Capacity Building in the field of Youth in South Mediterranean Countries

The EU is offering a call for proposals under the ERASMUS program, specifically titled "Capacity Building in the field of Youth in South Mediterranean Countries" (ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SMC). This initiative aims to strengthen youth organizations, particularly in eligible third countries not associated with the program, notably within the Southern Mediterranean region which includes countries like Algeria, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.

The primary goal is to support international cooperation in youth work and non-formal learning, thereby enhancing the capacity of organizations involved in youth development. The funding is available as ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants, enabling beneficiaries to manage funds flexibly without the typical reimbursement processes. The total budget for this call is EUR 4,800,000, with individual projects potentially funded ranging from EUR 200,000 to EUR 400,000.

Eligible applicants must form multilateral partnerships that include organizations from both EU Member States and the aforementioned third countries. This model promotes collaboration and aims to engage youth in democratic processes while fostering skills development, social inclusion, and civic participation.

The application procedure involves a single-stage submission process, with the call scheduled to open for proposals on December 4, 2025, and closing on February 26, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation of applications will occur from March to July 2026, with notifications to successful applicants expected in August, followed by grant agreements anticipated by December.

Projects should align with the EU Youth Strategy, focusing on developing non-formal learning methodologies and promoting collaboration across regions. Applicants are advised to consult the ERASMUS+ Programme guide for detailed eligibility criteria, application requirements, and evaluation processes. Through this initiative, the EU aims to bolster youth engagement and empowerment in the Southern Mediterranean while contributing to broader strategic goals such as the EU Pact for the Mediterranean.

The EU's ERASMUS program is offering a call for proposals for Capacity Building in the field of Youth (ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB). This initiative aims to improve the capacity of youth organizations, particularly in eligible third countries not associated with the program, specifically targeting Region 3 (Southern Mediterranean). The projects funded under this call are international cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships between organizations active in the field of youth in the EU and countries associated with the program, and third countries not associated with the program, focusing on Region 3 (Southern Mediterranean).

The primary objective is to support international cooperation in the field of youth and non-formal learning, recognizing it as a driver of sustainable socio-economic development and well-being among youth organizations and young people. Projects should focus on raising the capacity of organizations working with young people outside formal learning, promoting non-formal learning in eligible third countries, supporting the development of youth work, fostering non-formal learning mobility, contributing to the EU Youth Strategy, fostering interregional cooperation, supporting the objectives of the Pact for the Mediterranean, and enhancing synergies with formal education systems.

The expected impact of the projects includes contributing to the ‘Engage-Connect-Empower’ priorities of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, improving the involvement of young people in democratic life, enhancing their entrepreneurial and innovative capacities, promoting transnational learning and cooperation, upscaling existing practices, linking results to local communities, demonstrating inclusion and accessibility, developing new tools and non-formal learning methods, and disseminating results effectively.

The call is structured as a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date for submissions is 4 December 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is 26 February 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time). The evaluation period is scheduled from March to July 2026, with information to applicants expected in August 2026, and the signature of the grant agreement in December 2026.

The admissibility conditions include adhering to the proposal page limit and layout guidelines described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. The page limit for Part B, the Technical Description of the Application Form, is 70 pages. Applicants must also meet the eligible country requirements as described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. An organization cannot be the coordinator of more than one proposal submitted under this call. Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity and must not be subject to exclusion criteria, as detailed in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026.

The evaluation and award processes, including submission, evaluation, award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, are described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026.

The call document and annexes include the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026, standard application form (ERASMUS BB and LSII), detailed budget table (ERASMUS LSII), ERASMUS Programme Guide, ERASMUS MGA, Lump Sum MGA, ERASMUS+ Work Programme, ERASMUS Regulation 2021/817, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement, and guidance on how to manage lump sum grants.

The budget overview for 2026 includes several topics: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-NE with a budget of EUR 3,122,000, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SMC with a budget of EUR 4,800,000, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SSA with a budget of EUR 8,000,000, and ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-WB with a budget of EUR 3,490,000. All topics are ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants and follow a single-stage submission process.

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact EACEA-YOUTH@ec.europa.eu. The deadline for addressing queries related to the Capacity building in the field of Youth Call for proposals is 19 February 2026 (eob). Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk, and Online Manual.

In summary, this ERASMUS+ call focuses on capacity building for youth organizations in the Southern Mediterranean region and other eligible third countries. It aims to foster international cooperation, non-formal learning, and youth empowerment through multilateral partnerships. The call provides lump sum grants to projects that align with the EU Youth Strategy and promote sustainable socio-economic development. Applicants need to carefully review the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026 and related documents to ensure their proposals meet the eligibility and evaluation criteria. The call seeks to enhance the capacity of youth organizations to engage young people in democratic life, improve their entrepreneurial skills, and contribute to the overall well-being of youth in the targeted regions.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are youth organisations active in the field of youth in the EU and countries associated to the Programme, and youth organisations in third countries not associated to the Programme, specifically those in Region 3 (Southern Mediterranean).

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant (ERASMUS-LS).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires multilateral partnerships, meaning a consortium of multiple applicants is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU countries, countries associated to the ERASMUS+ Programme, and third countries not associated to the Programme, with a specific focus on Region 3 (Southern Mediterranean) for the latter.

Target Sector: The target sector is youth, specifically capacity building in the field of youth, non-formal learning, and international cooperation in youth projects.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU countries and countries in Region 3 (Southern Mediterranean).

Project Stage: The project stage is capacity building, which implies development and implementation of projects.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-NE has a budget of 3,122,000 EUR, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SMC has a budget of 4,800,000 EUR, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SSA has a budget of 8,000,000 EUR, and ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-WB has a budget of 3,490,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically targeting capacity building in the field of youth. The call aims to improve the capacity of youth organisations in EU countries, countries associated with the Erasmus+ Programme, and third countries not associated with the Programme, particularly those in the Southern Mediterranean region. The goal is to support international cooperation in youth and non-formal learning, contributing to the EU Youth Strategy and the European Youth Work Agenda. Projects should focus on enhancing the involvement of young people in democratic life, improving their entrepreneurial skills, promoting transnational cooperation, and fostering interregional collaboration.

The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budgets allocated to different regions. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of February 26, 2026. Eligible applicants include youth organisations active in the field of youth. The call emphasizes the importance of multilateral partnerships, requiring applicants to form consortia. The call also encourages synergies with formal education systems and the promotion of the EU Youth Strategy's priorities.