Council of Europe: European Youth Foundation

Overview

Who can apply

Your NGO has to be based in one of the 50 signatories to the European Cultural Convention (47 CoE member states and Belarus, Holy and Kazakhstan).

The following types of youth NGOs can apply to the EYF:

What they support

Youth sector priorities for 2022-25

In order to obtain the EYF's support, it is essential that your project falls within the Council of Europe's values and work, and the priorities of the youth sector for 2022-25.

Among the five priorities of the youth sector for 2022 - 2025, only the first four concern the grant programmes of the EYF, namely:

Revitalising pluralistic democracy
Young people’s access to rights
Living together in peaceful and inclusive societies
Youth work.

Find out more here

Grant Types

There are four kinds of grants open to different types of organisations. Grants vary in size for each type of grant.

1. International Activity

International activities are international meetings of young people or youth leaders in Europe which contribute to the work of the youth sector of the Council of Europe in topic, methodology and with a clear European dimension.

The maximum grant allocated is €25 000.

2. Annual work plan

An annual workplan is a project that includes a set of successive activities over a period of one year, interconnected and which contribute to the same broader aim. Within the strategic approach or global action plan of an organisation (what the organisation would like to achieve in the year(s) to come), you are asked to identify a coherent set of activities/elements to be submitted to the EYF. It should be in line with what you do and want to achieve, but it should also be in line with the work, priorities and principles of the youth sector of the Council of Europe.

The maximum grant allocated is €60 000.

The EYF deadlines for international activities and annual work plans for the following year are:

1 April (midnight CET)
1 October (midnight CET)

3. Structural grants

These grants are available every 2 years and are only accessible to international youth NGOs and international networks of youth NGOs that have received support for at least 3 international activities during the 3 previous years (EYF grant or study session in the annual programme of the European Youth Centres), that have a European structure and that have received grants from the EYF in the 2 out of the 3 previous years. A structural grant needs to be confirmed after 1 year and is subject to specific eligibility and allocation criteria, which can be consulted in the link below. The grant is based on strategic long-term programme of the organisation.

Allocation criteria for the 2026-2027 Structural Grants

Eligible NGOs may apply by 1 October every two years. The next deadline is 1 October 2025.

Maximum grant: €30 000 per year for 2 years (i.e. a maximum of €60 000 for 2 years) to cover for general administrative costs incurred by youth NGOs.
A list of criteria for eligibility and allocation of Structural Grants is revised and approved by the Programming Committee on Youth ahead of each two-year cycle. Check this at the specific webpage.

4. Pilot Activity

Pilot activity grants refer to projects that

address young people’s needs or challenges at a local level.
contribute to the priorities of the youth sector of the Council of Europe, in particular to the 2025 focus themes
are based on innovation, either in terms of methodology for the target group and/or the organisation and the context, or on replication of good practice
have a clear youth dimension and contribute to youth participation
have a clear local impact
follow the basic principles of youth work, non-formal education and intercultural dialogue
contribute to social cohesion, by combating exclusion and the prevention of phenomena specifically affecting young people
help young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, to find ways of meeting both the challenges facing them and their own aspirations.

Pilot activities are flexible in their format and may utilise a range of approaches, such as youth meetings, capacity building sessions, awareness raising actions, meetings with experts, local workshops, local actions, visits, campaigns, workshops in schools, festivals etc.

The maximum duration of a pilot activity project can be up to one year. The project must start at least 3 months after the deadline.

The following focus themes for pilot activity grants were approved by Joint Council on Youth within the youth sector priorities:

Human rights education with and by young people

This includes the possibility to apply to the EYF for a pilot activity grants for:

initiatives that support the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education and the role of youth NGOs in its implementation
initiatives that support young people’s democratic engagement in the revitalisation of democracy (cfr. Reykjavík Declaration)
initiatives that support climate action and awareness on the right to a healthy environment, following the CM Recommendation (2024)6 on young people and climate action adopted on 23 October 2024.

Peacebuilding, conflict transformation and intercultural dialogue

This includes the possibility to apply to the EYF for a pilot activity grants for:

initiatives that associate young people and their organisations with peacebuilding and intercultural dialogue
initiatives that emerge from flagship activities of the Council of Europe’s youth sector, such as the Youth Peace Camp
initiatives strengthening young people’s agency and capacities to prevent violence, transform conflict and to build a culture of peace and human rights.
Maximum grant: 15 000 euros that cover the direct costs for the project

Recent Grants

For examples of projects supported in the past click here

For answers to FAQ's visit the website

Track grant Notes