Partnership for Cooperation in the field of Youth - European NGOs

Call Updates

Dec 16, 2021 5:47:05 PM

Published : 20/04/2021

Deadline : 15/06/2021

Available budget : EUR 5.000.000, 00

The results of the evaluation are as follows :

               Number of proposals submitted : 18

               Number of inadmissible proposals : 0

               Number of withdrawn proposals : 1

 Number of ineligible proposals : 7

               Number of above threshold proposals : 10

               Total budget requested for the above threshold proposals : EUR 3.570.000, 00

 We informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals on 29/11/2021.

 For questions, please contact : EACEA-YOUTH@ec.europa.eu

Jun 25, 2021 3:24:26 PM 

Call  ERASMUS-YOUTH-2021-PCOOP-ENGO has closed on the 15 June 2021.

18 proposals have been submitted.

Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in November 2021.

May 6, 2021 5:54:20 PM

The submission session is now available for: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2021-PCOOP-ENGO(ERASMUS-LS)

May 4, 2021 11:45:17 AM

Due to technical issues, the submission deadlines for Cooperation partnerships submitted by European NGOs in the field of youth (Call ID: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2021-PCOOP-ENGO) managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) has been postponed to 15 June, 17.00 Brussels time

Partnership for Cooperation in the field of Youth - European NGOs

TOPIC ID: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2021-PCOOP-ENGO

Programme: Erasmus+ Programme (ERASMUS)
Work programme part: ERASMUS-2021
Call: Partnership for Cooperation in the field of Youth - European NGOs (ERASMUS-YOUTH-2021-PCOOP-ENGO)
Work programme year: ERASMUS-2021
Type of action: ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants
Type of MGA: ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant [ERASMUS-AG-LS]
Deadline model: single-stage
Opening date: 20 April 2021
Deadline date: 20 May 2021 17:00:00 Brussels time

Topic description

Scope:

The primary goal of Cooperation Partnerships is to allow organisations to increase the quality and relevance of their activities, to develop and reinforce their networks of partners, to increase their capacity to operate jointly at transnational level, boosting internationalisation of their activities and through exchanging or developing new practices and methods as well as sharing and confronting ideas. They aim to support the development, transfer and/or implementation of innovative practices as well as the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at European level. Results should be re-usable, transferable, up-scalable and, if possible, have a strong transdisciplinary dimension. Selected projects will be expected to share the results of their activities at local, regional, national level and transnational level. Cooperation Partnerships are anchored to the priorities and policy frameworks of each Erasmus+ sector, both at European and national level, while aiming at producing incentives for cross-sectoral and horizontal cooperation in thematic areas.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION

Cooperation Partnerships aim at:

Increasing quality in the work, activities and practices of organisations and institutions involved, opening up to new actors, not naturally included within one sector;
Building capacity of organisations to work transnationally and across sectors;
Addressing common needs and priorities in the fields of education, training, youth and sport;
Enabling transformation and change (at individual, organisational or sectoral level), leading to improvements and new approaches, in proportion to the context of each organisation;

SECTOR SPECIFIC PRIORITIES

In the field of youth, priority will be given to actions that contribute to the core areas of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027: engage, connect and empower young people. A particular focus will be on strengthening cross-sectorial cooperation that allows for greater synergies across different areas of actions that matter for young people, promoting youth participation in various scales and formats and supporting active citizenship of young people, notably youth at risk of social exclusion.
Specific priorities for the youth field include:

Promoting active citizenship, young people’s sense of initiative and youth entrepreneurship including social entrepreneurship: The priority aims to foster active citizenship among young people, notably through volunteering and acts of solidarity, and thereby strengthen young people's sense of initiative, particularly in the social field, and support their communities. Projects under this priority could also promote entrepreneurship, creative learning and social entrepreneurship among youth. Intercultural dialogue, knowledge and recognition of diversity and promotion of tolerance are key to this priority.
Increasing quality, innovation and recognition of youth work: The priority aims to promote the recognition and validation of youth work and informal and non-formal learning on all levels, and support quality development and innovation in youth work. This includes capacity-building of youth workers in their online and offline practices, as well as support to the development and sharing of methods to reach marginalised young people, prevent racism and intolerance among youth, and the risks, opportunities and implications of digitalisation.
Strengthening the employability of young people: The priority aims to strengthen young people’s key competences and basic skills. The youth sector plays an important role in easing the transition of young people from youth to adulthood, including supporting their integration into the labour market. Activities focusing on the inclusion and employability of young people with fewer opportunities (including NEETs), with particular emphasis on young people at risk of marginalisation and those with a migrant background, are at the core of this priority.
Reinforcing links between policy, research and practice: This priority addresses the need for stronger links between policy, research and practice in the youth field to provide improved evidence of needs and facilitate policy making. Activities to promote better knowledge about the situation of young people and youth policies in Europe and beyond will be of importance to this priority.

