Youth Voices for Democracy: Engaging, Empowering and Educating is an Erasmus+ Youth Participation mobility in Alicante, Spain, from 13 to 21 December 2026 (travel days included). It is open to young people aged 18-30 from Spain, Italy, North Macedonia, Estonia, Germany and Türkiye, and travel, accommodation, food and programme costs are covered according to Erasmus+ funding rules. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the call and the infopack, and this guide brings every detail together.
What Is Youth Voices for Democracy?
It is a youth participation project that aims to empower young people to become active, informed and confident citizens. The project brings together six countries and promotes:
🗳️ Democratic participation
🧠 Critical thinking
📰 Media literacy
💬 Constructive dialogue
The project is hosted by Asociación Pilcrow in Spain and is funded by the European Union. If this format is new to you, our guide explains what Erasmus+ Youth Participation Activities are and how young people lead change through them.
Four Building Blocks: Labs, Mobility, Campaigns and Actions
The project is not only a week abroad. It runs through four connected parts:
🧪 Local Democracy Labs in each partner country
✈️ An international mobility in Alicante
📱 Digital campaigns
🏘️ Youth-led community actions
Through these, participants will identify common challenges such as employment, housing and the cost of living, develop practical recommendations and engage directly with decision-makers.
Why Young People's Voices Matter Here
The idea behind the project is to create meaningful opportunities for young people to express their views and receive concrete responses from institutions. In this way, the project seeks to strengthen youth voices, promote inclusion and build a more participatory and democratic society.
Expected Impact on Participants
The project is expected to strengthen your understanding of democracy, active citizenship and youth participation, while developing skills such as:
🔍 Critical thinking
🎙️ Communication
👥 Teamwork
🧭 Leadership
Participants will collaborate to organise awareness campaigns, local Democracy Labs and youth-led initiatives.
Long-Term Impact on Communities
The results and recommendations of the project will be shared through local activities and digital communication, reaching a wider audience and promoting dialogue between young people and decision-makers. In the long term, the project will contribute to more inclusive and participatory communities, where young people feel empowered to influence decisions, make their voices heard and actively contribute to democratic life.
Who Can Apply?
The selection of participants is done by the sending organisations, based on the information provided by applicants. Each organisation is responsible for finding and preparing the participants who best match the criteria:
🎂 Age and residence: young people aged 18-30, legally residing in one of the partner countries
🗣️ Language skills: a good communicative level of English to take an active part in preparatory meetings, local Democracy Labs, the international mobility, workshops and follow-up activities
🔥 Motivation: a genuine interest in democracy, active citizenship and youth participation, with motivation to explore new perspectives and share your learning afterwards
🧗 Engagement: willingness to take full part in non-formal learning methods, including teamwork, problem-solving, outdoor activities and intercultural cooperation
🌱 Inclusion: at least 18 participants will be young people with fewer opportunities, giving a platform to those facing social, economic or geographical barriers or health problems
Age rules differ from one activity to another, so our guide on Erasmus+ and ESC age limits is useful if you are close to the limit.
Group Size: 36 Participants and a Facilitator
The mobility gathers 36 participants, 6 per country, plus 1 facilitator.
The Decision-Maker Profile
Each country will also involve one decision maker from a relevant local or regional institution. Decision makers should be willing to:
🤝 Take part in structured dialogue with young people
📝 Give realistic feedback on youth proposals
📬 Support clear follow-up and formal responses
Working Methods
The programme is built on non-formal education:
🛠️ Learning by doing
🧊 Ice-breakers and team building games to get to know each other
🎓 Workshops and peer-to-peer learning
🎨 Non-formal learning, intercultural teamwork and creative expression, combined to help you engage actively in democratic life, strengthen your voice and promote inclusive youth participation in your community
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🌍 All opportunities in Spain →
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Dates, Travel Days and Location
The mobility takes place from 13 to 21 December 2026, including travel days, in Alicante, Spain.
You can arrive or depart a maximum of 2 days before and after the activity. This means you can travel on 11, 12 or 13 December to arrive and on 21, 22 or 23 December 2026 for the way back.
Where You Will Stay: La Florida Youth Residence
Participants will be lodged at the La Florida Youth Residence in the city of Alicante. The building has two four-storey wings connected by a covered and glazed central patio:
🛏️ Upper levels: the rooms
🚪 Ground floor: the entrance hall
📚 Basement: the common services, a cafeteria, dining room and library
🎤 Behind the main building: the assembly hall
Rooms, Bedding and Towels
👥 Room sharing: rooms for 2 or 3 other people
🚿 Bathroom: each room has its own bathroom
🌐 Room allocation: with participants of the same gender and from different countries, to strengthen the intercultural dimension and good team spirit
🛌 Bedding: mattress, duvet and pillows are provided, bed linen included
🧺 Towels: bring your own towels, or rent 2 towels for €2
What Is Covered and for Which Days
Accommodation costs are 100% covered by the Erasmus+ Programme. To understand how such a grant is built, read our guide on what costs Erasmus+ covers.
