Funding Opportunities
Detailed information on funding opportunities
Last update: January 2025
World Scouting Grants
Donor
Multiple donors through the World Scout Foundation and World Scouting.
Aim
To inspire and motivate youth worldwide to work to improve their communities through capacity building, dialogue and community action and directly contribute to achieving the SDGs.
Who can apply
National Scout Organizations/National Scout Associations as well as Regional and Global Support Centres of the World Scout Bureau; local Scout Groups must go through their NSO to submit projects. Preference will always be given to NSOs/NSAs, particularly those in countries facing economic difficulties.
Procedure
Project proposals should be completed using the online platform Fluxx. The Europe Support Centre will give an NSO/NSA with no previous experience with Fluxx access and further instructions upon contact.
Budget
No limits established; however, applications below USD 25’000 are reviewed by the Regional Decision Committee, and the world-level Joint Executive Committee reviews those above USD 25’000.
Please note that at the moment we have no allocation for 2025. We encourage NSOs/NSAs to reach out to indicate their needs and interest area to be noted by the European Support Centre should funding become available for projects in that area.
Deadline
There are no deadlines for applications. When the application is finalised, the review and consideration will depend on the requested amount and vary from 2-3 months, so the project's start date should correspond to this timeline. It is recommended, but not required, that NSOs/NSAs reach out to signal their interest to the Europe Support Centre at the beginning of the year so their project will be considered when the pipeline is planned.
Example of approved projects
The fund targets three categories of work: (1) capacity strengthening, (2) community development/action, (3) special projects (disaster response, Support to youth in (post-)conflict zones, Peace and culture of dialogue). The fund is also supporting the two priorities of the European Scout Region, “Youth Empowerment” and “Diversity and Inclusion”.
Contact the Europe Support Centre
Scout Donation Platform
Donor
The platform is a crowdfunding platform; anyone can donate through the website with both big and small amounts.
Aim
The Scout Donation Platform is the go-to place for Scouts to fundraise for their community service projects. National Scout Organizations/National Scout Associations can also raise donations for large-scale humanitarian response and relief efforts.
Who can apply
Individual scouts or local groups of all NSOs and NSAs of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The endorsement from the International Commissioner or Scout Donation Platform Coordinator of the NSO or NSA from which the person who submitted the project is from, will be requested for all projects when submitted on the platform. NSOs, NSAs, and the Regions of WOSM can submit projects as well.
Procedure
Projects can be submitted at https://donate.scout.org/start-project. The IC or SDP Coordinator will then receive a request to endorse the project. When this endorsement has been received the SDP Team will then review the project and might share with the Scouts recommendations on how to better the project’s chances of receiving funding.
The project will then be published on the platform https://donate.scout.org/explore. The scouts can then promote the project to raise funds. The funds will be released once the goal is met. Donations to projects to projects that do not meet their goal by the indicated deadline will be returned to the donors. After the end date of the project a story with the description and results of the project is to be submitted on the sdgs-hub https://sdgs.scout.org/.
Budget
No limit depends on the scope of the project. The SDP Team might advise on the goal amount to improve the project’s chances of reaching the goal.
Deadline
Applications may be submitted at any time, but note that enough time for the project to be published and promoted should be included to reach the goal in time for the start of the project.
Example of approved projects
Renewable Energy, Mental Health Awareness, Soap Making Workshops for Employment, Humanitarian Aid efforts.
Contact for any questions
European Scout Foundation
Donor
European Scout Foundation
Aim
To provide financial support for the development of Scouting in Europe
Who can apply
Local Scout groups and national applications for smaller project proposals from across the Region, with the endorsement of their International Commissioner.
Procedure
As with the World Scouting Grants, applications need to be submitted through Fluxx (https://scoutgrants.fluxx.io/user_sessions/new). Applicants with no Fluxx experience can contact the Europe Support Centre for support and access to the system.
Information regarding procedure and criteria can be found at https://europeanscoutfoundation.com/knowledge-base/.
The application will be reviewed once a project has been submitted, and the results will be communicated to the project manager.
Budget
Up to 5,000 EUR.
Deadline
No deadlines are established for applications, but application review can take 1-3 months.
Examples of approved projects
Contribution to educational projects, restoration of Scout houses combined with an educational perspective, and organisation of events.
Contact
Erasmus+
Donor
European Union
Aim
This is the Programme that the European Union has set up for education, with a separate chapter for young people and youth organisations with the following transversal priorities: Inclusion and Diversity, Green, Digital, and Active participation.
It promotes mobility within and beyond the EU borders, youth work, non-formal education, and trans-sectorial partnerships among different educational actors.
Who can apply
Organisations from EU “programme countries” plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Organisations from “Neighbouring countries” need at least one partner from a “Programme Country” to apply. The new Erasmus+ programme has an extended international dimension and aims to support more exchanges outside Europe. For all actions, there are different age limits and different numbers of eligible participants/partners.
