Eligibility criteria and method of calculation of structural grants 2026-2027

As approved by the Programming Committee on Youth at its 52nd meeting, June 2025

A.    Eligibility criteria

Organisations are eligible to apply for a structural grant in 2026 and 2027 if they fulfil the conditions below.

They must be international youth NGOs (branches in minimum seven member states of the Council of Europe and signatory states to the European Cultural Convention) and international networks (composed of minimum seven member organisations from at least seven member states of the Council of Europe and signatory states to the European Cultural Convention):

-       with a European structure or a European secretariat;

-       having received support during the 3 previous years (reference period: 2023, 2024 and 2025) for at least 3 international activities (EYF grant or study session in the annual programme of the European Youth Centres);

-       having received EYF grants in at least 2 out of the 3 years of the reference period.

The following are considered as support for international activities:

-       an EYF grant for a one-off international activity;

-       an EYF grant for an annual work plan (the number of international activities within a work plan will be taken into account up to a maximum of 2 per work plan);

-       one study session in the programme of the European Youth Centres (Strasbourg or Budapest) during the three-year reference period.

An international organisation/network is not eligible if:

-       it has been supported only for study sessions during the reference period;

-       it did not receive any EYF grant for International Activities or Work Plans during the two most recent years of the reference period (2024 and 2025);

-       it has received EYF International Activity or Work Plan grants for only one year during the reference period.

II.         Method of calculation of the structural grant

1.       Quantitative criteria

1.1  Grants received from the EYF and support to study sessions in the EYCs during the three previous years: past relations with the EYF

For each reference year 2023, 2024 and 2025 a maximum of 8 points can be allocated: 6 points for an annual work plan and 2 points for an international activity or study session. If the organisation/network ran more activities in one or more of the reference years, the maximum points per each year will be limited to 8.

The maximum number of points for this criterion is 24 points (8 for each reference year).

1.2  Number of signatory States of the European Cultural Convention in which the applicant organisation/network has branches or members: recognition of the European dimension of the organisation/network

Each international organisation/network is awarded 1 point for each member state of the Council of Europe in which it has one or more branches/members (minimum 7 points / maximum of 46 points).

In addition, each organisation/network is awarded 1 point for each of the 4 non-Council of Europe member states signatory to the European Cultural Convention (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Holy See and the Russian Federation) in which it has one or more branches/members (4 countries, maximum of 4 points).

In total for this criterion: minimum 7 points, maximum 50 points.

1.3  Staff employed by the European structure or secretariat of the applicant organisation/network: direct link with a financial need

Each international organisation/network is awarded 5 points if it employs staff (regardless of the number of employees, wages and number of working hours). The organisation/network must provide proof of employment.

2.       Qualitative criteria

2.1  Evaluation of the strategic approach of the organisation/network: support to the political priorities defined by the Joint Council on Youth and transversal priorities

Each applicant organisation/network is awarded a maximum of 50 points when its strategic work and activity plan are contributing to the priorities defined by the Joint Council on Youth for the biennium in question and to the transversal priorities (accessibility, gender mainstreaming, youth perspective).

For 2026-2027, the Joint Council on Youth agreed on 4 priorities:

1.   Revitalising pluralistic democracy

2.   Young people’s access to rights

3.   Living together in peaceful and inclusive societies

4.   Youth work.

For each priority it contributes to, the applicant organisation/network can receive maximum 10 points.

Ten additional points will be awarded to organisations that have specific plans for increasing accessibility in their work, gender mainstreaming, and / or bringing a youth perspective to the work of the Council of Europe.

3.       Amount of the grant

Eligible organisations can request a maximum annual grant of €30 000, i.e. a maximum of €60 000 for
two years. The actual amount granted will be calculated based on the above criteria.
If the grant is awarded for 2026, the same amount will be awarded in principle for 2027, based on the validation by the EYF of an interim report after one year.