WHICH ARE THE CRITERIA TO BE MET TO APPLY FOR A COOPERATION PARTNERSHIP?

In order to be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant, project proposals for Cooperation Partnerships must comply with the following criteria:

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Who can apply?

Any participating organisation established in a Programme Country can be the applicant. This organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project.
Which types of organisations are eligible to participate in the project?
Any public or private organisation, established in a Programme Country or in any Partner Country of the world (see section “Eligible Countries” in Part A of the Guide) can participate in a Cooperation Partnership. Organisations established in Programme Countries can either participate as the coordinator of the project or as a partner organisation. Organisations in Partner Countries cannot participate as project coordinators.

Irrespective of the field impacted by the project, Cooperation Partnerships are open to any type of organisation active in any field of education, training, youth, sport or other socio-economic sectors as well as to organisations carrying out activities that are transversal to different fields (e.g. local, regional and national authorities, recognition and validation centres, chambers of commerce, trade organisations, guidance centres, cultural and sport organisations).

Depending on the priority and the objectives addressed by the project, Cooperation Partnerships should involve the most appropriate and diverse range of partners in order to benefit from their different experiences, profiles and specific expertise and to produce relevant and high quality project results.
Participation of associated partner organisations
In addition to the organisations formally participating in the project (the coordinator and partner organisations), Cooperation Partnerships may also involve other partners from the public or private sector that contribute to the implementation of specific project tasks/activities or support the promotion and sustainability of the project.

Within an Erasmus+ project, these partners will be called “associated partners”. For eligibility and contractual management aspects they are not considered to be project partners, and they do not receive any funding from the Programme as part of the project. However, in order to understand their role within the partnership and have a global picture about the proposal, their involvement in the project and in the different activities needs to be clearly described in the project proposal.
Number and profile of participating organisations
A Cooperation Partnership is a transnational project and involves minimum three organisations from three different Programme Countries.

There is no maximum number of participating organisations in one partnership.

All participating organisations must be identified at the time of applying for a grant.

As a general rule, Cooperation Partnerships target the cooperation between organisations established in Programme Countries. However, organisations from Partner Countries can be involved as partners (not as applicants), if their participation brings an essential added value to the project.
Priorities addressed
To be considered for funding, Cooperation Partnerships in the field of Youth submitted by European NGOs must address either:

at least one horizontal priority
and/or

at least one specific priority relevant to the field of youth that is mostly impacted.
Venue of the activities
All the activities of a Cooperation Partnership must take place in the countries of the organisations participating in the project, either as full or as associated partners.

In addition, if duly justified in relation to the objectives or implementation of the project:

Activities can also take place at the seat of an Institution of the European Union, even if in the project there are no participating organisations from the country that hosts the Institution.
Activities involving sharing and promotion of results can also take place at relevant thematic transnational events/conferences in Programme or Partner Countries.
Duration of project
Between 12 and 36 months.

The duration has to be chosen at application stage, based on the objectives of the project and on the type of activities planned over time.

The duration of a Cooperation Partnership may be extended, upon justified request by the beneficiary and with the agreement of Executive Agency, provided that the total duration does not exceed 36 months. In such a case, the total grant will not change.
Where to apply?
To the Education, Audiovisual and Cultural Executive Agency, based in Brussels

European NGOs, sector of youth - Call ID: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2021-PCOOP-ENGO

The same consortium of partners can submit only one application and to one Agency only per deadline.
When to apply?
Applicants have to submit their grant application by 20 May at 17:00:00 (Brussels time).
Eligible learning, teaching and training activities
The partnership may organise learning, teaching and training activities for staff, youth workers, learners and young people in order to support project implementation and the achievement of the project objectives.