Procedure
The Erasmus+-programme is divided into three different actions (2 relevant for NSOs):
- Key action 1: “Individual mobility” youth exchange, youth initiative, youth worker mobility, seminars, trainings. This action is the easiest to access. Youth participation activities can also be held nationally without international exchange. Discover EU provides Interrail Train tickets to young people reaching 18 years old (The next application deadline is in spring 2025 and autumn 2025).
- Key action 2: “Strategic partnerships” (bigger projects involving ideally also partners from outside Scouting and the youth sector for innovative approaches to non-formal education). The projects for this action are more complex to access but can include project management and staff costs. Small-scale Partnerships within Key Action 2 are designed to widen access to small-scale actors. With lower grant amounts awarded to organisations (2 different lump sum amounts: EUR 30’000 or EUR 60’000), shorter duration, and simpler administrative requirements compared to the Cooperation Partnerships, this action aims to reach out to grassroots organisations, less experienced organisations, and newcomers to the Programme.
The Erasmus Youth accreditation is awarded for the period from 2021 to 2027. Accredited organisations can apply for funding (grant requests) for youth mobility activities in a prioritised and simplified way. Once an organisation has the accreditation, applications are based on the previously approved accreditation plan, so a detailed list and description of the planned activities are not required. We recommend all NSO/NSAs to proceed with the accreditation of their organisation.
Budget
Youth Programme for seven years: EUR 2.4 billion. Each action has different funding rules, but generally, the support is offered in terms of travel, accommodation, and activity costs through lump sums and a scale of unit costs.
Deadline
- Key Action 1: 12 February + 1 October 2025
- Key Action 2: 5 March 2025
Example of approved projects/financed actions
youth exchanges, youth initiatives, youth democracy projects, training and networking activities, meetings with young people and those responsible for youth policy.
Contact
European Solidarity Corps (ESC)
Donor
European Union
Aim
The European Solidarity Corps is a European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe. This programme replaces the former European Voluntary Service.
Who can apply
Youth Organisations such as NSOs/NSAs from the Erasmus+ Programme countries. But countries outside the EU can host volunteers. Applicant organisations should have a valid European Solidarity Corps quality label. We encourage all NSO/NSAs to apply for a European Solidarity Corps Quality label.
Quality label accreditation
A Quality Label is an organisation's entry ticket to the European Solidarity Corps and an organisation can apply for a Quality Label for volunteering - supporting and/or host role. The Quality Label gives access to the ESC funding opportunities and a pool of motivated young people. The Quality Label can be applied for here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/app-forms/af-ui-opportunities/#/european-solidarity-corps
Procedure
Application forms are available through an online system here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-esc/index/. Applications for the ESC quality label can be submitted at any time online. The programme offers the possibility of deploying volunteers in “crisis” countries through the EU Aid Volunteers (application at the centralised level).
Budget
EUR 1 billion available for 2021-2027. Each action has different funding rules, but generally, the support is offered in terms of travel, accommodation, and activity costs through lump sums and a scale of unit costs.
Deadline
Volunteer projects: 20 February 2025 (Optional, 1 October 2025)
Solidarity projects: 20 February 2025 (Optional, 7 May 2025) 1 October 2025
Humanitarian Aid: 24 April 2025
Examples of approved projects/financed actions
Long term International volunteering placement (2 to 12 months), possibility of in-country volunteering for young people with fewer opportunities, volunteering projects initiated by young people at the local level, International Support Team in Jamborees through the centralised call: Volunteering Teams in high priority areas
Contact
European Youth Foundation
Donor
Council of Europe
Aim
Provide financial support for European youth activities. Its purpose is to encourage cooperation among young people in Europe by providing financial support to European youth activities which promote peace, understanding and cooperation in a spirit of respect for the Council of Europe's fundamental values, such as human rights, democracy, tolerance and solidarity.
The funding priorities of the the EYF for 2025 are: Revitalising pluralistic democracy, Young people’s access to rights, Living together in peaceful and inclusive societies, and Youth work.
Who can apply
Youth organisations such as National Scout Organizations/National Scout Associations from countries which are Member States of the Council of Europe. Even if the project participants are youth leaders, at least 75% of them must be between the age 18-30.
Procedure
Youth organisations must be registered online in the EYF database before being able to submit an application; to apply, an organisation has to complete an online application. Please note that most of the actions require a partnership among organisations from different countries, meaning that the activities have to be international. Pilot projects are the only way to have local activities granted without other international partners.
Budget
EYF cannot cover the full cost of the project. Its contribution may not exceed two- thirds of the total cost of a project.
- The average grant for an International Event is EUR 15’000 (up to EUR 25’000)
- Pilot projects are limited to a maximum of EUR 15’000.
Deadline
The deadlines depend on the type of project applied for. Please note that a project should at the earliest, start 3 months after submitting the application.
