About Eurodesk

Eurodesk is the Europe-wide network which provides young people and those who work with them with information on European opportunities and funding.  Its main aim is to encourage the 13-30 age group to be mobile and to take advantage of the European programmes available to help them to do so.  Delivered in the UK through a partnership between the British Council and YouthLink Scotland.

Eurodesk started life in Scotland as a regional project.  A group of Scottish youth workers knew that the European Commission funded programmes targeting young people but pre-internet, they were struggling to access the information they needed. 

As a result, in 1990, Eurodesk was born, consisting at that time only of a desk!  The Eurodesk service developed to meet the needs of UK youth workers and young people in response to the enquiries it received. 

It soon came to light early in the life of Eurodesk that lack of information on European funding programmes for young people was not a problem exclusive to Scotland. Fifteen years on there are now 31 participating countries, over 900 regional and local access points, and a Brussels-based research and co-ordination unit. The project also has the support of the European Commission, including funding through the Youth in Action programme and inclusion in the Commission's strategic thinking on information for young people.