Are Erasmus Capacity Building project call for you / your organisation? Answer the following questions and you’ll know. Have you ever:
- thought that you have so many ideas in the field of youth, but lack resources to implement them?
- wanted to improve the skills of your organisation members?
- considered strengthening / renewing your work methods?
- been looking for ways to learn good practices from other countries?
- wanted to go abroad and share knowledge with colleagues from all over the world?
If you answered at least one of the questions with a YES, then you should give Erasmus Capacity Building projects a try. Don’t know much about it? No worries, because we will explain all about this Erasmus+ project call here.
- In short: this post gives all the key information about Erasmus+ Capacity building projects in the field of youth (CBY)
- Est. reading time: 4 minutes
About the author: Active Youth Association has been successfully leading CBY projects since 2017. These have addressed different topics and involved a wide range of partners. Moreover, we have supported other organisations with their Erasmus+ CBY applications (find good examples at the bottom of the post).
Last updated on the 8th of December, 2020.
What is an Erasmus Capacity Building project?
Erasmus+ Capacity Building (in the field of youth) projects aim to promote cooperation and mobility activities between partner organisations.
- Requirements: the organisations must work in the field of youth (as the name of the call suggests). The leading partner must come from EU / EEA.
- Eligible countries: all (see exceptions below)
- Duration: from 9 to 24 months
Non-eligible countries: European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) countries (as shown on the map). However, ENP countries have their own separate Erasmus+ Capacity Building programme (yet, this blog will not talk about that).
The countries mentioned on this map cannot take part in Erasmus+ Capacity Building (global) projects
Within a CBY Project you can find:
1. Capacity Building Activities
Main aims: enhance abilities of youth workers, support development of youth work, strengthen youth cooperation. Examples: conferences, workshops, meetings, games, round tables, large-scale youth events, seminars, development of youth work methods, tools, materials, training modules, awareness campaigns, communication schemes, etc.
2. Mobility Activities
Main aims: foster exchange of good practices, equip participants with new skills. Examples: youth exchanges, volunteering activities, mobilities of youth workers (i.e. training courses).
Benefits to take part in a Erasmus Capacity Building project:
- Financial support to your organisation/activities (see below)
- Opportunities to learn from other organisations (based in EU and other continents)
- Boosted skills (practical and lingual) of your employees/beneficiaries
- Expanding cultural awareness
- Gaining enriching experiences
What funds are available for CBY projects?
Maximum grant: 150.000 EUR. Which covers:
- For capacity building activities: maximum 80% of the estimated real costs (20% of your own funding is needed)
- For mobility activities: 100%
What are the requirements for partner organisations?
- Applicant can be any public or private organisation active in the education, training and/or youth fields. For example: an NGO, national youth council, public bodies at local, regional or national level. The list is longer for partner organisations (see below)
- Partner organisations must have been legally registered for at least one year
- All partners need to have/obtain PIC number. It can be obtained here
Looking for a way to stand out with your PIF? Read this post.
Who can be partners in a CBY project?
- NGO’s
- school/institute/educational center;
- social partner or other representatives of working life, including chambers of commerce;
- craft/professional associations and trade unions;
- higher education institution;
- research institute;
- foundation;
- inter-company training centre;
- cultural organisation, library, museum.
If your organisation’s type is one of those mentioned above, you can be a partner in CBY project.
How to find someone who is looking for CBY project partners?
- https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/otlas-partner-finding/
- http://eupartnersearch.com/Default.aspx
- https://epale.ec.europa.eu/lt/partner-search
- Facebook. There are different groups called “Erasmus + partners” (and similar). Here you can see find posts of organisations, which are looking for potential partners for Erasmus+ projects. Also, these groups are a place to promote your own organisation / express a wish to become partners in such projects
- Lastly, consider us! See our Partner Information File (PIF) (it’s safe to say we have considerable experience and expertise)
Check our blog post on how to find a reliable Erasmus+ partner here.
How does submitting an Erasmus Capacity Building Application work?
- The applicant and all partners must have a PIC number issued through the registration on the Participant Portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/participant-register
- The application form has to be filled-in and submitted (in one of the EU official languages). eForm can be downloaded here: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/PPMT/)
- There is a list of compulsory annexes/attachments (see below)
CBY application’s annexes:
- Detailed Description of the Project (here you have to describe in detail your project necessity, goal, objectives, expected impact and other matters)
- Declaration on honour
- Timetable for each planned activity (e.g. mobility of youth workers)
- Budget
Templates of annexes: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/funding/capacity-building-in-field-youth-2020_en
When is the deadline?
A capacity-building project can be submitted only once a year. It is usually January/February. The results are to be expected approx. 6 months after the submission of the application.
Any tips on how write / improve CBY project proposal?
Our team has prepared a step by step guide on most common problems found in CBY applications. Even better – it includes tips to avoid them. Read on here.
Want more help with writing a project?
Do you have any questions? Contact us & we will gladly give you a consultation. Or, check out this great article – ten Erasmus project writing tips.
Lastly, there is a good example for you: ‘2nd Chance’ Erasmus capacity building project