The expenses are covered only from your arrival day, 13 December 2026, until the departure day, 21 December 2026. In case of a longer stay or indirect travel (holiday travel, for example), travel costs cannot be reimbursed.
Travelling sometimes requires an extra day to catch a flight and an additional night near the airport. The organisers are aware of this, but they cannot cover it: it is the participant's own cost. For such nights, they recommend hostels or staying with friends.
Meals and Food Preferences
🍽️ Three meals and two snack breaks per day, prepared in a student canteen
🥗 Diets and allergies: tell the organisers in the application form about any food allergies or diets, for example vegetarian, vegan or specific allergies
Venue Rules: Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking
🚫 Alcohol and drugs: strictly forbidden during the official part of the event and in the territory of the venue
🚭 Smoking: not recommended, and in case of urgency only permitted outdoors in a designated space
⚠️ Consequences: a violation entitles the caretaker to immediately dismiss the person concerned, and it results in removal from the project with no refund. No refund on travel costs is guaranteed in case of dismissal
Everyone is welcome with these restrictions.
How to Reach Alicante
✈️ By plane: the nearest and most convenient airport is Alicante Airport
🚌 From the airport: take a bus to La Florida Youth Residence
🛬 Other airports: Valencia and Murcia
🚄 If prices are too high: you can also arrive in Madrid (465 km, very well connected, with low-cost train options) or Barcelona (530 km)
To compare flights, you can use platforms such as Skyscanner, Azair or Momondo, but buy tickets only through the official airline websites to avoid hidden agency fees. For any issue with your travel plan, contact the sending organisation in your country. The organisers also encourage you to travel mindfully and sustainably.
Transport Rules You Must Follow
🚍 Public transport only: only public transport is subject to reimbursement
💺 Economy class only: if you fly, only economy class with up to 10 kg luggage and no extra services; seats and extras are not reimbursable
🚕 Taxi: not covered
⏰ No early departures: you cannot leave the project one day early to catch a flight or bus, so buy your tickets according to the project dates
🔄 Round trip tickets: buy round trip tickets and upload them before arriving, so the accountant can adjust the budget
Travel Budget by Country
The amount below is a total limit per person for the round trip:
🇪🇸 Spain: Asociación Pilcrow, 56€
🇮🇹 Italy: LUCE APS ED ETS, 309€
🇲🇰 North Macedonia: YOUTH COUNCIL NEXT GENERATION SKOPJE, 309€
🇪🇪 Estonia: StartIDA MTU, 395€
🇹🇷 Türkiye: BEKGED, 395€
🇩🇪 Germany: Dasein e.V, 309€
According to Erasmus+ rules, travel money is reimbursed on the real cost you spent, up to the budget per participant: if you spend less, you get back what you actually spent, and if you spend more, you only receive up to the limit. Everything above the limit is your own cost, so keep it in mind before buying.
Tickets and Reimbursement Rules
For how distance-based limits work, see our guide on how Erasmus+ travel reimbursement works.
✅ Confirm first: make your travel arrangements confirmation with your sending organisation before booking the flight
🧾 Keep every document: original physical tickets, boarding passes, invoices, booking confirmations or bills with the ticket price; documentation is obligatory for reimbursement
🎫 Buy both directions before the mobility: plane, train and bus tickets, because only real expenses can be reimbursed
📏 Distance-based compensation: travel expenses are compensated up to 100%, based on actual expenses and the distance from your place of residence to the project location, calculated with the distance calculator supported by the European Commission
💶 How the money arrives: after you send your tickets and boarding passes, the money is sent only to the sending organisation (1 person from the team), who then sends it to participants
❌ Missing tickets: cannot be reimbursed
🏢 Travel agencies: tickets bought through a travel agency are not reimbursed; buy from the airline website only
🔍 Inconsistencies: any inconsistency or manipulation in your booking or documents means no travel reimbursement
🏠 Where you travel from: participants must travel from the country of the sending organisation, and back
⏱️ Direct travel: following Erasmus+ guidelines, travel must be direct to your country of residence, within a maximum of 2 travel days before and 2 days after the event
Important Notice on Travel Documents
All travel documents submitted for reimbursement must be genuine, accurate and related to the actual journey. Submitting fake, altered, manipulated, duplicated or misleading tickets, invoices, boarding passes or payment confirmations is strictly prohibited.
If irregularities are found, the related travel costs will not be reimbursed, and serious cases may be communicated to the sending organisation and/or the relevant National Agency. The organisers reserve the right to verify travel documents with airlines, transport companies, booking platforms or other providers. As they put it, the goal is to keep Erasmus+ transparent, fair and trustworthy for everyone.
Health Insurance and Health Information
Before arriving in Spain, make sure you have a valid European Health Insurance Card (for EU citizens) or private insurance (for non-EU citizens).
It is also important to notify the organisers of any health risk, necessary medicines and special food arrangements, such as vegetarian, vegan or intolerances.
