Youth employment is a top priority not only for the European Union. AER is fully engaged since years to support the implementation of concrete and effective actions. The AER Summer Academy 2016 was especially focused on entrepreneurship and the workshop “EU Regions – Partners forYouth” was the successful try to build a bridge between young adult and European Institutions. The first AER programme, Eurodyssey was the opportunity to improve skills and experience for more than 13.000 young adults since 1985.

EEA Grants and Norway Grants focus also on that emergency. AER is in direct contact with the department in charge of the programme, to bring the insight of AER regions point of view. At the end of April, AER was the only European network taking part to a consultation as stakeholder among the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and other European institutions to give its point of view on a new programme of the EEA and Norway Fund on regionalisation.

EEA Grants and Norway Grants

The Grant is the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reduce economic and social disparities. The other overall objective of the grant is to strength cooperation, both transnational and bilateral with the donor countries.

The Grant is in line with the priorities set up by the Europe 2020 strategy and the EU cohesion policy, stressing the crucial role of regions and cross-border cooperation for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

The call for Active Youth

Youth employment issues are the core of the call. Transnational partnerships are the tool to tackle them. Transnational partnership is crucial to boost the mutual benefit of the close cooperation of different organisations characterised by their own skills, knowledge and experiences.

Projects can foresee activities in three areas:

• Innovation and exploration
• Transfer of know-how and good practice
• Analysis and research

The call supports pioneering solutions and unconventional practices that especially combine the three areas. The Call for Proposals presents some of the successful projects funded in the past.

Eligible organisations and target groups

The call is quite flexible in terms of types of eligible organisations. Public authorities of different institutional level, civic society organisations along with social partners, and business entities are part of the large spectrum of organisations that can take part of applications. Regions, associations of regions or organisations owned by regions are among the eligible organisations.

Those organisations need to involve young people, from 15 to 29 years old, with a special focus on the NEET group with more than 25 years old. Attention is given to vulnerable personal background or young coming from minorities.

Eligible countries

EEA and the Norway Grants focuses on countries whit considerable rate of youth employment, with rates up to 44%.

Eligible organisations that can lead the consortia have to be from one of those countries:

• Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
• Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. Romania, Bulgaria and Greece.
• Portugal, Malta and Cyprus.

Organisations from Ireland, Italy and Spain can be part of the consortium. Expertise organisations from the other EU countries can join the consortia but not be funded by the grant.

How to apply and insights on finance

The transnational spirit should emerge since the design of the project. The application process is a two-step evaluation procedure. First the submission of a concept note then only shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full application.

The minimum budget for projects is € 1 million. The grant will finance maximum the 85% of the total budget of the project.

The call has some peculiarities. Applicants can decide on the duration of the project. There is no limit on the maximum number of beneficiary partners and non-governmental organisations can cover part of the contribution in the form of voluntary work.

Save the date: the deadline to submit electronically concept notes is 1st August 2017 (12:00 noon CET).

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with AER Secretariat  to take part to this funding opportunity.