Youth organisations and associations are confronted with reduced funding, resulting in declining opportunitiesfor young people’s active involvement in civil society. At the same time, youth organisations are laboratories of civic engagement contributing to the promotion of and advocacy for human rights and democracy. Through the European Youth Foundation (EYF), financial support is available to encourage co-operation among young people to promote the values and priorities of the Council of Europe across the continent and their meaningful participation in democratic processes.

The EYF provides support to European youth-led projects through international, national and local youth NGOs, or youth networks. Each year, approximately 200 projects and 10 000 young people aged between 15 and 30 benefit from EYF support for projects that are in line with the priorities of the “Youth for democracy” programme of the Council of Europe. There are different types of grants: annual work plans, one-off international activities, and local pilot projects. The EYF also offers advice and support to young people to develop and implement these projects. The financial sustainability of international youth NGOs and networks is supported through structural grants. All decisions related to EYF grants are taken by the Programming Committee on Youth (CPJ), composed on an equal footing of representatives of governments and youth NGOs, thus reflecting the unique co-management system.