Call: European Youth Together

Key Action 3 provides support to policy cooperation at European Union level, thereby contributing to the development of new policies, which can trigger modernisation and reforms, at European Union, and systems' level, in the fields of education, training youth and sport.

The Actions implemented through this Key Action are aimed to:

• prepare and support the implementation of the EU policy agenda on education, training, youth and sport by facilitating the governance and functioning of the Open Methods of Coordination;
• carry out European policy experimentations, led by high-level public authorities and involving field trials on policy measures in several countries, based on sound evaluation methods;
• gather evidence and knowledge about education, training, youth and sport systems and policies at national and European level, with a view to facilitate reasoned policy-making;
• facilitate transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications, as well as the transfer of credits, to foster quality assurance, support validation of non-formal and informal learning, skills management and guidance;
• foster policy dialogue with stakeholders within and outside the European Union, through conferences, events and other activities involving policy makers, practitioners and other stakeholders in the fields of education, training, youth and sport, to raise awareness about the relevant European policy agendas and to promote Europe as an excellent study and research destination;
• improve the implementation of the programme in qualitative terms by facilitating knowledge and practice transfer among National Agencies, equipping National Agencies and Commission with "think-tank" resources that allow for elaboration of activities and strategies to implement the programme in stronger connection with policy developments, providing instruments for better exploiting the potential of synergies and complementarities;
• provide opportunities for people at any stage of their life with a learning experience abroad within their field of expertise, such as public governance, agriculture and rural development, new technologies, enterprise etc.;
• allow Erasmus+ implementing bodies to act as facilitators to the scaling-up of Erasmus+ projects to apply for grants or develop synergies through the support of the European Structural and Investment Funds managed at national and regional level, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and the programmes relating to migration, security, justice and citizenship, health and culture;
• support events, campaigns and other activities which will inform citizens and organisations about the Erasmus+ programme and European Union policies in the fields of education, training, youth and sport;
• contribute to identifying and disseminating good practices as well as success stories from the supported projects in order to give them more visibility and scale them up at local, national and European levels.

Key Action 3 covers many other Actions in support of policy reform in the education, training and youth fields that are implemented directly by the European Commission or through specific calls for proposals managed by the Education Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency. These actions are grouped in the following sections:

• Support to European policy development;
• Support to union tools and measures that foster the quality, transparency and recognition of skills, competences and qualifications
• Policy dialogue and cooperation with key stakeholders and international organisations
• Measures that contribute to the qualitative and inclusive implementation of the programme
• Cooperation with other union instruments and support to other union policies
• Dissemination and awareness-raising activities

The Actions implemented through Key Action 3 are intended to produce the main following results:

• improved quality, equity and inclusiveness education and training systems as well as youth and sport policies;
• higher degree of transnational cooperation and mutual learning between competent authorities and policy makers in the fields of education, training, youth and sport;
• increased knowledge and analytical capacity to support evidence-based policies in the fields of education, training, youth and sport;
• availability of sound comparative international data and appropriate secondary analyses for European and national policy making;
• improved tools for assessment, transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning;
• good functioning of European networks in charge of guidance and implementing tools that foster the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning;
• active involvement of civil society networks and non-governmental organisations in policy implementation;
• increased participation of young people and youth stakeholders in the EU Youth Dialogue;
• increased levels of participation of individuals in sport and physical activity;
• higher degree of exchanges of good practices, dialogue, mutual learning and cooperation among policy makers, practitioners and stakeholders from EU Member States, third countries associated to the programme and third countries not associated to the programme;
• increased public awareness about European policies in the fields of education, training, youth and sport as well as increased awareness about the results of the Erasmus+ Programme;
• greater synergies with other EU Programmes, such as the Cohesion Policy Funds, Horizon Europe, as well as with funding schemes at national or regional level.

European Youth Together action targets youth organisations at grass-root level which want to establish partnerships across borders, i.e. which aim at adding a European dimension to their activities and at linking these activities to EU youth policies, most notably the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027. The purpose is to encourage new applications from organisations not well established yet at European level. To this end, the action primarily consists in supporting activities aiming at connecting EU level youth organisations and grassroots NGOs operating at local levels (rural, cities, regions, countries) that will benefit from developing cross-border activities.

The overall structure of the action takes into account the growing size of the youth sector, the changing trends in youth participation and the need for more sustained and stable funding support in the youth domain. It also takes into account the need to better cover the great diversity of youth organisations across Europe and to respond to the identified needs for both grassroots activities and large co-operation projects within Europe.

Objectives of the action

European Youth Together projects aim to create networks promoting cross-border partnerships that will run in close cooperation with young people from across Europe (Erasmus+ programme countries). These networks will organise cooperation, exchanges, promote trainings (for instance for youth leaders) and allow young people themselves to set up joint projects through physical and/or online activities.

Contributing to and promoting the EU Youth Goals as well as the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 constitute important thematic priorities for the action. The European Youth Goals are also reflected in the President von der Leyen Commission’s political guidelines. The ongoing 18 months’ cycle of the Youth Dialogue and its priorities is equally a basis for this European Youth Together action.

Finally, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, responses are required to mitigate its socio-economic impact on youth, including capacity building and specific measures to deal with Covid-19 crisis recovery in the youth sector. When doing so, youth networks should consider ways of forging solidarity and inclusiveness, which concur with challenges related to digital skills and green lifestyles.

The following organisations can be involved as co-ordinator:

• NGOs (including European Youth NGOs and national Youth Councils) working in the field of Youth;
• Public authorities at local, regional or national level

The organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project and must be legally established and located in an Erasmus+ Programme country.

Any organisation, public or private, with its affiliated entities (if any), working with or for young people outside formal settings established in an Erasmus+ Programme or Partner country.

Such organisations can, for example, be:

• a non-profit organisation, association, NGO (including European Youth NGOs);
• a national Youth Council;
• a public authority at local, regional or national level;
• an education or research institution;
• a foundation;

Public or private companies (small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises) may be included. Therefore, whereas this action is primarily targeting non-for-profit organisations, for-profit organisations can be involved if a clear added value is demonstrated for the project.

Minimum of 4 partners from at least 4 Erasmus+ Programme Countries.

At least half of the organisations in the consortia should not have been recipients of EU funds from the Erasmus+ Programme in Key Actions 3 – European Youth Together projects in the previous 2 years.

European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) - https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/index_en

Since 2006, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency has been a catalyst for projects in education, training, youth, sport, audiovisual, culture, citizenship and humanitarian aid. On behalf of the European Commission, EACEA strives to foster innovation in these areas, always in a spirit of cross-border cooperation and mutual respect.

EACEA are project managers, facilitators of knowledge exchange, and supporters of European projects that connect people and cultures.

National Agencies

To bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to the participants and make sure it works well across different countries, the EU works with National Agencies to manage the programme.

The National Agencies are based in Programme Countries and their role involves

• providing information on Erasmus+
• selecting projects to be funded
• monitoring and evaluating Erasmus+
• supporting applicants and participants
• working with other National Agencies and the EU
• promoting Erasmus+
• sharing success stories and best practices

The list of National Agencies can be found here. Countries not in the list of Programme countries may alternately have a National Erasmus+ Office.

National Erasmus+ Offices

National Erasmus+ Offices (NEOs) assist the European Commission and local authorities in the implementation of Erasmus+ in certain Partner Countries.

These countries are located in the Western Balkans, the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean and Central Asia. Russia also has a National Office.

Providing information on Erasmus+, monitoring and evaluating funded projects, assisting applicants and participants, supporting policy dialogue and maintaining contact with local authorities and EU Delegations are among the responsibilities of the NEOs.