Status: OPEN | Verification: VERIFIED | Last verified: 30 September 2026.
The European Youth Foundation (EYF), part of the Council of Europe, has opened two 2027 funding calls for international youth co-operation. Africads verified the calls against the Council of Europe announcement, official call documents, application templates and the EYF granting portal.
- Deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:59; use the official portal clock
- One-off activities: up to EUR 25,000
- Long-term projects: up to EUR 60,000
- Important: co-financing is required and organisation eligibility differs between the two streams
Deadline: 1 October 2026 at 23:59. EYF materials use both CET and CEST in different places, so applicants should submit early and rely on the time displayed in the official application portal.
Funding: up to EUR 25,000 for an international one-off activity and up to EUR 60,000 for an international long-term project.
Two different funding streams
The EYF supports international youth work connected to democracy, access to rights, peaceful and inclusive societies, and youth work. The two current calls share those priorities but have different eligibility and project-design rules.
International one-off youth co-operation activities – 2027.C5.A
This stream supports international meetings and learning activities. The main activity should generally last at least four programme days and normally take place in one or more Council of Europe member States.
Applicants may request up to EUR 25,000. The indicative call budget is EUR 250,000 and EYF intends to award around 10 grants.
Activities must involve participants residing in at least seven Council of Europe member States. At least 75% of participants should be age 30 or younger, and proposals should address inclusion, gender equality and accessibility.
Who can apply for the one-off stream?
The applicant must be registered in the EYF granting system. Eligible categories include international youth NGOs, international networks, sub-regional networks and some national youth NGOs.
A national youth NGO needs either at least three partner national youth organisations in three other Council of Europe member States, or an eligible international youth NGO or network as a partner. Applicants also need a bank account that can accept euros and enough operational and financial capacity to deliver the activity.
International long-term youth co-operation projects – 2027.C6.B
The long-term stream supports larger projects combining international meetings with activities such as advocacy, research, educational resources, local or regional initiatives and multiplier actions. At least one activity must be an international meeting lasting at least four programme days.
The maximum grant is EUR 60,000. EYF has set an indicative budget of EUR 600,000 and intends to make around 10 grants. Projects can run for up to 18 months and should start between 1 January and 31 March 2027.
For this long-term stream, national youth NGOs are not eligible to apply directly. The applicant must be an EYF-registered international youth NGO or international network meeting the call requirements.
Co-financing and payment
Both calls require a contribution from the grantee or third parties. That contribution can be financial, human resources or in-kind. The budget should make the source of each contribution clear.
The call documents state that 80% of the grant is paid after signature of the grant agreement, with the balance paid after acceptance of the final narrative and financial reports.
What applicants must submit
Applications go through the official Support4Youth portal. Applicants need the official narrative form and budget form, and proposals can be submitted in English or French.
EYF says registration of a new organisation can take up to two weeks and must be validated before the deadline. Organisations not already registered should check their status immediately rather than assuming registration can be completed at the last minute.
Official call documents and templates
One-off call PDF
One-off narrative form
One-off budget template
Long-term call PDF
Long-term narrative form
Long-term budget template
Official EYF grant guide
Apply through Support4Youth
Practical applicant notes
Do not select the long-term stream simply because the award ceiling is higher. Start with legal and organisational eligibility, then test whether the project format fits the selected call.
For the one-off stream, build the participation plan before finalising the programme and budget. For the long-term stream, make sure the proposal is genuinely multi-activity and strategic rather than a single event spread over a longer calendar.
With the deadline close, eligible applicants should prioritise partner confirmation, budget consistency, required forms and a final compliance check rather than adding unnecessary narrative.
Should you apply?
Best fit for: EYF-registered international youth NGOs and networks with confirmed partners, a genuinely international activity design and enough time to finalise the official forms and co-financing.
Probably not a fit if: your organisation is not already eligible in the EYF system, cannot satisfy the international participation/partnership rules, or is trying to force a local project into an international youth-co-operation call.
Africads application tips: choose the stream based on legal eligibility and project design rather than the higher ceiling; lock partner participation before finalising the budget; and run one last compliance check against the official narrative and budget templates before submission.
Before you apply: See whether you can finish the application properly before the deadline
Use the Africads Grant Application Timeline Builder to work backwards from the deadline, assign partner inputs, budget work, review and submission checks, and spot tasks that are already at risk. For drafting support, GrantsWriterAI can help structure proposal content, but every output should be checked against EYF’s official forms and rules.
Need application support?
If your organisation is eligible but needs an independent compliance or proposal-quality review before submission, request Africads proposal support. Keep the official EYF call documents as the final authority.
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