European Youth Together 2026

The European Youth Together 2026 call for proposals, referenced as ERASMUS-YOUTH, is part of the Erasmus+ Programme under Key Action 3, which supports cooperation in the fields of education, training, youth, and sport. This initiative aims to enhance collaboration among young people across Europe through projects, exchanges, and training activities, and is designed for both grassroots and larger youth organizations, promoting transnational partnerships to reinforce the European dimension of their efforts. Eligible applicants include non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are not for profit, public authorities, and educational institutions established within EU Member States or associated third countries to the Erasmus+ Programme. A minimum of five applicants representing at least five different EU Member States or associated countries is required for each project, fostering genuine transnational cooperation. The funding type is a lump-sum grant model, with a total budget of €8,000,000 for the 2026 call. The maximum funding for each project is capped at €500,000, and grants will cover 80% of eligible costs, necessitating that applicants secure the remaining 20% from other sources. The application process is single-stage, with a submission deadline set for 26 February 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Projects must focus on areas such as civic participation, democratic engagement, and education, aligning with the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027. Supported activities include mobility projects that promote cross-border exchanges and non-formal training, particularly targeting under-represented youth groups. The evaluation criteria for proposals will assess project relevance, quality, partnership effectiveness, and anticipated impact, with a minimum scoring requirement for successful applications. The indicative timeline includes the call publication on 4 December 2025, an evaluation period from March to July 2026, and notification of successful applicants in August 2026, with grant agreements scheduled for December 2026. Overall, this funding opportunity is aimed at empowering youth organizations, promoting core EU values, and enhancing youth participation in democratic processes, while creating a more vibrant and inclusive European community through collaborative and innovative initiatives.

The European Youth Together 2026 call for proposals ERASMUS-YOUTH falls under the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically Key Action 3, which supports policy development and cooperation in the fields of education, training, youth, and sport. The call aims to foster cooperation among young people across Europe through joint projects, exchanges, and training activities, both physical and online. It targets both grassroots and larger youth organizations, encouraging transnational partnerships to reinforce the European dimension of their activities.

The main objectives of the action are to promote transnational cooperation between youth organizations, promote core EU values, encourage youth participation in the democratic process, empower youth organizations through innovative cooperation methods, and reinforce the European dimension of grassroots youth activities.

Specific objectives include:

Promotion and development of transnational structured cooperation, online and offline, between different youth organisations to build or strengthen partnerships focusing on solidarity and inclusive democratic participation of all against a backdrop of the backlashes on socio-economic structures and in line with the EU Youth Strategy 2019- 2027, the European Youth Goals, the EU Youth Dialogue and the European Year of Youth 2022 legacy (e.g. youth participation, youth mainstreaming, youth check processes).

Support for youth organisations involved in initiatives to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process and in society by organising trainings, showcase commonalities among young Europeans and encourage discussion and debate on their connection to the EU, its values and democratic foundations. This includes organising events linked to the promotion of participation of under-represented groups of young people in politics, youth organisations and other civil society organisations by engaging youth with fewer opportunities such as vulnerable and socio-economic disadvantaged youth and young people from rural and remote areas.

Empowering youth organisations through innovative cooperation and network creation, development and management, including enhancing collaboration in a digital context through non-formal learning methods and organisational models such as alternative modes of exchanges and mutual aid.

Reinforcing the European dimension of grassroots youth organisations' activities, including activities on how to live better together and helping to design sustainable future ways of living transnationally, in line with the European Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus initiative.

Eligible activities include mobility activities such as cross-border exchanges and non-formal training opportunities, which must be justified according to the action's objectives and principles of value for money. All activities should broaden outreach to youth, including those with fewer opportunities, and ensure a solid learning dimension with recognition of learning outcomes.

The action targets NGOs (not for profit) and public bodies, which propose projects with a capacity to mobilise young people in partnerships covering different countries and regions within the EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme and to contribute to the development and implementation of the EU Youth Strategy, policy formulation and interaction with major stakeholders in the field of Youth.

The admissibility conditions require compliance with the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026. The page limit for Part B of the Technical Description of the Application Form is 70 pages. Eligible countries are also described in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026, as are other eligible conditions and financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria. The submission and evaluation processes are detailed in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026, as are the award criteria, scoring, and thresholds.

The indicative timeline includes:

The legal and financial setup of the grants is not applicable (n/a).

Relevant documents include the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026, standard application forms (ERASMUS BB and LSII), a detailed budget table (ERASMUS LSII), the ERASMUS Programme Guide, ERASMUS and Lump Sum Model Grant Agreements (MGAs), the ERASMUS+ Work Programme, ERASMUS Regulation 2021/817, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, rules for legal entity validation, LEAR appointment and financial capacity assessment, the EU Grants AGA (Annotated Model Grant Agreement), the 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 total budget for the ERASMUS-YOUTH - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants topic is €8,000,000. The call follows a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 04 December 2025, and the deadline is 26 February 2026.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact EACEA-YOUTH@ec.europa.eu. The deadline for addressing queries related to the call is 19 February 2026 (end of business). Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and the IT Helpdesk.

In summary, the European Youth Together 2026 call is an opportunity for NGOs and public bodies to secure funding for projects that promote cooperation, mobility, and democratic participation among young people across Europe. It aims to support initiatives that align with the EU Youth Strategy and promote core EU values, with a focus on inclusivity and reaching youth with fewer opportunities. The call encourages innovative approaches to youth work and transnational partnerships, contributing to a stronger European dimension in youth activities. The application process involves a single-stage submission, with a deadline of February 26, 2026, and requires adherence to the guidelines and templates provided in the ERASMUS+ Programme guide 2026.

Summary:

The European Youth Together 2026 call for proposals ERASMUS-YOUTH is part of the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically under Key Action 3, which supports policy development and cooperation in the fields of education, training, youth, and sport. This call aims to foster cooperation among young people across Europe by supporting transnational partnerships between youth organizations, both grassroots and large-scale. The projects should create networks promoting regional partnerships, organize exchanges, promote trainings, and enable young people to set up joint projects through physical and online activities.

The call targets NGOs (not for profit) and public bodies from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme. The projects should mobilize young people in partnerships and contribute to the development and implementation of the EU Youth Strategy. The specific objectives include promoting transnational cooperation, promoting EU values, encouraging youth participation in the democratic process, empowering youth organizations, and reinforcing the European dimension of youth activities.

The call has a total budget of €8,000,000 and follows a lump sum grant model. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of 26 February 2026. The evaluation period is from March to July 2026, with information to applicants in August 2026 and grant agreement signature in December 2026. The technical description of the application form has a page limit of 70 pages.