Will your city be the next European Volunteering Capital?

The European Volunteer Centre (CEV) launches the seventh edition of the European Volunteering Capital competition. It aims to promote volunteering at the local level by giving recognition to municipalities that support and strengthen partnerships with volunteer centres and volunteer-involving organisations in their communities. It is also a way to celebrate and promote volunteering and the impact made by volunteers.

The awarded municipality is chosen from the candidates by an international jury of key personalities connected with volunteering, representing civil society, the private, for-profit sector, as well as the EU institutions.

The jury will assess the extent to which the Policy Agenda for Volunteering in Europe (PAVE) recommendations and the CEV “5R” policy priorities for volunteering. How the municipality intends to engage with the European Solidarity Corps is also taken into account.

The winning municipality will be granted the title of European Volunteering Capital 2020 and will be promoted as such during 2019 and 2020 throughout Europe and beyond. The winners from the previous editions are Kosice (2019), Aarhus (2018), Sligo (2017), London (2016), Lisbon (2015) and Barcelona (2014).

The application form is online

Municipalities of any size from a member state of the Council of Europe can already fill the application form. The deadline for applications is 29 June 2018 and candidate municipalities will be announced in July 2018. The information provided in this form will count as 70% of the final score allocated to each candidate. 30% of the score will be allocated based on the presentation of the candidature during the Candidates Reception organised by CEV on 25th October 2018 in Brussels.

The winning municipality will be announced on or near 5 December 2018, prior to the International Volunteer Day (5 December).

For more information