COMBAR Project Combating barriers to communication (Project funded by Leonardo da Vinci Programme of the European Commission 2006-2008)

Information on Action 5 Large Scale European Projects

Large scale co-operation, training and information projects

The priorities for the Call (DG EAC 17/03) in 2003 are:

Projects promoting mutual respect and diversity by facilitating dialogue and joint activities of young people from multiethnic and multifaith backgrounds;

Projects using sports and outdoor education as a tool for social integration and non-formal education;

Projects developing and implementing innovative methods of youth work and the international co-operation, training and information related to it;

Projects aiming at the inclusion and empowerment of young people with fewer opportunities (e.g. disabled or socially disadvantaged) by efficiently using the variety and synergy of different instruments such as youth exchanges, the European Voluntary Service, youth initiatives and support measures and various partners at local, regional and international level to develop and implement new creative approaches in this field.

Projects must clearly meet one of the priorities mentioned in the Call.
They have to involve young people and shall follow the award criteria enumerated in the Call.
They may last between 18 months and three years.
The maximum funding amount per project will not exceed EUR 100.000 per year of activity.

Support Measures

Support Measures are instruments aimed at helping all those involved in youth activities or interested in youth matters to prepare and develop projects and initiatives within the context of the YOUTH programme. For further information concerning training activities, please consult www.training-youth.net and www.SALTO-YOUTH.net.

Support Measures have two basic aims:

To assist the development of the three major Actions of the YOUTH programme (Youth for Europe, European Voluntary Service and Youth Initiatives) through the support of training, cooperation and information projects.

To contribute to achieving the objectives of the YOUTH programme as well as fostering and strengthening European youth policy.
What are Support Measures?

Cooperation and partnerships, training measures and youth information are the key terms for the development of activities under Action 5 of the YOUTH programme. For further information, please consult

In order to have appropriate tools for achieving the above objectives, nine types of activity have been identified, offering opportunities to applicants to develop new YOUTH projects, improve their skills in non-formal education and inform others about the YOUTH programme.

All Support Measures must be directly linked to the Actions and/or objectives of the YOUTH programme.

All Support Measures must be non-profit-making.

The nine types of activity eligible for support are as follows:

1. Practical training experience (job shadowing)

This activity allows youth workers to acquire the skills for organising a transnational project by working in a partner organisation for a limited period of time.

2. Feasibility visits

These allow project managers to discuss a project idea before submitting an application under Actions 1 or 2.

3. Contact-making seminars

These bring together potential partners for YOUTH projects.

4. Study visits

These provide an opportunity to learn about youth work provisions in other countries.

5. Seminars

These are a tool for the exchange of experience and good practice, consultations or policy development etc. with regard to the YOUTH programme and youth policy.

6. Training courses

These help those involved in youth work and non-formal education to acquire advanced skills and knowledge for their activities.

7. Youth information

This activity supports the production and dissemination of information and training material relating to the YOUTH programme.

8. Transnational partnerships and networks

Their objective is to create new networks under the YOUTH programme.

9. Support for quality and innovation

This activity aims at involving young people with less opportunities in the YOUTH programme at national, regional and local levels.

Support Measures are open to:

youth workers
trainers
support persons
mentors
project managers
youth leaders
groups of young people
other actors involved or interested in non-formal education.
Activities can take place in any of the countries involved in the project.

Non-profit-making organisations and public authorities experienced in the field of youth and non-formal education, as well as groups of young people who get together to set up a project, can apply under Action 5.

How is a project financed?

The Community grant is based on the principle of co-funding, with other public and/or private contributions. The total project cost cannot be covered by YOUTH alone. Therefore, the contributions of organisers and/or participants can be either in cash or in kind, or a combination of both.

Calculation of the Community grant is based on actual travel and exceptional costs, on fixed amounts for all other costs relating to the project and on flat rates per participant per day. The flat rate calculation is based on the number of nights followed by a full activity day. The maximum fixed amounts and flat rates are indicated in the User's Guide but might vary depending on the Programme country in which the application is submitted.

Except for travel and exceptional costs, the Community contribution to activities is not directly linked to any specific costs and consists of fixed amounts which do not have to be accounted for or justified. The beneficiaries may use the contribution as they see fit, as long as they fulfil the obligations set out in the tables in the User's Guide.

This funding mechanism is designed to help applicants estimate the size of the grant expected and facilitate realistic planning of the activity.

A detailed description of the objectives and the type of related activities for which the grant will be used must be provided in the application. This will be one of the most important elements to be examined in selecting projects.

Activities 1-6

These activities are cofinanced on the basis of fixed amounts and flat rates, as they are characterised by a limited duration and a limited number of participants. These fixed amounts and flat rates are maximum amounts and may be adjusted according to national contexts (please contact your National Agency for details).

Activities 7-9

For these activities, YOUTH programme funding is based on actual costs and should not exceed 50 % of the total project cost.

How to apply?

The National Agencies provide the official application forms. These may also be downloaded from the Commission’s and other websites. Applications should be submitted by the deadlines stipulated in the User's Guide. Please contact the National Agency in your country for assistance with filling in the forms.

One of the partner organisations takes the lead in submitting the application as well as in implementing the project. This coordinating organisation is responsible for submitting the grant application to the National Agency of the country where:

the project will take place (activities 1-6)
the project is coordinated (activities 7-9)
European youth organisations which are based in one of the Programme countries and have member branches in at least eight Programme countries may apply directly to the European Commission or through their national branches to the relevant National Agency.

Once the activity has been approved, a financial agreement (contract) with the beneficiary will govern the use of Community funds. The coordinating organisation will receive the grant for the whole project. It is responsible for transferring, to each partner organisation, its respective share of the grant and for reporting and presenting final accounts. It also undertakes to fulfil its contractual obligations and should implement the project according to what is set in its application.

The European Commission, or a National Agency, may carry out on-site visits to check that all contractual obligations are being properly fulfilled.

If, in the course of the project, unforeseen circumstances disrupt its implementation, the partners should immediately contact their National Agencies, or the European Commission, to make appropriate arrangements.

Failure to carry out the project as agreed could lead to the National Agency, or the European Commission, recovering part, or all, of the grant.