Minister O'Gorman welcomes scheme to support European Year of Youth Initiatives

• grants of between €500 and €5,000 available to support local European Year of Youth activities across all settings
• €60,000 to be made available with a series of deadlines across the year

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today welcomed the launch of the European Year of Youth Micro Grants scheme which is being run by Léargas, Ireland’s National Coordinator for the Year.

The scheme will be open to youth organisations, local youth and community groups and organised groups of young people in other settings such as schools to apply for funding to carry out activities that support, celebrate, engage and listen to young people and that promote youth opportunities at a local, national and European level, in line with the objectives of the European Year of Youth.

A total of €60,000 is available under the scheme, to be allocated in grants of between €500 and €5000, with a series of deadlines over the course of the year.

The European Year of Youth Micro Grants Scheme was opened for applications today at the Connect with Europe event, which was hosted by Léargas in the Alex Hotel, Dublin. The purpose of the event was to showcase how young people can access opportunities in Europe through information and support initiatives like Eurodesk and Youth Wiki. As part of this event, both Léargas and Minister O’Gorman officially welcomed the European Year of Youth 2022 in Ireland.

Commenting on the scheme, Minister O’Gorman said:

Léargas, as Ireland’s National Co-ordinator for the Year, is leading on the Work Plan for the implementation of the Year in Ireland, in close partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and with input from key stakeholders as part of a National Steering Group.

Léargas currently intends to host two significant national events, in May and September, highlighting and celebrating European, national and local youth opportunities. In addition, it is working with local youth organisations to host a series of smaller events.

• you can apply for a European Year of Youth grant here
• any queries on the European Year of Youth Micro Grants Scheme should be sent to Léargas eyy2022@leargas.ie
• further details of opportunities available under the Year can be found on the Léargas website and the European Youth Portal

The 4 objectives of the European Year of Youth are as follows:

• renewing the positive perspectives for young people, with a particular focus on the negative effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on them, while highlighting how the green and digital transitions and other Union policies offer opportunities for young people and for the society at large
• supporting young people, including through youth work, especially young people with fewer opportunities, from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds or belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups, to acquire relevant knowledge and competences and thus become active and engaged citizens, inspired by a European sense of belonging
• supporting young people to acquire a better understanding of, and actively promoting the various opportunities available to them, be it from the EU, national, regional or local level, to support their personal, social, economic and professional development
• mainstreaming youth policy across all relevant Union policy fields in line with the EU Youth Strategy 2019 –2027 to encourage that a youth perspective is brought into policy-making at all levels