International youth work can be carried out in different formats and with almost all the countries of the world.
Different funding programmes and funding agencies are available depending on the partner country.

German Sports Youth is a central office that is partly responsible for managing funds from the German Federal Government’s Child and Youth Plan (KJP) and the bilateral youth offices. These funds can be claimed by the German Sports Youth member organisations and their subdivisions. 

There are also other options for applying for subsidies for international exchanges from local authorities, federal states, the German Federal Government, or Europe. For example the Erasmus+ and Teams up! funding programmes as well as funds from foundations or private funds, e.g. from the German-Turkish Youth Bridge, which the organisations can seek to obtain.

In the area of Europeanisation, the Erasmus+ Sport and Erasmus+ Youth programmes are good entry-level formats. With Erasmus+ Sport, professionals in the field of sport can visit colleagues in other European countries as individuals or in a small group (of up to ten people). In a job shadowing or practical placement, participants can exchange ideas, establish contacts and build up European networks for their own organisation. If the focus of the project is on young people (aged 13 to 30) and international exchanges with multiple partners, youth exchanges are possible with the Erasmus+ Youth programme. The European Solidarity Corps funding programme allows young people (aged 18 to 30) from other countries in Europe to be accepted as volunteers at a sports organisation or German young people to be sent abroad to bring more Europe to the sports club or association. In all three programmes, the national agency YOUTH for Europe provides advice and support.

The information and documents on this website only present the funding programmes for which German Sports Youth acts as a central office. I.e. the funding programmes whose funds can be applied for and settled directly through German Sports Youth (German Federal Government’s Child and Youth Plan (KJP) and youth offices).

It is possible to apply for federal funds from the German Federal Government’s Child and Youth Plan (KJP) and funding from various youth offices (the funding programme is always geared to the partner country) through dsj. The information and documents about funding for international exchanges only present these two funding options. 

If you want information about any of the other specified means of financing, you must contact the club independently. Please understand that dsj cannot provide any advice about this.

Funding formats and requirements of the funding programmes of the Federal Government’s Child and Youth Plan (KJP) and the youth offices

• Bilateral, trilateral or multilateral youth exchanges and programmes for professionals
  • in Germany and abroad
  • in collaboration with a partner organisation
  • based on the principle of reciprocity (the exchanges take place in all the partner countries alternately)
• Work shadowing and internships for youth welfare professionals in Germany and/or the partner country
• Small activities in the context of international youth work
• Preparatory/follow-up or evaluation meetings

Youth exchanges

• all the young people from Germany and the other countries take part in the programme together. The focus is on intercultural dialogue and intercultural learning. Ideally, the exchange centres around a specific topic.

Programmes for professionals

• have a direct thematic connection to children’s and youth work or serve to pave the way for a youth encounter. The professional connection must be present both for the programme and for the participants.

Job shadowing and internships

• as longer-term projects for youth welfare professionals that aim to give individuals in-depth insights into the work of the partner organisation.

Small activities

• are projects in the context of international youth work that map out concerns, experiences, results and successes of exchanges in a variety of ways. They are projects that do not completely meet the conditions for an exchange, but are closely related to international dialogue in terms of their content. E.g. publications, exhibitions, printed materials, online projects and other open-access events. 

Small activities as media projects (only KJP, various countries) 

• are activities relating to the conception, design, development, adaptation or maintenance as media, e.g. the preparation and publication of information materials, working aids, trade journals and media, and specialist and general public relations work of a national and supraregional significance.

Preparatory/follow-up or evaluation meetings (only Poland and France)

• as direct preparation/follow-up for an international exchange

The funding options may vary depending on the countries involved. There are rules with regard to the duration, the number of participants and the funding rates.

Other funding options also exist, e.g. from the funds of the European Commission and, depending on the federal state, from state funds for which German Sports Youth is not a central office.

Guidelines and deadlines
When applying for funding, you must observe the guidelines and deadlines, which may vary depending on the funding programme and can be found under the respective funding programmes.

Measures that do not receive funding
encounters purely for the purpose of a competition or tournament, training camps and tourist trips, or leisure and recreational measures without the character of an exchange.