ESC30 Solidarity Projects: the application, step by step

What it is

A Solidarity Project is a non-profit solidarity activity initiated, developed and implemented by a group of at least 5 young people for 2 to 12 months, to bring positive change in their local community. The European Solidarity Corps is a separate EU programme from Erasmus+, with its own Guide; applications go to the National Agency. The grant is built from unit costs, and the application is assessed against three scored criteria.

Who can apply

The group that will implement the project, with one of its members as the legal representative who submits the application — or any public or private body legally established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme, applying on behalf of the group.

The group

A group of at least 5 young people aged 18 to 30, legally residing in one and the same EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme and registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. There is no maximum number of members. The project should take place in the country of the applicant.

Duration

2 to 12 months.

Funding

Unit costs: €630 per month of project management, based on the duration of the project, and — if the request is motivated in the application — a coach, paid per day of work at the rate for the applicant's country, for at most 12 days. Exceptional costs to support the participation of people with fewer opportunities are covered at 100% of eligible costs, at most €7,000 per project for people who are a target group of the project.

Deadlines

Deadlines are set in each year's call. Check the current deadline with your National Agency.

How it is scored

To be considered for funding a proposal must score at least 60 points out of 100. It must also score at least half of the maximum points in each criterion, which is the minimum column above.

An application scoring 70 overall but 9 on quality of project management is rejected. Clearing the overall threshold is not enough on its own — one criterion below its minimum ends the application, however strong the rest is.

In ex aequo cases, priority will be given to highest scores for "Relevance, rationale and impact" and then “Quality of project management” and then “Quality of project design”.

The form structure

The official sections, in the order the form presents them.

1. 1.Context
2. 2.Participating organisations
3. 3.About your project
4. 4.About the coach
5. 5.About your project budget
6. 6.Project summary
7. 7.About your group
8. 8.Annexes
9. 9.Application conditions

How you write it in AvenEU

• ✦The form itself, with the real sections — you write inside the structure the assessors will read, not a blank document.
• ✦EUri analyses each section against the Guide's three criteria for Solidarity Projects, using the correct maximum and the minimum each must reach.
• ✦A unit-cost budget on the Guide's rates: project management for the project's duration, coaching days, and exceptional costs.
• ✦Export in the structure of the official form, section by section, for transfer into the submission system.