Will your city be the next European Volunteering Capital?

The European Volunteer Centre (CEV) launches the eighth 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 2021 and will be promoted throughout Europe and beyond. The winners from the previous editions are Padova (2020), 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 11 June 2019 and candidate municipalities will be announced on 12 June 2019. 

The information provided in this form will count as 50% of the final score allocated to each candidate. 25% of the score will be allocated according to a 5 minute video that will be submitted together with the written evidence. 25% of the score will be allocated based on the presentation of the candidature during the Candidates Reception organised by CEV on 20th November 2019 in Brussels.

The winning municipality will be announced on 5 December 2019, on the International Volunteer Day.

For more information