10.12.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 333/12

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Call for proposal EAC/57/10 — Youth in Action Programme 2007-2013

2010/C 333/09

Introduction

This call for proposals is based on Decision No 1719/2006/EC (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006, establishing the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007 to 2013, hereinafter referred to as ‘Youth in Action Programme’. The detailed conditions of this call for proposals can be found in the Programme Guide for the Youth in Action Programme (2007-2013) published on the Europa website (see point VIII). The Programme Guide constitutes an integral part of this call for proposals.

I.   Objectives and priorities

The general objectives stated in the Decision establishing the Youth in Action Programme are the following:

—	promote young people’s active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular,

—	develop solidarity and promote tolerance among young people, in particular in order to foster social cohesion in the European Union,

—	foster mutual understanding between young people in different countries,

—	contribute to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organisations in the youth field,

—	promote European cooperation in the youth field.

These general objectives shall be implemented at project level taking into consideration the following permanent priorities:

—	European citizenship,

—	participation of young people,

—	cultural diversity,

—	inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

In addition to the abovementioned permanent priorities, annual priorities may be fixed for the Youth in Action Programme and communicated on the Commission, Executive Agency and National Agencies’ websites.

For 2011, the annual priorities are the following:

—	European Year of Volunteering This priority is intended to encourage projects aimed at raising awareness of the value and importance of volunteering as a form of active engagement and as a tool to develop or improve competences for personal, social and professional development.

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Youth unemployment This priority is intended to encourage projects promoting the access of unemployed young people to the Youth in Action Programme. Priority will also be assigned to projects tackling the issues of youth unemployment and/or aimed at stimulating unemployed young people's mobility and active participation in society.

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Inclusive growth This priority is intended to encourage projects addressing the issue of poverty and marginalisation and encouraging young people's awareness and commitment to tackling these issues for a more inclusive society. In this context, special emphasis shall be placed in particular on the inclusion of young migrants, disabled young people, and where relevant Roma youth.

—

Global environmental challenges and climate change This priority is intended to encourage projects aimed at raising young people's awareness and mobilization around global environmental challenges and climate change as means to encourage the development of ‘green’ skills and behaviors among young people and youth workers and their commitment to a more sustainable growth.

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Creativity and entrepreneurship This priority is intended to encourage projects — especially youth initiatives — aimed at stimulating young people's spirit of initiative, their ability to think imaginatively and originally, their readiness to take risk and their ingenuity in order to achieve economic, politic, social or environmental goals.

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EU-China Year of Youth (only for Action 2 and sub-Action 3.2) Additionally, within the Actions open to cooperation with other Partner Countries of the World, special attention will be devoted to projects aimed at encouraging dialogue, cooperation and exchanges in the field of youth between the European Union and China as a mean to contribute to the EU-China Year of Youth 2011.

II.   Structure of the Youth in Action Programme

In order to achieve its objectives, the Youth in Action Programme foresees five operational Actions.

This call for proposal concerns the support to the following Actions and sub-Actions listed below:

Action 1 —     Youth for Europe

—   Sub-Action 1.1 — Youth Exchanges (lasting up to 15 months): Youth Exchanges offer an opportunity for groups of young people from different countries to meet and learn about each other’s cultures. The groups plan together their Youth Exchange around a theme of mutual interest.

—   Sub-Action 1.2 — Youth Initiatives (lasting from 3 to 18 months): Youth Initiatives support group projects designed at local, regional and national level. They also support the networking of similar projects between different countries, in order to strengthen their European aspect and to enhance cooperation and exchanges of experiences between young people.

—   Sub-Action 1.3 — Youth Democracy Projects (lasting from 3 to 18 months): Youth Democracy Projects support young people’s participation in the democratic life of their local, regional or national community, and at international level.

Action 2 —     European Voluntary Service

The Action supports young people's participation in various forms of voluntary activities, both within and outside the European Union. Under this Action, young people take part individually or in groups in non-profit, unpaid voluntary activities abroad (lasting up to 24 months).

