Capacity Building in the field of Youth in Western Balkans

The "Capacity Building in the field of Youth in Western Balkans" grant opportunity, designated as ERASMUS-YOUTH, is part of the European Union's Erasmus+ Programme aimed at enhancing the institutional capacity of youth organizations in the Western Balkans. This initiative seeks to foster international cooperation and improve the effectiveness of organizations engaged in youth work. Eligible applicants include non-governmental organizations, public bodies at various governmental levels, and other private organizations legally established in EU Member States or associated countries. These entities must partner with organizations in the Western Balkans, which comprises Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The funding type is an ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant, offering a predetermined financial amount aimed at reducing administrative burdens. The total budget allocated for this opportunity in 2026 is approximately €3.49 million, designed to support initiatives that build youth organizations' capacity and foster sustainable socio-economic development. A crucial requirement is the formation of a multilateral consortium, consisting of EU-based organizations partnering with those in the Western Balkans. Projects must focus on enhancing non-formal learning opportunities, improving management practices, and fostering youth participation in civic and democratic life. The expected outcomes include enhanced organizational capacity, the development of innovative tools and methodologies for youth work, and increased engagement of young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds. The application process is a single-stage procedure, where applicants submit a comprehensive proposal without preliminary screening. The call opens on December 4, 2025, with a submission deadline set for February 26, 2026. The evaluation period runs from March to July 2026, with applicants receiving feedback by August and grant agreements finalized in December 2026. Overall, the grant emphasizes improving governance structures, enhancing inclusivity, promoting active citizenship, and supporting youth-led initiatives, aligning with the overarching goals of the EU Youth Strategy. Applicants are encouraged to consult the ERASMUS+ Programme Guide for detailed eligibility criteria and proposal requirements.

This is a call for proposals for Capacity Building in the field of Youth under the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically targeting countries in Region 1 (Western Balkans). The call aims to improve the capacity of youth organizations in eligible third countries not associated with the Programme. The projects should support international cooperation in the field of youth and non-formal learning, acting as a driver for sustainable socio-economic development and well-being among young people.

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 objective is to raise the capacity of organizations working with young people outside formal learning, promote non-formal learning in eligible third countries, foster the development of schemes and programmes enhancing non-formal learning mobility, support the development of youth work, contribute to the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy, foster interregional cooperation, and enhance synergies with formal education systems.

The admissibility conditions include adhering to the proposal page limit and layout as described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. The page limit for Part B Technical Description of the Application Form is 70 pages. Eligible countries are described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. An organization cannot be the coordinator of more than one proposal submitted under this call. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026.

The evaluation and award processes, criteria, scoring, thresholds, and timeline are detailed in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. The publication date of the call is 28 November 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is 26 February 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time). The evaluation period is from March to July 2026, with information to applicants in August 2026, and signature of the grant agreement in December 2026. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is not applicable.

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:ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-NE ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants with a budget of €3,122,000, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SMC ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants with a budget of €4,800,000, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SSA ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants with a budget of €8,000,000, and ERASMUS-YOUTH ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants with a budget of €3,490,000. All topics follow a single-stage submission process, with an opening date of 4 December 2025 and a deadline of 26 February 2026.

There are six partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

For help related to this call, contact EACEA-YOUTH@ec.europa.eu. The deadline for addressing queries 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 Western Balkans, aiming to foster international cooperation, non-formal learning, and the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy. It provides funding for projects that enhance the skills, engagement, and well-being of young people in the region, with a focus on inclusion, innovation, and sustainable development. Applicants should carefully review the Erasmus+ Programme guide 2026 and related documents to ensure their proposals meet the eligibility and evaluation criteria.

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 1 (Western Balkans).

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 1 (Western Balkans) for the latter category.

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 the EU and countries in the Region 1 (Western Balkans).

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, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SMC has a budget of €4,800,000, ERASMUS-YOUTH-2026-CB-SSA has a budget of €8,000,000, and ERASMUS-YOUTH has a budget of €3,490,000.

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 lump sum grants.

Application Stages:The application process is a single-stage process.

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

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is an ERASMUS+ call for proposals focused on Capacity Building in the field of Youth, targeting youth organisations in the EU, associated countries, and specifically the Western Balkans. The program aims to improve the capacity of youth organizations to contribute to the EU Youth Strategy, promote non-formal learning, and foster international cooperation. Projects should focus on raising the capacity of organizations working with young people, promoting non-formal learning, supporting youth work development, and fostering interregional cooperation. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying amounts allocated to different regions. The application process is a single-stage open call, and the deadline for submissions is February 26, 2026. Applicants are required to form multilateral partnerships and adhere to the guidelines outlined in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. The call aims to support projects that contribute to the ‘Engage-Connect-Empower’ priorities of the EU Youth Strategy and the European Youth Work Agenda. The indicative timeline includes publication of the call on November 28, 2025, an evaluation period from March to July 2026, information to applicants in August 2026, and signature of the grant agreement in December 2026. The page limit for the Part B Technical Description of the Application Form is 70 pages. Organizations cannot coordinate more than one proposal under this call.