European Voluntary Service (EVS)
// Introduction - What is EVS?
European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a European Commission Scheme which encourages 18-30 year olds to undertake long term volunteering in Europe.
The scheme is funded in order to make volunteering as accessible as possible. The projects are unpaid and, importantly, volunteers do not replace paid workers.
Benefits of EVS volunteering
- Volunteering through EVS provides young people with a real-life international learning experience, encouraging social integration, increasing employability and offering opportunities to show solidarity with other people.
- Organisations and local communities are strengthened by the experience of European partnerships - exchanging cultural knowledge and good practice, increasing awareness and understanding of international youth work.
- It aspires to develop solidarity and promote tolerance among young people, primarily to reinforce social cohesion in the European Union. It promotes active citizenship and enhances mutual understanding among young people.
EVS runs a long-term programme (6-12 months) and a short-term programme (1-6 months).
There are 2 types of programmes
Long-term programme:
Long-term placements are between 6-12 months. What makes this programme different from our short-term international volunteer projects, other than the length, is that the young person is encouraged to play an active role in finding and organising their placement. This applies during the placement itself with emphasis on the volunteer working with the host to build a mutually beneficial work experience.
The placements last for a specified period of time which is usually 6, 9 or 12 months.
The long-term programme is open to any young person aged 18-30 who is resident in Britain and who has EU citizenship.
Short-term programme:
Short-term placements are from3 weeks to 6 months and are aimed specifically at young people who have special needs or who require additional support/mentoring. It offers a first step to longer term volunteering. Anyone interested in receiving more information on short-term opportunities should contact the office directly.
What you can do
A wide variety of projects can be found from; the environment, heritage conservation, arts and culture, sports and leisure, to activities with children, young people, the elderly and those with special needs, For example, volunteers could find themselves working with refugee groups in Holland, doing archaeology in Italy, or teaching English and HIV/AIDS awareness in Estonia.
The start and end dates are set by the host organisation and therefore availability will vary each year and finding a place will depend on whether there is an existing volunteer in place or not.
How much does it cost?
EVS is a fully funded scheme therefore the project costs and volunteer expenses are covered by the EVS grant.
The grant covers costs such as:
- travel
- medical insurance
- board and lodging
- training
- living expenses (the amount varies depending on the project and destination)
Training
If your application for a placement is approved Concordia ensures that you are fully prepared for the placement prior to departure:
- Concordia will clarify the conditions of your placement.
- We will help arrange your travel and arrange your medical insurance.
- We may invite you to visit the Concordia office to discuss pre-departure preparation.
- You will be invited to a pre-departure training event, organised by Connect Youth, the UK national agency for EVS. This meeting will enable you to meet other outgoing EVS volunteers and discuss a number of topics such as health and safety, expectations, who to contact in case of emergencies etc.
- The programme also offers on-arrival training which is undertaken by the hosting national agency.
Small Print
In order for EVS placements to take place there needs to be a partnership set up between the hosting organisation, sending organisation (Concordia) and the volunteer.
Volunteer responsibilities
Once your application has been accepted by Concordia you will need to do the following:
- Research the available projects and determine those you are interested in.
- Write motivation letters for those projects you wish to apply for and supply any necessary supporting documents.
- Once selected for a project you commit to it for the full period.
- Attend a pre-departure and on arrival training.
- Keep in regular contact with Concordia during the placement.
- Attend a final evaluation meeting on your return.
Concordia’s responsibilities
Once we accept your application we undertake the following:
- Find out more information on the projects which you are interested in.
- Recommend projects we know are available with existing partner organisations.
- Develop the partnerships with the relevant hosting organisations.
Once you are selected for a project we will:
- Help define the conditions such as the start and end dates, living arrangements and expenses etc.
- Apply for the EVS grant to cover travel and living costs.
- Ensure adequate preparation and information is available prior to departure.
- Offer on going support by email and telephone as required.
- Arrange a final evaluation session, and offer advice and support on Future Capital funding for follow up projects.
How to apply
The EVS application process can be quite slow. It is a partnership between three organisations, the sending organisation (Concordia), the hosting organisation and the national agency for EVS representing the European Commission. Some organisations select their volunteers up to 9 months before the anticipated placement start. Therefore, it is really important to apply in good time before your anticipated start date. If this amount of time is not available then you may have to be more flexible about the project you apply for.
Important: Volunteers who are more open-minded about where they go and what they do will find it easier to be placed. It is better to focus on the project rather than the country where possible and to apply for a number of projects just in case your 1st choice is not available.
Step 1
Before deciding to apply we suggest you visit the Connect Youth website www.connectyouthinternational.com which has a lot more information about being an EVS volunteer.
To find out more information about all the EVS projects you need to check out the EVS database on http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_en.cfm
How to get to the database:
Click on ‘The European database on approved host projects’ on the left hand bar. Then click on database which is towards the bottom of the page. This will take you to the database of all EVS projects. You can search via country, theme or direct project if you know the Host Expression of Interest (HEI) number.
Step 2
The next step is to fill out the Concordia Information Form giving as much background information as possible about your experience and motivations. Then email the form along with a current CV and picture (ideally a passport picture to fiona@concordia-iye.org.uk
Once accepted by Concordia you will need to search for a suitable placement.
We will need the Host Expression of Interest number (EI code) so that we can contact the hosting organisation to find out more information on availability and selection requirements for each EVS project. At this stage we will also send out your CV.
Step 3
If the hosting organisation chooses you as an EVS volunteer they will normally contact Concordia first and sometimes they ask to do a phone interview with you.
Step 4
If you are chosen for the project then Concordia and the host organisation will start to prepare a grant application. This provides the funding that enables the placement to go ahead.
EVS Grant application deadlines:
There are 5 deadlines for EVS grant applications annually and the deadline you apply for determines the possible placement start date - a minimum of three months later.
| Deadline |
For activities starting between: |
| 1st February | 1 May - 30 September |
| 1st April | 1 July - 30 November |
| 1st June | 1 September - 31 January |
| 1st September | 1 December -30 April |
| 1st November | 1 February - 31 July |
Application Checklist
- Send all your documents by email if possible.
- Make sure you complete the application form as fully as possible, being specific about the type of placement, dates you are available and countries you are prepared to go to.
- Attach your CV.
- Attach a recent passport type photo (many organisations ask for this). Keep the photo as low resolution as possible. If you don’t have access to a scanner you can send one in to us and we will scan it for you.
- Think carefully about your choices and your motivations for applying. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes once we receive an application and trying to secure a placement is a time consuming process.