What to Bring
🛂 Passport or ID
👕 Comfortable clothes for the activities
🌦️ Clothes suited to the weather forecast
🧴 Towels and personal care products: shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairdryer
🩴 Flip-flops or slippers
💻 Camera, laptop, tablet (2 per country)
💊 Pills and medicines
😊 A positive attitude
Preparations Before You Arrive
🎉 Intercultural evening: each group creates an interesting, interactive and creative evening to promote your country and culture: show what you eat and drink, your traditions, music, culture and stereotypes
🎬 Topic activities: find interesting videos, games, exercises or educational activities related to the topic
⚡ Energizers: each group is asked to prepare some morning and afternoon energizers to lift the group's energy
📷 Digital equipment: wherever possible, bring laptops, digital cameras, smartphones and tablets, because there will be multimedia work
Basic Rules of the Project
🙋 Presence: all participants are expected to be present and active in all activities, unless they are ill or have other justified reasons
⏳ Punctuality: unauthorised absence from activities and workshops or being late will not be tolerated and can result in removal from the project with no refund
🌟 Mood: bring your best mood and keep it through the exchange, and prepare for fun, creativity and new connections
📌 Your responsibility: care for the scheduled time, be kind, respect others, be positive, get out of your comfort zone, have maximum fun and try to be part of the solution
✍️ Signed rules: all participants sign the "Rules and Responsibilities" document on arrival
Partner Organisations
🇪🇸 Asociación Pilcrow (Spain, host)
🇮🇹 LUCE APS ED ETS (Italy)
🇲🇰 YOUTH COUNCIL NEXT GENERATION SKOPJE (North Macedonia)
🇪🇪 StartIDA MTU (Estonia)
🇹🇷 BEKGED (Türkiye)
🇩🇪 Dasein e.V (Germany)
How to Apply
Fill in the online application form. The form asks you to give an insight about yourself so the organisers can get to know you better, and it notes that AI tools are easily recognisable, so answers should be honest, creative and unique. Use the form to tell the organisers about your food allergies and diets too.
Only selected candidates will be contacted. Find more projects like this in our Erasmus+ listings on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to Youth Voices for Democracy?
Young people aged 18-30 who legally reside in Spain, Italy, North Macedonia, Estonia, Germany or Türkiye. You need a good communicative level of English and a genuine interest in democracy, active citizenship and youth participation.
When and where does the mobility take place?
From 13 to 21 December 2026, including travel days, in Alicante, Spain. Participants stay at the La Florida Youth Residence.
What type of Erasmus+ activity is it?
It is an Erasmus+ Youth Participation mobility, part of a wider project with local Democracy Labs, digital campaigns and youth-led community actions. Participants also take part in preparatory meetings and follow-up activities.
What is covered?
Travel, accommodation, food and programme costs are covered according to Erasmus+ funding rules. Accommodation is 100% covered, and travel is reimbursed on real costs up to the limit for your country.
How much is the travel budget?
It is a round-trip limit per person: 56€ for Spain, 309€ for Italy, North Macedonia and Germany, and 395€ for Estonia and Türkiye. Anything above the limit is your own cost.
Can I arrive earlier or stay longer?
You can travel up to 2 days before and after: on 11, 12 or 13 December and on 21, 22 or 23 December 2026. Expenses are covered only from 13 to 21 December, and extra nights are your own cost.
How many people take part?
36 participants, 6 per country, plus 1 facilitator. At least 18 participants will be young people with fewer opportunities.
What role do decision makers play?
Each country involves one decision maker from a local or regional institution. They join a structured dialogue with young people, give realistic feedback on proposals and support follow-up and formal responses.
Is taxi or a travel agency ticket reimbursed?
No. Taxi is not covered, and tickets bought through a travel agency are not reimbursed. Buy economy class tickets from the airline website only, with up to 10 kg luggage.
Which insurance do I need?
EU citizens bring a valid European Health Insurance Card. Non-EU citizens need private insurance.
Do I need my own towels?
Yes, bring your own towels, or rent 2 towels for €2. Mattress, duvet, pillows and bed linen are provided.
Will I hear back if I am not selected?
The call states that only selected candidates will be contacted.
Project Snapshot
📌 Type: Erasmus+ Youth Participation Activity (Youth participation mobility)
📍 Location: La Florida Youth Residence, Alicante, Spain
🗓️ Activity Dates: 13-21 December 2026 (including travel days)
🌍 Countries: Spain, Italy, North Macedonia, Estonia, Germany, Türkiye
🎂 Age: 18-30
Deadline
⏳ 06 November 2026
Links
🔗 Application form: https://forms.gle/YCNhQbgyqRv83juh7
📄 Infopack: https://canva.link/e9lqqqp6yaavryb
🏨 La Florida Youth Residence: https://ivaj.gva.es/es/publicador-residencias-juveniles/-/asset_publisher/Ddxiz7Sc4THJ/content/residencia-juvenil-la-florida-alicante-
