The European Youth Forum has just issued an extensive report assessing both the reach and impact of EU Youth Programmes grants on youth organisations.
In the context of the review of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Youth Forum (YFJ) investigated the degree of grant allocation from EU Youth Programmes to youth organisations (not-for profit bodies democratically led by young people). The report considers 3 types of grants: Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, and European Youth Together. In line with the mid-term evaluations of those programmes, the report aims to understand how aligned those programmes are to the needs of youth organisations and to examine the specificities in implementation of the programmes in the context of those associations.
After carrying out a thorough analysis of grant results platforms, surveys of youth organisations, focus groups and interviews with relevant staff, the report highlights a lower successful application rate for youth organisations compared to other applicants (also highlighted by the European Parliament in a former report on the implementation of Erasmus+). Breaking down youth organisations’ allocation performance according to each programme, YFJ reports the following:
For Erasmus+, while the total amount of projects awarded funding increased, there is a clear transition from KA2 to KA1 grants, which means that the focus is shifting away from organisational development and cooperation support to individual mobility and individual competence building. For European Solidarity Corps, the absolute number of grants also increased between 2021 and 2023, but the increase rate is lower for youth organisations than for other types of applicants. Lastly, the European Youth Together Programme also shows a trend of fewer youth organisations receiving the grants.
The report also investigates the effectiveness of those grants in supporting young people’s engagement. An overall positive impact is reported, with 95% of responding bodies mentioning a greater ability to support young people’s participation in civil society as a result of this funding. However, concerns are raised on three main aspects. First, the shift of focus from Erasmus+ KA2 to KA1 grants highlights issues in sustaining the long-term development of youth organisations. Secondly, recipients noted that the amount of grants is insufficient in most cases as a result of rising costs. Lastly, while a good relationship is mentioned between young civil society groups and funding organisations, questions are voiced about the transparency of the grant giving process.
Barriers while applying to grants for youth organisations are also outlined: While administrative procedures, reporting difficulties, and a lack of clear understanding of the programmes are experienced by all types of applicants, those obstacles are deemed to have a greater negative impact on youth organisations, primarily due to a lack of relevant skills and experience in applying for grants.
A transversal challenge that was also identified is the ability of the EU Youth programmes to reach and benefit young people with fewer opportunities (YPFO). 65% of surveyed organisations consider the funds to be sufficient to cover support for YPFO, but there still remain challenges such as obtaining visas and permits. Inclusion had already been recognised as a key barrier by the European Commission and mitigation strategies were suggested by the Council of the European Union.
In line with the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, whose primary goals are to support youth in their personal growth development, while also providing them with essential life skills in a changing environment, and to provide them with the resources needed to become informed citizens and catalysts for change, YFJ recommends several actions to further promote young people’s engagement with European democracies through funding programmes. It suggest increasing the Erasmus+ budget, particularly for the youth sector, and enhancing support for youth-led organisations in grant decisions. It also recommends hiring experts with youth sector experience for evaluations, and emphasising the youth chapter in the next version of the Erasmus+ programme. Additionally, it calls for grants to be adjusted to keep pace with inflation and be flexible enough to cater to the needs of YPFO. While YFJ highlights both progress and challenges in the EU Youth programmes, it advocates for further action to ensure that grants effectively support youth organisations, especially YPFO. By addressing those concerns, the impact of these programmes on youth engagement in European democracies can be enhanced.