European Solidarity Corps

European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is a new European Union initiative aimed at creating opportunities for young people to volunteer, work, or engage in networking activities in projects that benefit society, either in their home countries or abroad, while promoting their personal, educational, social, civic, and professional development. The ESC brings together young people to build a more inclusive society, support disadvantaged individuals, and respond to social challenges. The Programme offers an inspiring and empowering experience for young people who want to help the community, learn, and develop themselves, with activities ranging from environmental protection and health to sports and social inclusion, as well as digital technologies, culture, and humanitarian aid.

In addition to encouraging young people to contribute to society, the Programme also provides opportunities for them to gain invaluable experiences and develop new skills. The Programme is open to individuals aged 18 to 30 for volunteering and solidarity activities addressing social challenges, and to those aged 18 to 35 for humanitarian aid activities.

Participation of Our Country in the Programme

Since its launch in 2019, our country has participated in the ESC Programme from the beginning.

The program participation agreement for the ESC for the 2021-2027 period was signed on October 27, 2021, and our participation was published in the Official Gazette on November 16, coming into effect.

The national coordinator of the Programme is the Turkish National Agency.

What Are the Objectives of the Programme?

The ESC Programme aims to create opportunities for young people to work or volunteer in projects that consider the benefit of society and support for disadvantaged individuals, while also enhancing their skills and competencies, promoting participation in social solidarity activities by organizations, responding to social needs, and strengthening social solidarity.

During the 2021-2027 period, the European Solidarity Corps will provide opportunities for more than 270,000 young people across Europe with a budget of 1 billion euros.

The new European Solidarity Corps takes into account the priorities of the European Union.

Promoting Inclusion and Diversity: The programme aims to ensure equal access to opportunities provided by the European Solidarity Corps for young people.

Green Practices: It aims to adopt green practices in all projects and activities, as well as promote environmentally sustainable and responsible behaviors among participants and organizations.

Digital Transformation: It will support projects and activities that work to enhance digital skills, promote digital literacy, and understand the risks and opportunities of digital technologies.

Participation in Democratic Processes: It supports young people's participation in democratic processes alongside civil engagement.

Health Protection and Support: It contributes to topics such as health protection and support, which have been better understood in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the post-illness recovery process. The programme aims to mobilize volunteers to support projects addressing various health issues.

2021-2027 Period

The new ESC Programme, which has a budget of 1.009 billion euros allocated for 2021-2027, will provide opportunities for at least 270,000 young people across Europe to overcome social and humanitarian challenges through volunteering or creating their own solidarity projects. The aim of the programme is not only to be more inclusive but also more digital and greener.

• Volunteering
• Solidarity Projects
• European Humanitarian Aid Activity
• Volunteer Teams in High Priority Areas

How Does the European Solidarity Corps Work?

Young people aged 17-30 can register on the European Youth Portal. Participants aged 18 and over can receive invitations to participate in solidarity-themed projects from organizations that have access to the database. Additionally, these organizations can announce projects on the portal to receive direct responses from young people.

​Volunteering Projects

• Volunteering Projects provide young people aged 18-30 the opportunity to volunteer in social projects for periods ranging from 2 to 12 months.
• Volunteering activities involve providing full-time support (30-38 hours per week) to the daily activities of the host organization, which are beneficial to the community.
• Through volunteering projects, young people can contribute to their educational, social, and professional development by participating in individual volunteering activities or volunteer teams, either domestically or abroad.
• Volunteering projects include community-beneficial activities such as participating in the restoration of cultural heritage, raising awareness about environmental protection, or conducting volunteer educational activities in refugee camps.

Who Can Apply?

Volunteering projects are open to all young people aged 18-30 who legally reside in an ESC programme country or partner countries, without any requirement for graduation or language proficiency. Young people aged 17 can register for the programme but cannot participate in any projects until they turn 18.

For Application;

• After registering on the European Youth Portal.
• Search for organizations and projects with volunteer invitations.
• It is important for applicants to find a sending organization with a "Quality Certificate" from Türkiye before applying.
• Submission of a CV and motivation letter for the interested project is required. Assistance for creating a CV and motivation letter can be obtained from the Europass website.

