European Solidarity Corps: Volunteering in Support of Humanitarian Aid Operations

Volunteering under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps (Humanitarian Aid Volunteering) takes place in third countries where there are ongoing humanitarian aid operations. This action gives the opportunity to young people aged 18 to 35 years old to contribute to society by short-term or long-term volunteering activities aimed at improving living conditions of people in need. Volunteering is a full-time non-remunerated activity. Projects must be in line with the humanitarian aid principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, as well as with the ‘do no harm’ principle.

Objectives

• The projects funded under Humanitarian Aid volunteering should:
  • where relevant, facilitate the transition from the humanitarian response to long-term sustainable and inclusive development;
  • contribute to strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities;
  • reinforce disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction;
  • link relief, rehabilitation and development;
  • ensure a high level of safety and security for volunteers.
• Additionally, to increase the quality and impact of the action on local communities, projects could include complementary activities. They should also facilitate the active involvement of local staff and volunteers from the countries and communities in which they are implemented.

Priorities

• Inclusion and Diversity: The European Solidarity Corps seeks to promote equal opportunities and access, inclusion and fairness. Organisations should design accessible and inclusive activities, taking into account the views and needs of participants with fewer opportunities.
• Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Climate Change: A project should incorporate green practices in all facets. Organisations and volunteers involved should have an environmental-friendly approach when designing the activities, which will encourage them to discuss and learn about environmental issues, make them think about what can be done at their level and help them come up with alternative greener ways of implementing their activities.
• Digital Transformation: Participating organisations are encouraged to make use of digital tools and learning methods to complement and add value to their activities, to improve the cooperation between partner organisations, support further dissemination of the outcomes or support for community building.
• Participation in Democratic Life: The European Solidarity Corps supports all participating organisations in improving the quality of their projects by integrating a participatory dimension, offering young people relevant opportunities to actively engage and participate in the conception and implementation of project activities as a pathway to discovering the benefits of active citizenship and participation in democratic life.

Funding Information

• Maximum EU grant per project: 650,000 EUR.
• Duration of Project: Projects should last 12, 24 or 36 months.

Eligible Activities

• The following activities are supported under Humanitarian Aid Volunteering:
  • Individual volunteering: Individual volunteering is an activity in the field of humanitarian aid of a duration of 2 to 12 months, excluding travel time.
  • Volunteering teams: Volunteering teams are activities that allow in principle teams of 5 to 40 participants coming from at least two different EU Member States or third countries associated to the programme to volunteer together for a period between 2 weeks and 2 months (up to 59 days, excluding travel time).
  • Complementary activities: Complementary activities are relevant side activities related to the projects and designed to add value, give more resonance to their results and increase their impact on local and/or regional level.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any public or private entity, whether non-profit or profit making, local, regional, national or international, legally established in an EU Member State, a third country associated to the Programme or a third country not associated to the Programme where humanitarian aid activities and operations take place and where there are no ongoing international or non-international armed conflicts, or any international organisation.
• Participating organisations (support and host role) must hold a valid Quality Label for Humanitarian Aid volunteering at the application deadline and for the entire duration of the project. Eligible participating organisations are expected to form a consortium.
• Eligible participants:
  • Young people aged 18 to 35 who are legally residing in a EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme and who have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal to express their interest in engaging in Humanitarian Aid Volunteering. Candidates who apply for individual volunteering must not have yet participated in the European Solidarity Corps’ Humanitarian Aid individual volunteering.
  • The participant must also have successfully completed the mandatory trainings organised by the Commission.

For more information, visit European Commission.