Erasmus+ Youth participation activities support activities outside formal education and training that facilitate young people's participation in Europe's democratic life. Eligible participants are young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the country of the participating organisations. Informal groups of young people can apply for funding for projects independently. Youth participation activities can be national, implemented at local, regional or national level. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is introduces the programme, and young people as a voice of change in Europe shows what participation looks like in practice.
Last updated: October 2026.
Who can take part in Erasmus+ Youth participation activities?
Young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the country of the participating organisations and decision-makers relevant to the topics addressed by the project can take part.
📅 Age limits: at the start date of the activity, participants must have reached the minimum age of 13 and must not be older than the maximum age of 30.
👥 Informal group of young people: a group of at least four young people between 13 and 30 years old at the start date of the activity, where one of the members of the group who is at least 18 years old assumes the role of representative and takes responsibility on behalf of the group.
🌍 Neighbouring countries: young people from third countries not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) can apply to the Erasmus+ youth projects, but there are fewer places and more competition, because projects give priority to participants from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme.
Our guide on who can apply to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps puts the Youth participation rules next to the other Erasmus+ and ESC formats, the age limits by activity shows where the 13 to 30 range sits among them, the list of eligible countries shows which countries the young people in a project can come from, and opportunities for young people outside the European Union explains what is open to you if your country is not on the list.
What do you do in a Youth participation project?
Supported Youth participation activities can take the form of (or a combination of) workshops, debates, role-plays, simulations, use of digital tools such as digital democracy tools, awareness raising campaigns, trainings, meetings and other forms of online or offline interaction between young people and decision-makers, consultations, information and cultural events.
💬 Dialogues with decision-makers: Youth participation activities can be used to conduct dialogues and discussions between young people and decision-makers.
📣 Civic action and youth activism: Youth participation activities can also take the form of civic action and youth activism, allowing young people to engage in various ways to raise awareness of issues that matter to them and impose change. Young people should be able to make their voices heard through the formulation of positions, proposals and recommendations.
🚫 Not supported: the organisation of partisan political events may not be supported under this Action.
Our guide on what non-formal education means explains the learning approach behind these activities, and what a Youth Exchange is covers the other Erasmus+ format built around groups of young people.
Do you have to travel abroad to take part?
No: Youth participation activities can be national, implemented at local, regional or national level, or transnational, involving informal groups of young people and/or organisations from several participating countries.
🏠 At home: in a Youth Participation project that does not travel abroad, participants receive food and drink, and accommodation if there is any.
✈️ Abroad: in a Youth Participation activity abroad, participants' travel, accommodation and food are covered.
Our guide on how travel distance bands work shows how the travel amount is calculated for Erasmus+ youth activities, green travel in Erasmus+ and ESC explains the sustainable transport top-up, and online and virtual opportunities covers what you can join without leaving home.
Can you and your friends start your own Youth participation project?
Yes, informal groups of young people can apply for funding for projects independently or they may be supported by an organisation.
📝 Who applies: if only an informal group of young people is involved, one of the group members applies on behalf of the group.
🏛️ Where to apply: for Youth Participation Activities, a group without an organisation can apply only as an informal group; an informal group applies to the National Agency of the country where its legal representative lives.
⏳ Duration: project duration is from 3 to 24 months.
🎯 Your chances: in a Youth Participation project, the chance of an informal group of young people getting a grant is high, although no exact rate can be given.
Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes the steps one by one, and how to find partners for a project helps when you want an experienced organisation beside you.
What support do you get during the project?
Young people implementing a Youth participation activities project may be supported by a coach.
🧭 Coach in practice: in a Youth Participation project, a coach is in practice a mentor, but the coach budget is almost always cut when the project is approved.
🏅 Recognition of learning: a Youth participation activities project needs to envisage support for the identification and documentation of individual learning outcomes of all participants, in particular through Youthpass.
🌱 Fewer opportunities: Youth participation activities are particularly suitable for inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.
Our guide on what Youthpass is explains the certificate, getting your learning recognised covers recognition more widely, and inclusion support in Erasmus+ and ESC covers the extra support for young people facing barriers.
How do you find a Youth participation project?
Youth Participation calls for participants appear on Youth Works Hub, though rarely.
🎯 Match: the Youth Works Hub Match page finds projects suited to the reader: it asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards; saved projects stay on the profile page.
🔑 Account: using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required.
🗂️ Categories: opportunities on the site are grouped in seven categories, and the Erasmus+ projects category is one of them.
Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are published.
Frequently asked questions
Can a group of friends apply without an organisation?
Yes, informal groups of young people can apply for funding for projects independently or they may be supported by an organisation. Our guide on who can apply for Erasmus+ and ESC funding explains the difference between individuals, informal groups and organisations.
How long does a project last?
Project duration is from 3 to 24 months. Our guide on Erasmus+ opportunities for young people lists the other Erasmus+ options.
Do I have to pay to apply?
No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. Our guide on how to spot fake offers lists the warning signs of a problematic call.
Can decision-makers take part?
Decision-makers relevant to the topics addressed by the project are eligible participants, together with young people aged between 13 and 30 at the start date of the activity residing in the country of the participating organisations. Our guide on Erasmus+ Youth Participation as a voice of change shows how young people and decision-makers work together.
Start with the issue you care about
Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC walks through the application itself, and how to find partners for a project helps when you want someone experienced beside you. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects is the next Youth Works Hub page to read.
Related pages: what Erasmus+ is · young people as a voice of change in Europe · how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC · how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects · what Youthpass is
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
