Deadline: 10-Aug-23
The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is now accepting applications for the PEACEPLUS Programme, Investment Area 3.2 – The PEACEPLUS Youth Programme.
Objectives
- This Investment Area will enhance the capacity of children and young people to form positive and effective relationships with others of a different background, develop their confidence and future potential and make a positive contribution to building a cohesive society. This is a capacity building programme for young people aged 14 to 24 years, who are disadvantaged excluded or marginalised, have deep social and emotional needs and are at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour, violence or paramilitary activity.
- It will result in marginalised and disadvantaged young people from across the Programme Area with enhanced capacity to form positive and effective relationships with others from a different background, develop their confidence and future potential, improve their individual life circumstances and make a positive contribution to a more peaceful, prosperous and cohesive society.
Themes
- Theme 1: Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities
- Theme 2: Delivering Economic Regeneration and Transformation
- Theme 3: Empowering and Investing in Young People
- Theme 4: Healthy and Inclusive Communities
- Theme 5: Supporting a Sustainable and Better Connected Future
- Theme 6: Building and Embedding Partnership and Collaboration
Essential Programme Components
- The PEACEPLUS Youth Programme must be delivered via an explicit, outcomes focused, professional youth work methodology, and closely aligned with an agreed set of principles and practice standards by suitably qualified and skilled professionals.
- Projects are to be implemented across the Programme Area, in Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland, including cross-border projects. They must be focused on the Programme outcome areas of good relations, personal development, citizenship, employability skills development and positive progression and delivered via a youth work methodology, with groups of young people in non-formal learning environments, providing access to a range of activities as ‘tools for change’.
- The level of intensity for participants during their time on the programme may vary to accommodate particular circumstances, for example, “building up” of participation at the start, preparation for transition at programme end, or to deal with certain unavoidable/extenuating circumstances facing a participant at any point during the programme activity.
- It is anticipated that a range of organisations will deliver the Programme, ensuring that projects are responsive to the needs of individual young people within their local community context via a range of activities/methods (especially with regard to good relations/peace building aims).
- Building on the PEACE4Youth Programme, the PEACEPLUS Youth Programme will place specific emphasis on enhancing the employability of participants, alongside the other outcomes and could incorporate activities to develop their entrepreneurial or social enterprise potential and other relevant skills.
- The PEACEPLUS Youth Programme should also incorporate the following elements:
- Support to access youth-focused, evidence-based, professionally recognised and/or statutory mental health and well-being support services, including addiction counselling;
- Access to counselling and other support services for front line youth workers, supporting participants who have experienced trauma and who lead complex and challenging lives; and
- Interventions designed to address the barriers to participation including childcare, transport (particularly for those based in rural areas), language support, and disability access.
Funding Information
- The total value of €45 million is available under this call. This consists of €36 million ERDF and €9 million governmental match.
What does the overall Investment Area “PEACEPLUS Youth Programme” seek to achieve?
- The PEACEPLUS Youth Programme will bring about positive change in the form of clear, meaningful and sustainable ‘distance travelled’ for individual participants in relation to five outcome areas. A primary aim will be to increase the capacity, confidence and achievement level of every young person participating, via young person – centred practices.
- This Investment area is outcomes-focused across the following key areas:
- Good relations: contributing to lower levels of community division, sectarianism and racism, and making a positive contribution to reconciliation;
- Citizenship: developing the capacity of the young person to participate in and make a positive contribution towards family, community and society;
- Personal development: developing the fundamental personal and social/ emotional or ‘soft’ skills of the participant;
- Employability skills development: developing the ‘soft’ employability skills identified as essential by employers, and supporting the achievement of certain qualifications; and
- Positive progression: effectively supporting participants during their programme to identify and prepare for positive progression post-programme as well as the tracking of this progression.
Eligibility Criteria
- National, regional and local authorities;
- Regional and local development agencies, chambers of commerce;
- Universities, colleges, higher education, research institutions;
- Non-governmental organisations (NGOs);
- Sectoral agencies and business support organisations;
- Voluntary youth sector organisations
- Other relevant public-like organisations contributing to the development of the programme area;
- Private sector – specifically micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies.
- The programme area for the PEACEPLUS Programme is:
- Northern Ireland;
- The border counties of Ireland (Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo).
For more information, visit SEUPB.