NOVA Glossary for European Solidarity Corps (ESC)

Plain, crisp definitions for European Solidarity Corps (ESC) terms — written for humans.

A

Accompanying person
An adult (18+) who travels with a participant with fewer opportunities (e.g., disability) to keep them safe and to support learning during the activity.
Activity
A block of work inside a project that shares the same place, time frame, and scope.
Affiliated entity
An organisation legally/capital‑linked to a beneficiary. It can carry out parts of the action if named in the grant agreement and follows the same audit/eligibility rules. Costs may be eligible via actuals or unit/lump/flat rates.
Applicant
The organisation or youth group that submits the grant application.
Application deadline
The final date/time when the National Agency (or Executive Agency) must receive your application.

B

Beneficiary
Any organisation that signs the grant agreement (directly or via an accession form/mandate).

C

Call for proposals
The Commission’s formal invitation (with a deadline) to submit projects that meet stated objectives and conditions.
Certificate of participation
A document proving a participant has completed an ESC volunteering activity (may include learning outcomes).
Clerical error
A small mistake (e.g., typo or missing word) that changes meaning.
Coach
An external helper who supports a Solidarity Project group in planning, delivering, and evaluating their project.
Co‑financing
Part of project costs that must be covered by the beneficiary or other sources beyond the EU grant.
Consortium
Two or more organisations that prepare, implement, and follow up a project together (contract signed by each or by an authorised lead).
Coordinator
The applicant that leads a consortium and holds extra obligations in the grant agreement.
Cross‑border activity
An activity in a country different from the participant’s legal residence.

E

Established
Officially recognised under national rules (e.g., registration). For informal youth groups, the legal representative’s residence counts for eligibility to ESC funds.
EU Academy
The EU’s e‑learning hub with official training modules (including ESC General Online Training) to help apply EU policies well.
Europass
EU platform for CVs, skills records, self‑assessments, and digitally signed credentials; connects to national data on learning and qualifications.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
Free card for access to medically necessary state healthcare during temporary stays in EU/EEA countries on the same terms as locals.
European Solidarity Network (EuSN)
A community (since 2019) connecting young people around improving the ESC experience.
EuroPeers
Young alumni who share their EU mobility experiences with peers through talks/events (voluntary).

F

Force majeure
An exceptional, unforeseeable event beyond your control that prevents delivery despite due diligence (see grant agreement for exact conditions).

G

General Online Training (GOT)
ESC training modules on EU Academy for registered candidates and selected participants.
Green travel
Low‑emission travel for most of the journey (e.g., train, bus, car‑sharing). NOVA note: choose green by default when feasible.

H

Host organisation
The organisation that designs the volunteer’s programme and gives guidance/support throughout.
Humanitarian aid activity
Activities in third countries that support life‑saving aid, protection, disaster preparedness/reduction, and resilience for crisis‑affected communities.

I

In‑country activity
An activity in the participant’s country of legal residence.
Informal learning
Unplanned learning from daily life (work, family, leisure).
International organisation
Bodies set up by international agreements (plus ICRC and IFRC are treated similarly).

K

Key competences
EU’s core list of knowledge/skills/attitudes for life, work, and citizenship (e.g., literacy, digital, personal/social/learning to learn, etc.).

L

Learning outcomes
What a person knows/understands/can do after learning (knowledge, skills, competence).
Legal entity
A person or organisation with legal personality that can hold rights and obligations; includes certain non‑personified entities per Financial Regulation.
Legal Entity Appointed Representative (LEAR)
The validated person on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal who maintains an organisation’s legal/financial data and assigns signatories.
Location
The specific place(s) where a host organises volunteering. The host’s main address counts as the first location; more can be declared.
Long‑term volunteering
Volunteering of 60+ days (travel days excluded).
Member of the informal group implementing a project
In Solidarity Projects, the young people delivering the project (i.e., the group’s members).

N

National Agency (NA)
The body that implements ESC nationally in each Programme Country.
National Authority
The body that oversees and supervises the programme at national level.
Newcomer organisation
An organisation that has never before received support in any ESC action.
Non‑formal learning
Planned learning with support (mentors, sessions) but outside formal schooling/training systems.

P

Participant
A registered young person in the ESC Portal who takes part in a project and may receive EU support (travel, subsistence, inclusion).
Participant with fewer opportunities
A young person facing barriers (economic, social, cultural, geographical, health, disability, migrant background, educational difficulties, or other grounds under Article 21 of the EU Charter). NOVA note: design budgets and logistics to remove barriers, not just label them.
Participating organisation
Any organisation or youth group involved in an ESC project (applicant, partner, or associated partner).
Partner organisation
A co‑beneficiary formally part of the project but not the applicant.
Preparatory visit
A planning trip to the host country before a volunteering activity to align roles, build trust, and ensure quality/safety/inclusion.
Project
A coherent set of activities designed to achieve agreed objectives and results.
Qualification
A formal recognition that assessed learning outcomes meet a standard.

Q

Quality Label
The ESC’s quality assurance badge confirming an organisation meets standards to receive funding under specific actions (assessed by the EA, NA, or SALTO depending on type/country).

R

Registered candidate
A 17–35 year‑old who registered in the ESC Portal and is interested in a solidarity activity but not yet placed.

S

Short‑term volunteering
Volunteering of up to 59 days (travel days excluded).
Solidarity activity
A high‑quality, inclusive action (volunteering, solidarity project, or networking; including humanitarian aid) that addresses societal needs.

T–V

Union transparency & recognition tools
EU instruments that help compare and recognise learning and qualifications across countries (e.g., Europass, EQF, ECTS).
Validation of non‑formal & informal learning
A 4‑step process: identify experiences → document them → assess formally → certify (may lead to partial/full qualification).
Venue
The physical place where an activity happens.

Y

Youth Goals
Cross‑sectoral goals from the EU Youth Strategy highlighting key challenges in young people’s lives.
Youth Strategy (EU, 2019–2027)
The EU framework to Engage, Connect, Empower young people; promotes participation, inclusion, and resources for all youth.
Youthpass (ESC)
Certificates + a guided reflection process to recognise learning in ESC projects; part of the wider EU effort to value non‑formal/informal learning and youth work.
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