou & Dimitrakopoulou 2, Nicosia 1090, Cyprus
Τelephone: +357 22448888
Email: info@idep.org.cy

EU Contact Point

European Commission – Directorate General Education & Culture (DG EAC)

https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en

European Commission – Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/european-solidarity-corps_en

National Agencies

https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/organisations/contact-national-agencies_en

Programme/Sub-programme/Plan Calls
  • Volunteering in support of humanitarian aid operations

    Opened

    Code: 32235 | Identifier Code: ESC-HUMAID-2024-VOLUN | Programme name: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) | Start submission calls: 07/12/2023 | End submission calls: 16/04/2024

    The projects funded under Humanitarian Aid volunteering should:

    • where relevant, facilitate the transition from the humanitarian response to long-term sustainable and inclusive development;
    • contribute to strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities;
    • reinforce disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction;
    • link relief, rehabilitation and development;
    • ensure a high level of safety and security for volunteers.

  • Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas Health (VTHPA)

    Closed

    Code: 32024 | Identifier Code: ESC-SOLID-2024-VTHPA | Programme name: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) | Start submission calls: 07/12/2023 | End submission calls: 08/02/2024

    Activities by Volunteering Teams in High-priority Areas will aim to:

    • address clearly defined unmet societal challenges in the area of “relief for persons fleeing armed conflicts and other victims of natural or man-made disasters” and/ or “fostering positive learning experiences and outcomes for young people with fewer opportunities”; promote solidarity across the participating countries; enable the young people to gain skills and competences which are useful for their personal, educational, social and professional development;
    • provide tangible benefits to the communities within which the activities are carried out;
    • ensure a direct contact between the participant and the beneficiaries of the solidarity-related activities, to enable the participant to gain skills that are useful for their educational and social development;
    • reach out to young people with fewer opportunities, including refugees, asylum seekers and migrants;
    • promote diversity, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue – and the EU values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities – as well as projects enhancing media literacy, critical thinking and a sense of initiative among young people;
    • reinforce the capacities and international scope of the participating organisations;
    • raise young volunteers’ awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries, offering them the opportunity to build networks of international contacts, to actively participate in society and to develop a sense of European citizenship and identity.

  • Quality Label Humanitarian Aid - Full Procedure

    Opened

    Code: 31780 | Identifier Code: ESC-HUMAID-2021-QUAL-LABEL-FP | Programme name: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) | Start submission calls: 10/06/2021 | End submission calls: 22/09/2026

    The Quality Label for Humanitarian Aid Volunteering certifies that an organisation is able to carry out high quality solidarity activities in compliance with the principles, objectives and requirements of the action ‘European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps’. Obtaining this Quality Label is a precondition for participation only in volunteering activities in support of humanitarian aid operations.

  • Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas (VTHPA)

    Closed

    Code: 25552 | Identifier Code: ESC-SOLID-2023-VTHPA | Programme name: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) | Start submission calls: 29/11/2022 | End submission calls: 08/02/2023

    Volunteering Teams in high priority areas are large scale, high impact projects supporting voluntary activities carried out by young people from at least two different countries coming together to express solidarity by implementing short-term interventions that address common European challenges in policy areas defined each year at EU level.

  • Humanitarian Aid Volunteering

    Closed

    Code: 25550 | Identifier Code: ESC-HUMAID-2023-VOLUN | Programme name: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) | Start submission calls: 29/11/2022 | End submission calls: 03/05/2023

    The projects funded under Humanitarian Aid volunteering should:

    • (where relevant) facilitate the transition from the humanitarian response to long-term sustainable and inclusive development
    • contribute to strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities
    • reinforce disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction
    • link relief, rehabilitation and development
    • ensure a high level of safety and security for volunteers.

  • Volunteering in support of humanitarian aid operations

    Closed

    Code: 17408 | Identifier Code: ESC-HUMAID-2022-VOLUN | Programme name: European Solidarity Corps (ESC) | Start submission calls: 01/12/2021 | End submission calls: 03/05/2022

    The projects funded under Humanitarian Aid volunteering should:

    •  where relevant, facilitate the transition from the humanitarian response to long-term sustainable and inclusive development
    • contribute to strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities;
    • reinforce disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction;
    • link relief, rehabilitation and development;
    • ensure a high level of safety and security for volunteers.