Call for Research on inclusive youth participation

SALTO Participation and Information Resource Centre (SALTO PI) is looking for a service provider to conduct research supporting SALTO PI and Youth Participation Strategy (YPS) Steering group in the implementation of Aim 6 of YPS.

The research intends to share insights and recommendations to further raise awareness and help stakeholders and beneficiaries of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps better understand and support inclusive youth participation. The research will serve as a basis for further implementation of the YPS Aim 6. It is aimed to identify the principles of inclusive youth participation, as well as compile tools created on the topic and stakeholders working with it.

Context

Youth Participation Strategy is a strategic planning document for enhancing youth participation in democratic life through the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. It is developed by SALTO Participation & Information Resource Centre (SALTO PI) in 2020 following a consultation process that involved the input of the European Commission, National Agencies, decision-makers, experts, and practitioners in the field. It is intended for stakeholders who have a role in supporting the implementation of the programmes.

Youth participation identified in the strategy is “about individual young people and groups of young people having the right, the means, the space, the opportunity, and, where necessary, the support to freely express their views, contribute to and influence societal decision-making on matters affecting them, and be active within the democratic and civic life of our communities”. Aim 6 of the Strategy calls for dedicating specific attention to the participation in democratic life of young people with fewer opportunities. The achievement of this aim has been identified generally as “low progress” by Youth Participation Strategy Steering group (SALTO PI YPS monitoring, 2024). The currently included activities in the YPS on this aim (developing a tool and a checklist on inclusive participation) have been identified as insufficient and requires broader initial exploration, thus forming basis for the need for this research.

Young people with fewer opportunities (in Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps) refers to young people who face barriers due to various factors such as economic, social, race, cultural, geographical, health reasons, etc., limiting their access to opportunities under the programmes. Inclusion refers to the active removal of barriers to promote participation of diverse groups and individuals. It is a multidimensional process taking place in various social fields (Reseach report “Making Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps more inclusive” (2024))  It can also have a specific topical focus such as youth participation in democratic life and involvement in decision-making.

Who are involved in the process

Youth Participation Strategy Steering group (YPS SG) is supporting the monitoring, implementation, and evaluation of the Youth Participation Strategy, advising on the activities related to the implementation of it, as well as advocating for and promoting meaningful youth participation in democratic life as one of the priorities in the framework of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. The group consists of 6 youth representatives selected via open call, as well as stakeholders and partners of YPS implementation – National Agency representatives, ERYICA, SALTO Inclusion & Diversity, European Commission, and RAY Network representatives.
SALTO PI supports the implementation of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes in relation to the priority participation in democratic life across Europe. For that purpose, it develops tools and publications (available on our website participationpool.eu together with other quality resources), organises training courses and events for the stakeholders of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes such as National Agencies (NAs), the European Commission, programme beneficiaries and other actors in the fields of Youth and Education & Training (E&T). SALTO PI is responsible for the coordination, monitoring, evaluation and ongoing revision of Youth Participation Strategy. It is hosted by the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Agency in Estonia and is one of 11 Resource Centres in SALTO network. National Agencies for Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps and civil society organisations working with democratic participation of young people with fewer opportunities are to be involved in decision-making of this research project, whenever possible and relevant.

Needs for the research

• Identifying guiding principles and specific differences when it comes to democratic participation of young people with fewer opportunities (based on available research and / or consultations with relevant stakeholders in the field), including but not limited to young people with disabilities, cultural differences, young people having experienced discrimination;
• Providing an overview of available tools and resources developed on inclusive democratic participation in connection with the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity programmes (such as, e.g. toolkit “Inclusive Youth Participation”);
• Providing an overview of organisations, projects and practices working on inclusive youth participation;
• Identifying gaps in the current approaches, methodologies and educational resources on the topic to provide recommendations for SALTOs, National Agencies and the European Commission for supporting inclusive democratic participation in the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps.

Tasks and deliverables

Research report must be delivered by 20th of June, first draft available for discussion with the YPS Steering group by 30th of May. The report should contain:

• Theoretical basis identifying the differences and principles of involving young people with fewer opportunities in decision-making / youth participation of young people with fewer opportunities (e.g. in organising activities and projects, as well as organisational decision-making);
• Summary and analysis of available tools and methodologies related to the topic;
• Summary of organisations working on democratic participation of young people with fewer opportunities in the framework of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps;
• Evidence-based recommendations on further research and actions related to implementing YPS Aim 6 in policy and practice.

