Call for proposals - EACEA/09/11: Youth in Action Programme: Action 3.2 - Youth in the world: Cooperation with countries other than the neighbouring countries of the European Union

The purpose of this call for proposals is to support projects which promote cooperation in the youth sector between Youth in Action Programme Countries and Partner Countries other than those which are neighbours of the European Union (countries which have signed with the European Union an agreement relevant to the youth field). This call provides grants to such projects.

Its objectives are as follows:
- To improve the mobility of young people and youth workers;
- To promote youth empowerment and active participation;
- To foster capacity-building for youth organisations and structures in order to contribute to civil society development;
- To promote cooperation and the exchange of experience and good practice in the field of youth and non-formal education;
- To contribute to the development of youth policies, youth work and the voluntary sector; and
- To develop sustainable partnerships and networks between youth organisations.

Preference will be given to those projects which best reflect the following priorities:

Permanent priorities of the Youth in Action Programme:
- Participation of young people;
- Cultural diversity;
- European citizenship;
- Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

Annual priorities of the Youth in Action Programme:
In the context of the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth, particular attention will be given to projects aiming at promoting dialogue, exchange and cooperation in the field of youth between the EU and China. These projects shall clearly contribute to the objectives of the EU-China Year of Youth as specified in the Joint Action Plan for the Year, which was adopted on 6 October 2010, namely:
- To promote intercultural dialogue and strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between European and Chinese youth;
- To encourage young people to care about and support the development of EU-China relations;
- To achieve extensive and positive impact in Europe and China and help ensure that cooperation between policy makers as well as between youth organizations is sustainable beyond 2011.

Additionally, the other annual priorities of the call include:
- European Year of Volunteering;
- Inclusive growth, and notably youth unemployment;
- Fight against poverty and marginalisation;
- Global environmental challenges and climate change.

Proposals must be submitted by non-profit organisations. These organisations can be:
- Non-governmental organisations (NGOs);
- Public bodies at regional or local level; or
- National Youth Councils.

The same applies to the partner organisations.

At the deadline for submitting their proposals, applicants must have been legally registered for at least two years in one of the Programme Countries: the 27 EU Member States, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Croatia, Turkey.

Bodies established in the following countries may participate as partners but may not submit proposals under this call. Countries which are parties to agreements with the European Union regarding the youth field are deemed to be Partner Countries. These are:
- Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela;
- Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Guinea, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe;
- Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sainte-Lucia, Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago;
- Pacific: the Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu;
- Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen;
- Industrialised countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, United States of America.

Projects must involve partners from at least four different countries (including the applicant organisation), including at least two Programme Countries, of which at least one is a Member State of the European Union, and two Partner Countries.

In relation with the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth, an exception is granted to projects involving China as a Partner Country. In those cases, projects may involve one single Partner Country (China) and one or more Programme Countries of which at least one must be a Member State of the European Union.

The project must include activities of a non-profit-making nature that are related to the field of youth and non-formal education. Activities supported under this call may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Large-scale youth events, seminars, conferences;
- Activities encouraging the development of partnerships and networks;
- Activities encouraging the policy dialogue in the field of youth;
- Information and awareness campaigns in favour of and by young people;
- Training and capacity-building of youth workers, youth organisations and multipliers;
- Job-shadowing and long-term mobility for youth workers.

Projects must start between 1 September 2011 and 31 December 2011, with a minimum duration of six months and a maximum duration of 12 months.

Applicants must submit a budget that is balanced in terms of expenditure and revenue and must comply with the ceiling for Community co-financing, which is set at 80% of the total eligible expenses of the project, and with the maximum grant set at €100,000. The total budget allocated to the co-financing of projects under this call for proposals is estimated at €3 million. Financial assistance will not be exceed 80% of a project’s total eligible expenses and the maximum grant will not exceed €100,000.

The deadline for submission of applications is 6 May 2011

Further information can be found on the EACEA website.

Reference: 2011/C 71/06

(Added 2011-03-05)