European Solidarity Corps

What European Solidarity Corps does

The European Solidarity Corps is an EU government programme administered by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), specifically Unit A.4 – Youth and Intergenerational Fairness. It was launched as a preparatory action in 2016 and became a permanent programme under Regulation (EU) 2021/888, covering the 2021-2027 period and replacing the earlier Regulations (EU) 2018/1475 and (EU) No 375/2014.

The programme provides young people aged 18-30 with access to volunteering placements, traineeships, solidarity projects, and job opportunities across EU member states and participating programme countries. Its core product is delivered through the European Youth Portal (youth.europa.eu), available in 23 EU languages plus five additional languages, which handles registration, opportunity browsing, and application workflows. The portfolio also includes DiscoverEU (discounted travel passes for 18-year-olds), Youthpass (documentation of non-formal learning outcomes), and EU Academy (general and humanitarian aid training). Implementation is delivered through a network of National Agencies for Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps in each member state, with content co-managed by the Eurodesk Network.

The European Solidarity Corps is funded directly through the EU budget and is provided at no cost to participants. Organisations holding an EU Quality Label can receive EU funding to host volunteers, but the programme itself does not generate commercial revenue and has no pricing or subscription model. Headquarters and the data controller are located at Rue Joseph II 70, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium, with approximately 209 employees, and key partnerships include Eurodesk, Henner Insurance (participant insurance), Youthpass, and EU Academy.

Name

European Solidarity Corps

Legal name

European Solidarity Corps (European Commission / European Union)

Website

https://youth.europa.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The European Solidarity Corps is an EU government programme, administered by the European Commission's DG EAC, that enables young people aged 18-30 to participate in volunteering, traineeships, and solidarity projects across EU member states, delivered through the European Youth Portal and a network of National Agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mobility and Solidarity Programme

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Social Integration Programs (Clubs, Events, Volunteering) (EDAIAKAE), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Youth volunteering programme
• EU solidarity initiatives
• Cross-border volunteering
• Youth mobility programme
• Civic engagement opportunities

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Government Funding: The European Solidarity Corps is funded by the European Union as part of the European Youth Programmes. It is a free service for young participants, with funding provided through EU regulations including Regulation (EU) 2021/888 establishing the European Solidarity Corps programme.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The European Solidarity Corps is an EU-funded programme that enables young people aged 18-30 to participate in volunteering, traineeships, and job placements across EU Member States and partner countries. It is delivered through the European Youth Portal where young people register, browse opportunities, and apply for solidarity projects. Organisations holding a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label can host participants and receive EU funding to support their activities.

Product overview

The European Solidarity Corps operates primarily as an online platform within the European Youth Portal, offering a unified programme for young people to volunteer and participate in solidarity activities across Europe. The core offering is the European Solidarity Corps programme itself, supplemented by DiscoverEU (travel passes for 18-year-olds), Youthpass (learning outcome documentation), and EU Academy (training access). The European Youth Portal serves as the main informational and transactional web platform, available in 23 EU languages plus 5 additional languages, managed by DG EAC and the Eurodesk network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• European Solidarity Corps An EU programme enabling young people aged 18-30 to volunteer or work on solidarity projects across Europe. The platform allows registration, matching with host organisations, and participation tracking through the European Youth Portal.
• European Youth Portal The official EU portal providing information and opportunities at European and national level for young people aged 13-30. It offers sections on civic engagement, international opportunities, EU initiatives, and youth strategy, available in 23 EU languages plus 5 additional languages for DiscoverEU content.
• DiscoverEU An EU initiative giving 18-year-olds the opportunity to travel across Europe by train, bus, or ferry with discounted travel passes. The application process collects personal data for eligibility verification and travel coordination.
• Youthpass
• EU Academy

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eurodesk NetworkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEurodesk Brussels Link and the network of national Eurodesk organisations maintain the content of the European Youth Portal and respond to questions from young people about the European Solidarity Corps and other EU youth programmes. The network provides first-level support and user assistance.
• National Agencies for Erasmus+ and European Solidarity CorpscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational Agencies in each EU country are responsible for implementing the European Solidarity Corps programme at national level. They carry out checks, audits and evaluations of projects receiving EU support and provide assistance to authorised representatives of organisations.
• EU DelegationsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEU Delegations in programme countries receive limited access to the Corps database to be informed about Corps participants deployed in their countries. They may contact volunteers for security emergencies and event invitations.
• Henner InsuranceminorOthersInsurance contractor for the European Solidarity Corps programme, providing coverage for participants. Limited personal data (first name, last name, date of birth, email, nationality, country of residence, gender) is shared for insurance management purposes.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AIESEC: Global youth-led NGO offering international volunteering and internship exchanges for students and recent graduates. Directly comparable target audience (18-30 year-olds seeking cross-border experience) and service-based placements, though operates as an independent non-profit rather than a government programme.
• European Youth Foundation (Council of Europe): Council of Europe instrument providing grants and support to youth activities across the European continent (broader than just EU). Operates in overlapping geographic space with comparable youth civic engagement and service-learning mission.
• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): International development charity sending skilled volunteers to work on poverty-reduction projects in Africa and Asia. Comparable volunteer placement model, vetted host organization network, and youth/skill-development focus, though with a development rather than solidarity framing.
• Erasmus+: Direct EU peer programme co-managed by the same DG EAC unit and delivered through the same National Agencies. Targets the same 18-30 demographic with cross-border mobility (study, training, volunteering), making it the closest functional comparator for programme structure, funding mechanism, and participant base.

Broad incumbents

• UN Volunteers (UNV): UN agency that mobilizes volunteers for sustainable development and humanitarian work globally. Operates at broader scale and global scope but shares the core concept of placing young people in solidarity/service roles with vetted host organizations.
• Peace Corps (United States): The US government's flagship international volunteer programme sending Americans abroad for service placements. Comparable in core mission (youth and adult international volunteering for solidarity/development goals), though it operates outbound rather than the Corps' intra-EU focus.

Regional players

• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) - Volunteer Programs: Japan's government agency operating outbound volunteer programmes (including JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers). Comparable as a state-administered youth volunteer programme, but serves a Japanese outbound cohort and Asian/African host countries rather than intra-European placements.

Emerging players

• Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and Youth Exchange: Rotary International's youth programmes offering leadership development and cross-border youth exchanges. Comparable youth development and cross-cultural exchange mission, though delivered through a private service-club network rather than government funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-solidarity-corps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about European Solidarity Corps