After you apply to an Erasmus+ youth project, you may or may not receive an email confirming that your application arrived; selected applicants are always contacted, but rejected applicants are often not contacted at all. Our guide on why European Solidarity Corps (ESC) and Erasmus+ applications get rejected covers the reasons, and the sections below cover how long to wait, when to write and what to do in the meantime.
Last updated: November 2026.
How long does it take to hear back?
After applying there is no fixed waiting time; project start dates are known and, because of travel arrangements, everything should be clear 2-3 weeks before the start, so if no answer has come by 2-3 weeks before the start you have not been selected, except for urgent calls. The first answer usually becomes clear 3 to 4 weeks before the start date of the activity, and participants can also be included at the last minute. Our guide on the Erasmus+ and ESC timeline shows each stage.
Does no reply mean no?
Yes, because everything should be clear 2-3 weeks before the start: if no answer has come by then, you have not been selected, except for urgent calls. In Erasmus+ youth projects, selected applicants are always contacted, but rejected applicants are often not contacted at all, because some projects receive so many applications that coordinators do not reply to each one. Our guide on what to do after a rejection goes through the next steps.
Should you send a follow-up email?
Yes: if a week passes without a reply, send a short, polite reminder. During your application period, check your email every day, including the spam folder, because a candidate who answers two days later is often eliminated. Use an email address with your name and surname and sensible social media usernames, because organisations look at them. When emailing, fill in the subject, a message and a signature, and do not write in capital letters. Our guide on Erasmus+ application tips helps with the rest of your application.
Will organisations find you on the portal?
No: organisations do not contact you just because you have registered on the European Solidarity Corps Portal; contact from an organisation comes after you apply to its project. Technically organisations can search the portal and contact candidates, but in practice this does not happen: you apply to the projects yourself. Our guide on ESC application tips explains how to apply through the portal.
What should you do while you wait?
Apply to other projects: you can apply to every project that suits you, because there is no limit on the number of applications. Spend half an hour on each application and aim for five a week. A hundred copies work worse than twenty good applications. Apply at least four months before the project starts; for long-term projects, six months is better. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are, and our guide on ESC application mistakes shows what to avoid.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply to other projects meanwhile?
Yes: there is no limit on the number of applications. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are.
Should I call the organisation?
No: organisations do not welcome being phoned about applications, and you should not overwhelm them. Our guide on Erasmus+ application tips helps with the rest of your application.
What if I am selected for two projects?
If you are accepted to two projects at once, you choose one. Our guide on how to choose a project helps you compare offers.
What is the best next step?
In Erasmus+ youth projects, hundreds of young people may apply to the same project, so a rejection or no reply should not discourage you; people who keep applying do get into a project. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: how to apply · why applications get rejected · what to do after a rejection · the Erasmus+ and ESC timeline
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
