The Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO) publishes on the occasion of the German EU Council Presidency the call for projects “Europe, now more than ever!”. The bilateral and trilateral youth encounters on European themes and projects can take place online, physically or in a mixed format and can be funded with up to 15,000 euros per project.

FGYO's "Europe: now more than ever!" aims to promote exchanges on Europe and its future among German, French and European youngsters. The format of the funded projects is not determined, which means it can either be implemented as a physical exchange, a digital encounter or a mixed encounter with both, an online and a physical exchange. A digital “hangout” can therefore be promoted just as much as a work camp, an educational seminar, sports meetings, conferences, discussion rounds, tutorials or classic exchanges. The current health situation and regulations must always be observed and respected.

The "Europe: now more than ever” call for projects aims to support projects to:

• Continue to foster European exchanges on one or multiple European topics either in a digital or physical manner;
• Enhance intercultural competences of young people in Germany, France and Europe in order to develop new perspectives for youth exchange;
• Strengthen young people’s commitment to Europe.

It addresses applicants who are active in the field of education, training, youth work and vocational training in Germany, France or another European country.

Key Topics

An eligible project should address one or more of the following key topics

• The future of Europe from the young people’s perspective. How to go on after the Brexit and the corona crisis? Brexit, the health crisis as well as the crisis of multilateralism, present the European Union with historic challenges. How do young Europeans imagine the future of the European unification project?
• The corona crisis as a European experience and challenge: The current crisis is shaping a generation of young Europeans. It puts democracies, health systems, education systems, economy, and the freedom of travel, but most of all social solidarity to the test. How do young people experience the crisis and how can they strengthen the European integration? Will the democracies emerge stronger from this crisis?
• Vocational training, entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence: The issues at stake in innovation raise questions from an economic, socialpolitical, scientific and ethical viewpoint. The current crisis and the economic challenges it poses also mean that education must be rethought. Young people are challenged to adapt their skills to a constantly changing world. How can they strengthen lifelong learning? What significance does artificial intelligence have for the future of Europe? What incentives does Europe offer young people to set up start-ups and to engage in social and ecological economic activity?
• Sustainable development and environmental protection: The European Commission is putting sustainable development and environmental protection at the centre of its priorities, thus responding to a demand from young people: How can ecological issues be responded to against the background of the current health crisis? How can young people get involved in the protection of environment and climate throughout Europe?
• Sports and culture: In the post-war period, encounters in sports and culture were the beginning of the German-French youth encounters for a united Europe. During the corona crisis, a great number of sports events and cultural projects had to be cancelled or postponed. How can they strengthen the European encounter and exchange with sports and cultural events?

Funding Information

Each project adopted may receive support to the maximum value of € 15,000, both Franco-German or trilateral projects. The project is to be carried out by 31 December 2020.

Target Groups

This call for proposals is intended to foster meetings and discussions on European issues. It is directed more specifically at young people involved in or hoping to become involved in civil society at local level. The FGYO particularly encourages the participation of young people with limited access to mobility to become involved. There should be diversity and an even gender balance among the participants.

Criteria

Project organizers may be non-profit associations, local or regional authorities, organisations and federations in the field of informal education of children and teenagers, culture, science, media and sport as well as schools, universities, vocational schools and town twinning.

For more information, visit FGYO.