The learning, teaching and training activities can take any form relevant for the project and may involve more than one type of participants, individually or as a group. The format, purpose and the type and number of participants in the proposed activities will be described and justified as part of the project application.

Eligible participants in learning, teaching and training activities include:

teaching and non-teaching staff such as professors, teachers, trainers and other staff working in participating organisations;
youth workers;
invited teachers and experts from non-participating organisations; - apprentices, VET learners, higher education students, adult learners, and school pupils from participating organisations;
young people from countries of the participating organisations.
sport staff members such as coaches, managers or instructors; athletes; referees
Applicant organisations will be assessed against the relevant exclusion and selection criteria. For more information please consult Part C of the Guide.

SETTING UP A PROJECT

A Cooperation Partnership project consists of four stages, which start even before the project proposal is selected for funding: planning, preparation, implementation and follow-up. Participating organisations and participants involved in the activities should take an active role in all those stages and thus enhancing their learning experience.

Planning (define the needs, objectives, project and learning outcomes, activity formats, schedule etc.);
preparation (planning of the activities, development of work programme, practical arrangements, confirmation of the target group(s) of envisaged activities, set up of agreements with partners etc.);
implementation of activities;
follow-up (evaluation of the activities and their impact at different levels, sharing and use of the project's results).
Horizontal aspects to be considered when designing your project:

In addition to complying with the formal criteria and setting up sustainable cooperation arrangement with all project partners, the following elements can contribute to increasing the impact and qualitative implementation of Cooperation Partnerships throughout the different project phases. Applicants are encouraged to take these opportunities and dimensions into account when designing Cooperation Partnership projects.

Environmental sustainability

Projects should be designed in an eco-friendly way and should incorporate green practices in all its facets. Organisations and participants should have an environmental-friendly approach when designing the project, which will encourage everyone involved in the project to discuss and learn about environmental issues, reflecting about what can be done at different levels and help organisations and participants come up with alternative, greener ways of implementing project activities.

Inclusion and Diversity

The Erasmus+ Programme seeks to promote equal opportunities and access, inclusion and fairness across all its actions. To implement these principles, an Inclusion and Diversity Strategy has been devised to support a better outreach to participants from more diverse backgrounds, in particular those with fewer opportunities facing obstacles to participate in European Projects. Organisations should design accessible and inclusive project activities, taking into account the views of participants with fewer opportunities and involving them in decision making throughout the whole process.

Digital dimension

Virtual cooperation and experimentation with virtual and blended learning opportunities are key to successful Cooperation Partnerships. Projects in the field of youth are strongly encouraged to use the European Youth Portal and the European Youth Strategy Platform to work together before, during and after the project activities.

AWARD CRITERIA

Relevance of the project

(maximum score 30 points)
The extent to which:

the proposal is relevant for objectives and priorities of the Action. In addition the proposal will be considered as highly relevant if it addresses the priority "inclusion and diversity";
the profile, experience and activities of the participating organisations are relevant for the field of the application;
the proposal is based on a genuine and adequate needs analysis;
the proposal is suitable for creating synergies between different fields of education, training, youth and sport or it has potentially a strong impact on one or more of those fields;
the proposal is innovative;
the proposal is complementary to other initiatives already carried out by the participating organisations;
the proposal brings added value at EU level through results that would not be attained by activities carried out in a single country.
Quality of the project design

and implementation

(maximum score 20 points)
The extent to which:

the project objectives are clearly defined, realistic and address needs and goals of the participating organisations and the needs of their target groups;
the proposed methodology is clear, adequate and feasible:
- the project work plan is clear, complete and effective, including appropriate phases for preparation, implementation and sharing project results;

- the project is cost-effective and allocates appropriate resources to each activity;

- the project proposes appropriate quality control, monitoring and evaluation measures to ensure that the project implementation is of high quality, completed in time and on budget;

the activities are designed in an accessible and inclusive way and are open to people with fewer opportunities.
the project incorporates the use of digital tools and learning methods to complement their physical activities, and to improve the cooperation between partner organisations.
- if Erasmus+ online platforms are available in the field(s) of the participating organisations: the extent to which the project makes use of Erasmus+ online platforms (eTwinning, EPALE, School Education Gateway, European Youth Portal, EU Youth Strategy Platform) as tools for preparation, implementation and follow-up of the project activities.