This is subject to changes based on the needs identified in the research process and agreements made between the YPS SG, SALTO PI and the service providers. This research project is to be done following the principles of co-creation and meaningful involvement of the YPS SG and other stakeholders whenever possible and relevant. Diverse, inclusive and participatory approaches and methods are encouraged to be used in the process. This approach is to be taken throughout all phases of the implementation of this project, whenever possible and relevant. Please keep in mind the applied nature of the research and the target group that includes non-academic readers.

Approximate timeline

1. Agreements on the process and the expected results of the work
   a. Timing: from 7 to 16 of April
   b. Activities: briefing meeting with SALTO team and YPS SG online
   c. Outcome: agreement on the cooperation, task division, and potential process of implementation of the project.
2. Research on the democratic participation of young people with fewer opportunities
   a. Timing: from mid-April to 30.06.
   b. Activities: conducting research, involving desk research of the available studies, as well as interviews / focus groups based on the gaps. Research to be done based on the suggested and agreed upon methodology and involving YPS SG and organisations working in the field of inclusive democratic participation, as much as possible;
   c. Outcome: 1) first draft to be provided by 30.05., 2) edits to be made and final version to be delivered by 30.06.
3. Consulting and advising on the communication activities and the further steps of the YPS SG
   a. Timing: from 1.07.-30.07.
   b. Activities:
   • Discussion of the outcomes and next steps in the implementation of YPS Aim 6;
   • Consulting communication team on the unclarities and specificities of the outcomes for publishing (online communication and 1-2 online meetings up to 2 h).
   The SALTO PI team will submit the proofread and designed version of the report for publication for approval of the researcher (to be expected before the end of July 2026).

Required profile

• Strong interest in youth participation in democratic life and inclusion / accessibility,
• Demonstrated expertise, including theoretical and / or practical knowledge and experience, in research on the topic of youth participation and inclusion / accessibility,
• Experience and / or interest in participatory research approaches,
• Demonstrated familiarity with Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps programmes,
• Fluency in English (written and verbal).
  Service providers with lived experience are highly encouraged to apply.

Application process

Interested candidates should send their application via mail to [email protected] with reference to “Open call – Research on YPS Aim 6” by 26th of March.
The application should include:

1. a motivation letter indicating 1) what you can contribute to this project, 2) what is your experience with the topic of inclusion / accessibility and youth participation in democratic life, and 3) what is your research experience. Experience in the 5 Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes is considered as beneficial. This can be submitted in a written, audio or video form,
2. research idea (1-2 pages) highlighting the main principles of the research, ideas for the involvement of the target groups and general timeline. This can be submitted in a written, audio or video form,
3. a recent CV (up to 3 pages) highlighting the experience in the topic of research on inclusion / accessibility and youth participation,
4. price offer indicating main elements included in the price. Please note that the maximum budget for this project is 6000 EUR

Applications are evaluated by 3 representatives of SALTO PI and YPS SG regarding the:

1. Required expertise and interest (40% weight on the total score) presented in the CV and motivation letter:
   a. Evaluated on a 1–10-point scale by each evaluator based on how well the expertise described in the documents meet the requirements
2. Brief including methodology and timeline (40% weight on the total score):
   a. Evaluated on a 1–10-point scale by each evaluator according to how well the proposed methodology meets the expectations
3. Price offer (20% of the total score):
   a. Price offer will be evaluated based on the most competitive price, so the lowest offered price gets a maximum of 20 points (i.e. 20% weight on the total score) and other price offers are scored relative to the lowest offered price.
   The results of the selection process are announced to all applicants by 4 th of April via email.

Working conditions and payment

• Attending regular meetings with the SALTO PI and YPS SG team (max 2h each, no more than once in two weeks).
• Ongoing updates and exchanges with SALTO PI and YPS SG are foreseen during the cooperation period in a written form or via online calls.
• The working language is English.
• Work is carried out and completed online.
• Sync communication meetings with the SALTO team will take place during office hours (9:00-17:30 EEST/EET).
• Fee is paid in July 2025 after successful submission of the outcomes.
• The outcomes of this work will become the property of SALTO PI however, the service providers, as well as YPS SG and participating inclusion organisations will be credited.