Action 3 —     Youth in the World

—   Sub-Action 3.1 — Cooperation with the Neighbouring Countries of the European Union (lasting up to 15 months): this sub-Action supports projects with Neighbouring Partner Countries, namely Youth Exchanges and Training and Networking Projects in the youth field.

Action 4 —     Youth Support Systems

—   Sub-Action 4.3 — Training and networking of those active in youth work and youth organisations (lasting from 3 to 18 months): this sub-Action supports in particular the exchange of experiences, expertise and good practice as well as activities which may lead to long-lasting quality projects, partnerships and networks.

Action 5 —     Support for European cooperation in the youth field

—   Sub-Action 5.1 — Meetings of young people and those responsible for youth policy (lasting from 3 to 9 months): this sub-Action supports cooperation, seminars and structured dialogue between young people, those active in youth work and those responsible for youth policy.

III.   Eligible applicants

Applications shall be submitted by:

—	non-profit or non-governmental organisations,

—	local, regional public bodies,

—	informal groups of young people,

—	bodies active at European level in the youth field,

—	international non-profit organisations,

—	profit-making organisations organising an event in the area of youth, sport or culture.

Applicants have to be legally established in one of the Programme or in Neighbouring Partner Countries in the Western Balkans.

Some Actions of the Programme are however targeting a more limited range of promoters. The eligibility of applicant promoters is therefore defined in the Programme Guide specifically for each Action/sub-Action.

IV.   Eligible countries

The Programme is open to the following countries:

(a)	the EU Member States;

(b)	the EFTA States that are party to the EEA Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of that Agreement (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway);

(c)	the candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, pursuant to the general principles and the general conditions and arrangements laid down in the framework agreements concluded with these countries for their participation in Community programmes (Turkey and Croatia);

(d)	Switzerland;

(e)	third countries that have signed agreements with the Community relevant to the youth field.

Some Actions of the Programme are however targeting a more limited range of countries. The eligibility of countries is therefore defined in the Programme Guide specifically for each Action/sub-Action.

V.   Award criteria

(i)	sub-Actions 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 4.3 and Action 2: — the relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (30 %), — the quality of the project and methods proposed (50 %), — the profile of participants and promoters (20 %);

(ii)	sub-Actions 1.3: — the relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (30 %), — the quality of the thematic concept (20 %), — the quality of the project and methods proposed (30 %), — the profile and number of participants and promoters (20 %);

(iii)

sub-Action 5.1: — the relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (20 %), — the relevance to EU youth policy objectives (20 %), — the quality of the project and methods proposed (40 %), — the profile and number of participants and promoters (20 %);

VI.   Budget and duration

The Programme has an overall budget of EUR 885 million for the period 2007-2013. The annual budget is subject to a decision of the budgetary authorities.

Foreseen budget 2011 for the following Actions and sub-Actions

Sub-Action 1.1	Youth Exchanges	29 096 043
Sub-Action 1.2	Youth Initiatives	10 699 642
Sub-Action 1.3	Youth Democracy Projects	6 879 973
Action 2	European Voluntary Service	46 515 775
Sub-Action 3.1	Cooperation with the Neighbouring Countries of the European Union	7 926 040
Sub-Action 4.3	Training and networking of those active in youth work and youth organisations	15 710 392
Sub-Action 5.1	Meetings of young people and those responsible for youth policy	5 796 218

VII.   Deadlines for applications

The application must be submitted for the deadline corresponding to the start date of the project. For projects submitted to a National Agency there are five application deadlines per year:

Projects starting between	Application deadline
1 May and 30 September	1 February
1 July and 30 November	1 April
1 September and 31 January	1 June
1 December and 30 April	1 September
1 February and 31 July	1 November

For projects submitted to the Executive Agency there are three application deadlines a year:

Projects starting between	Application deadline
1 August and 31 December	1 February
1 December and 30 April	1 June
1 March and 31 July	1 September

VIII.   Further information

Further information may be found in the Youth in Action Programme Guide on the following websites:

http://ec.europa.eu/youth

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm

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(1)  OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 30.

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