ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) is an initiative designed for young people aged 18 to 29 who are not currently engaged in employment, education or training (NEETs).
The goal of ALMA is to actively include more young people in the job market and society in general, using international mobility as a key tool for their professional and personal development.
The initiative offers them a unique opportunity to gain work experience and learn new skills in different EU countries. This initiative provides each participant with a personalised plan and ongoing mentorship, focusing on practical work-related learning experiences abroad.
This page includes practical information for ESF+ managing authorities, sending and receiving organisations, and future ALMA participants. For more detailed information, please consult the ALMA Handbook.
Managing authorities
The ALMA initiative can help to achieve several ESF+ specific objectives
youth employment
equal access to training and learning mobility
active inclusion
socio-economic integration of third-country nationals and of marginalised communities
social inclusion of people at risk of poverty
EU countries can also use ALMA to fulfil the ESF+ thematic concentration requirements for youth and social inclusion.
ALMA is eligible for up to 95% co-financing under the mandatory social innovation priority. If programming is underway, ALMA can be included in the actions supporting specific objectives related to social inclusion or youth employment. Programme amendments can add direct ALMA references later.
The ALMA Network connects ESF+ Managing Authorities and implementing bodies engaged or planning to engage in ALMA initiatives. The network facilitates implementation of ALMA mobility projects across EU countries and regions. Reach out via email to join or inquire.
EU level simplified cost options, encompassing target groups, programme cycles, quality standards and eligibility criteria, are outlined in the EU Delegated Act.
Sending and receiving organisations
Sending and receiving organisations interested in implementing ALMA can register in the Social Innovation Match Database (SIM), the official platform for finding transnational and local ALMA partners.
Consult the user guide and video to learn how to search for potential ALMA partners and register your organisation.
Sending organisations can apply to ALMA calls at national or regional levels. For call information, please contact:
- the authorities in your country and/or region which have already launched ALMA call(s)
- the authorities in your country and/or region which are planning to launch ALMA call(s) soon
Receiving organisations willing to host participants during their stay abroad can form transnational partnerships with sending organisations. Consult the Social Innovation Match Database (SIM), or contact the relevant Managing Authority – that have already launched ALMA call(s) or are planning to launch ALMA call(s) soon – for partnership opportunities.
Other local entities (companies, youth organisations, training centres, etc.) are also encouraged to register in the Social Innovation Match Database (SIM) to express their interest.
Future ALMA participants
Individuals cannot apply directly for ALMA, and the organisations co-financed by national and regional ESF + programmes are the ones who identify participants.
‘Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve’, ALMA aims to promote inclusion and employment for participants in their home country by improving their skills, knowledge and experience and giving them an opportunity to create new connections across Europe.
It is implemented by EU countries and supported by the European Commission at EU level
ALMA is building on a social inclusion initiative implemented by Germany since 2008 (IdA, Integration durch Austausch), taken over in 2012 by an ESF-supported transnational network of 15 EU countries (TLN Mobility Network), and as from 2015 through a transnational call for proposals under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
An EU pilot call was launched late 2022 (indicative budget €15 million) to help EU countries integrate ALMA in their ESF+ programmes, by piloting or scaling up an ALMA type of activity. The 28 projects ended in 2026 and the results demonstrate ALMA’s positive impact: 62.2% of participants who completed all three phases found employment or returned to education; participants also reported significant improvements in personal growth, social competences, employability, and stronger sense of European identity.
The findings point to a strong return on investment, with every €1 invested in ALMA generating €1.57 in social and economic value.
The complete results are available in the ALMA Impact Evaluation Report 2026.
With this initiative, the Commission reaffirms its commitment to the following initiatives:
ALMA complements existing programmes supporting mobility of young people such as:
You can reach out via email