Volunteering projects are divided into two categories:

• Short-term volunteering (14-59 days excluding travel time) and
• Long-term volunteering (2-12 months excluding travel time).

Each young person is entitled to only 1 short-term + 1 long-term volunteering project.

What Support is Provided to Young People in Volunteering Projects?

• Support for Young People with Limited Opportunities: The European Solidarity Corps places great importance on supporting and ensuring the participation of young people who have limited opportunities compared to their peers due to health problems, educational difficulties, economic and geographical barriers, cultural differences, as well as issues arising from religion, gender, age, and social and economic challenges.
• Language Training Support: Aiming to achieve unity in diversity, the European Solidarity Corps provides free language training support in the host country’s native language through a youth worker at the host organization or a professional language course for at least three months during the project.
• Visa Support: All expenses related to the visa process required to travel to the project country, as well as health insurance, and if necessary, expenses related to applying for a residence permit apart from the visa are covered.
• Allowance Support: Depending on the country, a certain amount of allowance is provided in addition to daily needs such as accommodation, food, local transportation, etc.
• Accommodation Support: Individuals participating in the project are offered accommodation in a volunteer house, dormitory, or with a family by the host organization.
• Travel Support: Covers round-trip travel expenses to the project country.
• Mentor Support: Participants have the opportunity to receive training before and after the projects. During the project, mentors support participants in defining their goals and achieving them.

Solidarity Projects

Solidarity Projects are domestic initiatives developed and implemented by at least five young people to create positive changes for the community and environment, taking responsibility and initiative over a specific issue or problem, and conducted over a period of 2-12 months.

If an individual participates in a long-term volunteering project, their right to benefit from the programme expires without utilizing the short-term option. Young people who have previously participated in Erasmus+ volunteering activities or the European Voluntary Service programme cannot benefit from this programme. However, exceptionally, young people who have benefited from European Voluntary Service or European Solidarity Corps volunteering activities for no more than two months may reapply for volunteering activities, provided the total duration does not exceed fourteen months.

• Solidarity projects are domestic solidarity activities developed and implemented by young people over a period of 2 to 12 months.
• These projects involve at least five young people coming together to target a specific issue or problem in their local community, taking responsibility to create positive change by developing and presenting solutions to that problem.
• Solidarity activities must be based on the principles of the European Solidarity Corps and should reflect the characteristics of non-formal learning, entrepreneurial spirit, and topics that emphasize European added value (for example, climate change, democratic participation, social integration, etc.).
• Solidarity projects that target local issues and specific groups in need also have the potential to bring together different actors and partners.
• Participation in a solidarity project can also be the first step towards becoming self-employed, getting involved in non-governmental organizations, participating in active organizations in youth work, or establishing a civil society organization (CSO).

Who Can Apply?

• Solidarity projects can be applied for by a group of at least five young people aged 18-30 who legally reside in the programme country and are members of the European Youth Portal.

• There is no maximum number of participants. One of the young people in the group can assume the role of legal representative and submit the application, or any public or private organization can submit the project application on behalf of the group.

• Applications are made via e-forms published on the European Commission's official website. Necessary information about application forms and processes can be accessed from the official website of the Turkish National Agency.

What Benefits Do Young People Who Participate in the ESC Programme Gain?

Through the projects they realize or participate in, young people:

• Receive a Youthpass certificate that documents their participation at the end of the project.
• Have the opportunity to live in another country and develop their language and cultural skills.
• Gain the ability to overcome difficulties and work within a team.
• Can stay connected with a broader community of former volunteers as part of the European Solidarity Corps community.
• Can inspire other young individuals through the sharing of experiences.
• Can enhance their personal, educational, social, and professional skills through increased self-confidence and learning motivation.
• Can bring their ideas to the organizations they volunteer for or to local communities, contributing to the multicultural identity of the organizations.

Do You Want to Learn More?

To explore more about the programme, check out the European Youth Portal.

In our country, the programme is managed by the Turkish National Agency. You can also visit www.ua.gov.tr to learn more about the details of the programme.

You can access programme brochure here

European Solidarity Corps 2024 Guide

European Solidarity Corps 2024 Call for Proposals

European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027 Period Regulation