Capacity Building in the field of Youth in Neighborhood East

TOPIC ID: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-NE

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme:

Call: Capacity Building in the field of Youth (ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB)

Type of action: ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants

Type of MGA: ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant [ERASMUS-AG-LS]

Status: Forthcoming

Deadline model: single-stage

Planned Opening Date: 04 December 2025

Deadline dates: 26 February 2026 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

The expected impact focuses on improving the capacity of youth organisations, particularly in eligible third countries not associated to the Programme in Region 2 (Eastern Partnership) to:

• contribute to the ‘Engage-Connect-Empower’ priorities of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, the European Youth Work Agenda and the Youth Action Plan in EU external action (2022-2027)433 .
• building on outcomes of the European Youth Goals, the Youth Dialogue and other youth projects
• improve the involvement of young people in democratic life, in terms of active citizenship and engagement with decision-makers (empowerment, new skills, involvement of young people in project design, etc.;
• improve the entrepreneurial and innovative capacities of young people;
• work transnationally while ensuring inclusiveness, solidarity and sustainability;
• promote and contribute to transnational learning and cooperation between young people and decision makers;
• upscale existing practices and outreach beyond the partnership, including making good use of digital means to stay connected under all circumstances even in situations of remoteness, isolation or confinement;
• link their results to local communities, creating job opportunities and nurturing innovative ideas that could be replicated and scaled up;
• demonstrate inclusion and accessibility of target groups with fewer opportunities and individuals.
• develop new tools and non-formal learning methods, especially those promoting the acquisition/improvement of competences, including media literacy skills innovative practices, in particular in the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme;
• disseminate their results in an effective and attractive way among young people involved in youth organisations;

Capacity-building in the field of youth projects are international cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships between organisations active in the field of youth in the EU and countries associated to the Programme, on the one hand, and in third countries not associated to the Programme, on the other hand. For the latter, this topic targets exclusively countries in Region 2 (Eastern Partnership). The action targets organisations active in the field of youth and aims at:

• raising the capacities of organisations working with young people outside formal learning;

• promoting non-formal learning activities in the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme, especially in organisations that target young people with fewer opportunities and foster the participation of young people in all their diversity, with a view to improving their level of competences and opportunities to act, thus enabling them to ensure the active participation of young people in society;

• supporting the development of youth work in the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme, improving its quality and recognition;

• fostering the development, testing and launching of schemes and programmes allowing organisations to enhance non-formal learning mobility in the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme;

• supporting organisations in the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme to contribute to the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy (2019-2027) including the 11 European Youth Goals; the European Youth Work Agenda; the Youth Action Plan in the EU External Action (2022-2027), and to the follow-up of the European Year of Skills launched in 2023;

• fostering cooperation through joint initiatives between youth organisations in, on the one hand, EU Member States and third countries associated to the programme and, on the other hand, third countries not associated to the programme in the different regions of the world eligible for this action;

• fostering participation of smaller organisations, as well as organisations from remote areas and smaller localities • enhancing synergies and complementarities of youth organisations working with young people outside formal learning with formal education systems and/or the labour market.

Start submission

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Get support

Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.

For help related to this call, please contact [email protected].

Please note that the deadline for addressing queries related to the Capacity building in the field of Youth Call for proposals is 19 February 2026 (eob).

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