IVY volunteers can be hosted by the programmes which manage and distribute Interreg funds, or by the organisations which implement the projects funded by Interreg.

Volunteers hosted by the programmes are referred to as Interreg Reporters, and they support communication activities regarding cooperation. They report on successful Interreg projects, raise awareness of the achievements, and interact with local actors involved in cooperation projects. 

Volunteers hosted by an organisation involved in an Interreg project – Interreg Project Partners – will focus on the particular project that the organisation is working on and help with its implementation. 

All activities are conducted in person. No remote volunteering activities.

Fundamentally different from an internship and a traineeship, the main goal of IVY is not to teach new competences or skills. Instead, the initiative seeks to empower young people to contribute actively, with their own ideas and skills, to the work of their host organisation and to support European cooperation and solidarity projects. The ultimate goal of an IVY experience is to promote European Territorial Cooperation. Undoubtedly, the volunteers will gain new experiences and learn many new things along the way all the same.

In this sense, IVY’s financial support to volunteers is not a salary but a necessary basic supplement to offset the living costs of the volunteers.

IVY is co-funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, thanks to the European Regional and Development Funds (ERDF) and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR).

AEBR manages the initiative on behalf of the European Commission, thanks to its extensive experience in the field of managing EU cooperation projects across borders, its wide network of European border regions and actors as well as its interest in supporting young people, while aiming to foster values such as solidarity and cooperation among Europeans of all ages.

No, it is not. Initially, it was part of the European Solidarity Corps and contributed to the ESC objectives, but now the programme is fully run under DG REGIO, independently.

For this reason, if you have already participated in an experience funded by the European Solidarity Corps or Erasmus+, you can take part in IVY – and vice versa.

Yes, it does: Following the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and in line with the Commission’s decision to fully implement all EU restrictive measures, the European Commission has suspended cooperation with Russia and its ally Belarus in the European Neighbourhood Instrument cross-border cooperation programmes (ENI CBC), as well as in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

This also includes the participation in IVY, which is suspended for both host organisations and candidates from Belarus and Russia.