Youth Initiative Projects
Youth Initiatives (YIPs) are supported by the European Youth Programme and are described as Action 3. They consist of two strands: Group Initiatives and Future Capital.
Group Initiatives
Group Initiatives are projects devised, managed and operated by young people aged between 15 and 25. Successful applications must show they meet the following criteria:
Successful applicants can receive up to 10,000 euros (approx. £7,000). The grants depends upon the area of priority in which the project falls.
| Priority 1 |
Projects are devised and managed by disaffected young people in order to benefit the local community in some way. These projects can receive up to 100 per cent of their funding not exceeding 10,000 euros.
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| Priority 2 |
Projects are devised and managed by disaffected young people that benefit the young people themselves who are involved in the project. These can receive up to 75 per cent of their funding not exceeding 10,000 euros.
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| Priority 3 |
Projects are devised and managed by non-disadvantaged young people where the project will be of benefit to the young people involved in the actual project. These can receive up to 50 per cent of their funding not exceeding 10,000 euros.
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The YCNI International Committee
has two Regional youth Initiative Assessors. Following discussions with the
young people, Assessors write an evaluation of the project and send it to Connect
Youth. The selection panel looks at the application and the evaluation before
making a recommendation for funding. These are sent to the European Commission
for final confirmation. Successful applicants are paid 80 per cent of their
grant in advance and the remaining 20 per cent on receipt of a successfully
completed Final Report Form, assuming all audit requirements have been met.
Future Capital
This is for young people who have completed European Voluntary Service (EVS) or short-term voluntary service (see Action 2 of the Youth Programme). it is aimed primarily at individuals, but it does allow two young people to apply for the same project as long as they demonstrate the relevant link.
Projects can take place in any European Union Member State or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Malta or Cyprus.
Applicants must apply within two years of completing EVS and show a link between the proposed project and experience they derived from participating in EVS.
There are three categories:
| Professional activity |
Non-profit-making projects or projects which in future intend to become profit-making.
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| One-off projects |
Short-term activity focused around a particular event or producing a particular product.
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| Projects for personal development |
Projects which involve training and recognise skills the young person had begun to acquire during their EVS.
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Successful applicants can receive a maximum of 5,000 euros for the following:
Projects aimed to benefit other young people or the local community including one-off projects, and professional activity can receive up to 100 per cent of funding, not exceeding 5,000 euros.
One-off, personal development, or professional projects which are integrated into a specific project for increasing employability at professional or personal level, can receive up to 75 per cent of funding, not exceeding 5,000 euros.
Personal development projects can receive up to 50 per cent of their funding, not exceeding 5,000 euros.
Information
Kits and Application Forms can be downloaded (in Word 97 format) from:
www.connectyouthinternational.com