- International Events: 1 April & 1 October.
- Pilot projects; 1 February 2025, 15 May 2025 & 1 September 2025.
Example of approved projects/financed actions
There are two categories of grants to which national organisations can apply to: International events (at least four days of events, three international partners, seven countries represented among participants and four in the planning team) and pilot projects. Priority is given to pilot projects that address a particular situation in a country or local community (e.g., crisis, minorities, discrimination etc.). We recommend you try to apply for a pilot project grant before trying to access the International Event ones.
Contact in the Europe Support Centre, Brussels
[email protected] NSOs and NSAs may also submit a https://treehouse.scout.org/wosm-services.
Erik Frank Trust
Donor
Eric Frank Trust
Aim
Funding projects within organisations which help empower young people particularly to develop leadership skills necessary to contribute constructively to their society.
Procedure
Projects must be submitted electronically to "The Administrator of the Eric Frank Trust [email protected]”. There is a standard cover page but no application form. Applications that have the written support of the European Support Centre will ensure the veracity of the application
Visegrád Fund
Donor
Equal contributions of the V4 countries (Hungary, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia) plus contributions from other governments (Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, USA).
Aim
Facilitate and promote the development of closer cooperation among citizens and institutions in the region of the four countries and between the V4 region and other countries, especially in the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership regions.
Who can apply
Any legal entity or natural person worldwide. Preferences are given to applicants from non-governmental and non-profit organizations, municipalities and local governments, public schools and universities, research and scientific bodies and public institutions. Any application must involve at least three partners from the V4 countries.
Procedure
Application forms are available through an online system at http://my.visegradfund.org/. The system usually opens 30 days before a given deadline (February 1, June 1, October 1). Applicants must register with an existing e-mail address to start a new application form.
Budget
Annual budget of EUR 8 million.
Example of approved projects/financed actions
The Central European Jamboree, The Scout and Guide Academy, European Youth Event.
Contact in the Europe Support Centre, Brussels
Global Youth Mobilization
Donor
European Union
Aim
The project must clearly meet the overall aims of the EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization and specifically address the following objectives:
- Improved engagement of young people in their diversity and their organisations, including the Big Six networks, in the implementation of initiatives related to sustainable development of their communities and societies and/or
- Increased capacity of young people in all their diversity to connect, lead, take action and advocate for their needs in relation to the SDGs.
- World Scouting encourages NSOs to consider projects aligned with Scouting work in relation to the SDGs, Scouts for SDGs Initiatives, or similar national/local projects supporting sustainable community development.
Who can apply
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia
Procedure
NSOs eligible to apply for GYM Network Solutions are encouraged to contact their Regional Support Centre. The application, approval, monitoring, evaluation and reporting process will follow World Scouting Grants processes but will be based specifically on the above selection and eligibility criteria.
- Tailored meetings will be offered to interested NSOs to clarify donor requirements and reporting expectations and provide support in project preparation.
- Projects will be mentored and supported by WOSM Services Consultants to ensure that the projects are scalable and that success can be replicated by other NSOs across the Scout Movement.
Budget
Costs must be attributable to the implementation of the actions.
- The minimum breakdown for costs incurred by the project is as follows:
- Minimum 70% programme activities – including all project costs incurred in delivering the project and all associated training, communications, promotion and outreach costs.
- Maximum 30% indirect /support costs – this should include consideration for the following:
- Monitoring and evaluation activities
- Operational costs, including staff support, overheads, and other costs directly related to implementing the initiative.
- Given the extensive reporting requirements and conditions set by the donor, we recommend pursuing medium-scale funding grants ranging between USD 20,000 and 30,000, pending approval.
Deadline:
NSOs are encouraged to submit applications between January and March 2025.
- Tailored meetings will be offered to interested NSOs to clarify donor requirements and reporting expectations and provide support in project preparation.
Contact in the Europe Support Centre, Brussels
Useful resources for funding
WOSM Reporting toolkit (EU-funded projects): https://learn.scout.org/resource/reporting-toolkit-eu-funded-projects
Especially for NSOs/NSAs of South-Eastern Europe: the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) http://www.balkancsd.net/
T-kit 9 "Funding and financial management" produced by EU-COE youth partnership.
UK Institute of Fundraising (website with many interesting suggestions): http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/.
Funds for NGOs (website with lot of interesting suggestions and free latest funds alert): http://www.fundsforngos.org/.
European Fundraising Association: http://www.efa-net.eu/.
Please note that the Europe Support Centre, Brussels, always informs Member Organizations of funding opportunities that might interest them.
Some funding opportunities or donors have not been listed in this document only because they might be active in specific geographical areas of countries and, therefore, are irrelevant. This includes, for example, programmes of the European Union focusing on neighbouring non-EU countries or that have different implementation objectives in different countries.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Europe Support Centres in Brussels to inquire for more information and support in your resource mobilisation efforts.