The project is designed in an eco-friendly way and incorporates green practices in different project phases
If the project plans training, teaching or learning activities:

the extent to which these activities are appropriate for the project's objectives and involve the appropriate profile and number of participants;
the quality of practical arrangements, management and support modalities in learning, teaching and training activities;
the quality of arrangements for the recognition and validation of participants' learning outcomes, in line with European transparency and recognition tools and principles.
Quality of the partnership

and the cooperation arrangements

(maximum score 20 points)
The extent to which:

the project involves an appropriate mix of participating organisations in terms of profile, past experience in the Programme and expertise to successfully complete all project objectives;
the project involves newcomers and less experienced organisations to the Action;
the proposed allocation of tasks demonstrates the commitment and active contribution of all participating organisations;
the proposal includes effective mechanisms for coordination and communication between the participating organisations, as well as with other relevant stakeholders.
If applicable, the extent to which the involvement of a participating organisation from a Partner Country brings an essential added value to the project (if this condition is not fulfilled, the participating organisation from a Partner Country will be excluded from the project proposal at assessment stage).
Impact

(maximum score 30 points)
The extent to which:

the project proposal includes concrete and logical steps to integrate the project results in the regular work of participating organisations;
the project has the potential to positively impact its participants and participating organisations, as well as their wider communities;
the expected project results have the potential to be used outside the organisations participating in the project during and after the project lifetime, and at local, regional, national or European level;
the project proposal includes concrete and effective steps to make the results of the project known within the participating organisations, to share the results with other organisations and the public, and to publicly acknowledge the European Union funding;
- if relevant, the extent to which the proposal describes how the materials, documents and media produced will be made freely available and promoted through open licences, and does not contain disproportionate limitations;

the project proposal includes concrete and effective steps to ensure the sustainability of the project, its capacity to continue having an impact and producing results after the EU grant has been used up.
To be considered for funding, proposals must score at least 60 points. Furthermore, they must score at least half of the maximum points in each of the categories of award criteria mentioned above (i.e. minimum 15 points for the categories "relevance of the project" and "impact"; 10 points for the categories "quality of the project design and implementation" and "quality of the partnership and the cooperation arrangements").

In ex aequo cases, priority will be given to highest scores for "relevance of the project" and then “impact”.

WHAT ARE THE FUNDING RULES?

The proposed funding model consists of a menu of 3 single lump sums, corresponding to the total grant amount for the project: 120 000 EUR, 250 000 EUR and 400 000 EUR. Applicants will choose between the 3 pre-defined amounts according to the activities they want to undertake and the results they want to achieve.

When planning their projects, the applicant organisations - together with their project partners - will need to choose the single lump sum amount more appropriate to cover the costs of their projects, based on their needs and objectives. If the project is selected for funding, the requested lump sum amount becomes the overall grant amount.

Proposals must describe the activities that applicants commit to carry out with the lump sum amount requested and must satisfy the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness .

Requirements depending on the lump sum

a) For grant amounts of 120.000 or 250.000 EUR:

Proposals shall include a needs analysis and indicate the distribution of tasks and budget among project partners. The timeline for implementation of each project work package and activities and the deadline for the production of project deliverables shall be indicated as well.

The project description shall make a distinction between project management and work packages for implementation. Applicants must split the project activities in “work packages”. Each work package shall be linked to specific objectives, milestones and deliverables. Applicants are recommended to split their projects in a maximum of 5 work packages, including the one on project management.

b) For grant amounts of 400.000 EUR:

The description of the project shall include a detailed project methodology with a clear distribution of tasks and the financial arrangements among partners, a detailed timeline with milestones and main deliverables, the monitoring and control system and the tools put in place to ensure a timely implementation of the project activities.

Applicants must split the project activities in “work packages”. Each work package shall be linked to specific objectives, milestones and deliverables. Applicants are recommended to split their projects in a maximum of 5 work packages, including the one on project management.

Proposals shall develop quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms and an evaluation strategy. As part of the evaluation strategy, applicants must identify a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators allowing to assess the level of achievement of those objectives.

Payment of the Grant

The final payment will correspond to the number of organized activities and the completed work packages, with the limit established in the maximum grant amount set in the grant agreement, and, without prejudice to the application of the articles specifically related to payment conditions and grant reduction.