Do you feel that the European Solidarity Corps is uncharted territory and that you are stepping into the unknown? Maybe you don’t know where to start? It's often said that the first step is the hardest, but we at Léargas are committed to supporting you and your organisation in mapping your journey to a successful project. In this blog Suzanne Kavanagh from our Client Services team shares the basic steps into the European Solidarity Corps and shows how we can support you every step of the way. Start your journey with us here:
Step 1: Discover at a Discovery Day
A great place to begin is at a Discovery Day. This event is for those working in the community, voluntary, youth and civil society sectors with little or no experience in EU programmes. At this short event you will discover EU funding opportunities under Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. Experts will be on hand to introduce the programmes and help you identify if they are for you and what are your next steps.
Step 2: Plan at a Project Lab
Once you’ve attended a Discovery Day, we recommend you sign up for the subsequent Project Lab, where you'll have the time and space to consider how a European project can address your organisation’s needs. You’ll get inspiration for your project, support to develop your ideas, and an expert’s feedback on those ideas. If your organisation is thinking of applying, it really is worth taking some time to prepare your project. This half-day event will give you an insight into the values and quality criteria of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps and helps you prepare for the application stage.
Step 3: Attend a Quality Label Hub
To take part in the European Solidarity Corps, your organisation must hold a Quality Label. Once you’ve a strong project idea, we recommend that you join us at a Quality Label Hub. These hubs run for half a day and are for newcomer organisations wishing to apply for the Quality Label. An expert will facilitate the workshop, guiding you through the application form, addressing queries and explaining the award criteria used to assess applications.
Step 4: Prepare at an Application Clinic
As the deadline approaches, we strongly recommend that you join us at an Application Clinic. This full day Clinic offers organisations with a Quality Label the chance to work on the application form, address budget and finance queries, and develop an understanding of the award criteria used to assess applications. This event is for when you and your organisation have identified your project partners, have a project idea in mind and are ready to apply.
Step 5: Finalise at an Open House day
Prior to the deadline, we will host a drop-in troubleshooting space with our expert staff on hand to provide support for the final steps in completing your application form. Once you’ve followed these steps, you’ll be in a strong position to submit your online application.
For more information please do not hesitate to contact me!
Find out more
- Download our ‘Explore, Experience, Empower’ booklet to learn more about the European Solidarity Corps.
- Visit the Léargas European Solidarity Corps website at: europeansolidarity.ie.
- Visit the European Commission’s official European Solidarity Corps website at: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en.
- Read other organisations' experiences of the European Solidarity Corps on the Léargas blog.
- Find upcoming Léargas events on the Léargas Eventbrite page.
- Contact Suzanne Kavanagh, our Senior Client Services Officer for the European Solidarity Corps
We welcome contributions to 'Insights' at comms@leargas.ie.
