Cost transparency

Where does your money go?

RealStep offers many internship, training and professional experience programs around the world. Working on a sustainable project means that you will have a positive and lasting impact on the communities and the environment. Besides, RealStep will help you find the best program to acquire transversal skills through practical experience.

In addition to the benefits of an international experience, you make a real impact when you participate in a project with RealStep:

Through your help on site

Through the financing of the project and the necessary equipment

Through the financing of all the missions that we propose via the donations to the structures that we carry out

This experience therefore has a cost, paid by each of the participants who wish to develop new skills on one of these missions. This page is dedicated to explaining the breakdown of the costs you bear to live an international experience.

Thus, when you carry out a mission as part of an internship, training or even a simple experience, RealStep acts on several levels to ensure the most qualitative program possible. The second objective is also the sustainability and development of the proposed projects, to continue to have a positive impact on the communities on site while offering a greater diversity of programs.

Upstream: setting up projects

RealStep offers a wide range of programs. The set up and implementation of these projects itself represents a significant cost. We personally met the project coordinators in each of the project we wanted to support, in order to ensure the quality of the host organization and of the supervision. Your safety on site and the quality of the missions offered are our priority. These site inspections require significant resources and time, they are also included in the cost of our programs.

Another factor which explains the different budget needed between the missions: the size of the host structure. The bigger the project, the more expensive it is since it is likely to require more equipment, ongoing research, etc. All internships and training are therefore not at the same price!

On site: logistics and supervision

When you decide to go abroad with RealStep, the price paid includes various logistical aspects of the project. Included are accommodation, food and all charges, various local transport, all of which is organized by the local reception structure.

In addition to this logistical aspect, RealStep takes care of a qualitative framework to ensure the progress of a project in complete safety for our participants. This requires the permanent presence of qualified personnel on site throughout the duration of the program, as well as specialists and people trained to carry out the training, the project with a sustainable vocation. Safety and quality are the hallmarks of RealStep programs, which explains the additional management costs.

On site, and sometimes even upstream, you also have access to specialized training: theoretical often through online modules, and practical on site through your investment in the mission. Some courses even give access to an online portal offering different job offers. These training offers, theoretical, practical, and access for example to this portal, also represent costs, and also explain the difference in prices according to the missions offered.

Downstream: a positive and lasting impact, additional help for partner structures

Part of the amount paid goes back to the local communities in the form of sustainable aid. RealStep pays back in the form of a donation, via its association FreepackersCare, part of the amount paid by the participants in order to perpetuate the action of the non-profit organization on site. For 10 years, more than €200,000 have been paid to partner NGOs via this association.

Concretely, this allows for example the purchase of additional equipment, allowing to welcome and train more people and therefore to have a stronger positive impact. This donation can also allow the creation of a new project, beneficial both to the local communities but also, and above all, to the participants, who have a wider range of choices to find the training or experience that best suits them.

This donation is therefore generally not of a financial nature, but takes more the form of equipment, materials, work aids, which are essential elements to carry out the various programs, to support both the costs administration, operation and supervision. It is important to emphasize that these structures receiving this support are non-profit organizations.

RealStep: an independent organization

RealStep is an independent organization. This means that we receive no aid from the state, or from our partner organisations. Our sustainability depends solely on your financial contribution. It is this financial support provided by the participants that ensures the survival of the projects, since no public aid is paid to us.

This funding is therefore essential to ensure constant monitoring of our participants, present from registration until the end of the training, internship or project. It is also significant for launching our new programs, and continuing to develop the missions already proposed while ensuring the proper functioning of all the projects.

In addition to training you and acquiring real skills, both transversal and specific, RealStep allows you to carry out projects whose impact is both positive and lasting. You thus bring a real help to the local communities by your presence, but also through the expenses of the mission.