Travel Grants

Travel Grants is sponsored by Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe. The Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe awards travel grants to young Europeans between 17 and 28 who reside in an EU country, Turkey, or Russia.

Travel Grants / Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe As part of our travel grants, recipients travel the continent with an Interrail Global Pass and get to know their European neighbors. During their journey, they engage with current political or social issues and document their findings in a video report. With their reports, they are the ones who are boldly telling new stories about Europe, making it more inclusive.

Our travel grants promote encounters and exchange between young people across Europe and aim to strengthen European cohesion. Each year, we set a thematic framework that reflects our focus on democracy, participation, and diversity in Europe. However, the grant recipients can choose their own and individual topics within this scope.

Young people between the ages of 17 and 28 who reside in one of the EU countries*, Turkey, or Russia are eligible to apply. Scholarship recipients must submit their video report within 3 months after the end of their journey. In cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, the project awards Global Interrail Passes for a set travel period.

Details about ticket conditions will be announced with the official call for applications. All costs for accommodation, food, and video editing must be covered by the recipients themselves. Unfortunately, the travel grant cannot be combined with other projects or undertaken as part of other initiatives.

(*) All 47 member states of the Council of Europe We are very excited to award travel grants again this year! The application was running until June 11, 2025, 23:59 CET. You can find details on the grants in the FAQ section below.

Why do the Schwarzkopf Foundation and Deutsche Bahn award travel grants to young Europeans? We are convinced that all young people should have the opportunity to experience Europe1 – regardless of their social and regional origin, their school background or their financial means.

With the travel grants, our grant holders travel the continent independently and deal with current political and social issues, which they record in the form of video reports. They are the ones who tell Europe boldly and in new ways, making it more inclusive. Who can apply for the Interrail Global Pass offered by the Schwarzkopf Foundation and Deutsche Bahn?

We explicitly support Europeans who have been able to travel abroad little or not at all. Applications from young people with migration and refugee backgrounds, from rural areas, from vocational schools and with a secondary school diploma are encouraged to apply and will be given special consideration.

The following applies to the scholarships: Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 27 at the time of travel and must be citizens or have their main place of residence in one of the EU countries or in the following countries ( according to Interrail policy ): Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar , Iceland, Isle of Man, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Russia, Moldova, San Marino, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City or Belarus.

Which countries can I travel to? Any country participating in the Interrail Global Pass offer. An updated, detailed country overview can be found here .

Please make sure that you only include countries in your application where the Interrail Global Pass is valid. Note: The Interrail Global Pass is valid for two journeys in your home country (exceptions: Russia, Republic of Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Albania), ideally for the route to the border station and back from the border station. The application is filled out using an online form on the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s website .

All relevant links and information will be published there. The call is open from May 26th to June 11th, 2024 (23:59 CET). What kind of Interrail Global Pass is offered?

The travel grant will be awarded in the form of a digital Interrail Global Pass, 2nd class, worth 522€ , valid for travel within a period of 1 month and valid for 33 European countries including Turkey. For information on the conditions of the digital Interrail Global Pass (mPass), please refer to www. bahn.

de/interrail and www. interrail. eu When can I travel with the Interrail Global Pass?

Travel must begin no earlier than July 7th, 2025 and must be completed by October 31th, 2025. The total duration of the trip is a maximum of 1 month. You must at least travel for three weeks.

Exceptions for two weeks travel time are possible. Can I travel in my country of residence with the Interrail Global Pass? No. The Interrail Global Pass includes two journeys in the country of residence: a journey to a border station on the departure and a journey from a border station to the place of residence on the return.

It cannot be used for any travel within the country of residence. Do I have to give the exact start date of my trip? No. Travelers determine the start of the 1-month period of validity of the Interrail Global Pass within the travel period (see point 6.)

themselves. The last possible starting date is October 1st, 2025. Can I travel with a friend or in a group?

The trip must be planned and carried out independently. According to the regulations, parents can take two children with them free of charge, see regulations here . Can I use the Interrail Global Pass on existing plans such as conferences etc.?

No. The Interrail Global Pass should only be used for a personal travel project that addresses the personal project question indicated in the application. Does the Interrail Global Pass cover surcharges and reservation costs? No. All information on supplements, reservation costs and procedures can be found here .

Costs for seat and/or night train reservations must be borne by yourself. Do the travel grants include accommodation and subsistence costs? No. All costs for accommodation and meals are to be paid by the travel grant holders themselves and will not be covered by Deutsche Bahn or the Schwarzkopf Foundation.

What are the conditions to be selected? The travel grants are intended to give those who have not been able to travel, or have only been able to travel very little, a chance to do so. We would like to know why this trip is important to you, what your background is and what your exact project plans are.

We also value existing knowledge of video content creation and political and societal interest. Travel scholarship holders are exclusively based on the written online application. If you have previously received a travel grant from the Schwarzkopf Foundation, you cannot reapply.

This year’s theme is: Resilience for a Better Future. I was chosen. What do I do now?

After receiving an email confirming your selection, you will receive the award conditions by carefully reading the travel conditions as they are binding on the trip. After signing and returning them to Armin Begić (a. begic@j-i-k.

de) by June 23rd2025, all travelers will be provided with an Interrail Global Pass order form, which you should fill out and send to the International Helpdesk of Deutsche Bahn. The digital pass is created by Deutsche Bahn’s International Helpdesk via the Eurail system and travelers receive an email with a code for uploading the digital Interrail Global Pass in the „Rail Planner“ app.

Travelers determine the start of the 1-month period of validity of the Interrail Global Pass within the travel period (see point 8.) themselves. The last possible starting date is October 1st, 2025.

A preparatory meeting for all scholarship holders will take place online on July 3rd 6:00 p. m. CET+++ 2025.

One meeting will be offered in English, and a second meeting may be held in German. Participation is mandatory. What are the post-trip requirements?

Each travel grantee must submit a video report, to which they commit by signing the grant conditions. The video report must be submitted no later than two months after the end of the trip. In the event of non-compliance, the value of the tickets received must be reimbursed.

The form of a video report is mandatory. What happens to my video? I still have questions.

Who can I ask? If you have any questions before, during or after the trip, please contact Armin Begić ( a. begic@j-i-k.

de ). For technical questions about the Interrail Global Pass please contact the International Helpdesk of Deutsche Bahn ( sales@dbitalia. it ) or the Eurail customer dialogue ( eurail.

zendesk. com ). Explore our YouTube travel grant playlist Stay up to date!

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