Erasmus
Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport for the 2014-2020 European funding period.
The UK is still a full member of the EU, and UK applicants are eligible for EU funding until new arrangements are agreed.
In the UK, the programme is managed by the UK national agency, a partnership between the British Council and Ecorys UK. The managing authority works to deliver the programme for the benefit of participating UK organisations and the UK-based individuals who are able to study, train, volunteer and gain work experience abroad through the programme. Projects could include study opportunities in other EU member states, the creation of partnerships between like-minded organisations to overcome problems or enabling young people to positively affect the policies which have an impact on them.
Erasmus
Objectives
Key Action 1: Mobility
Key Action 1 aims to provide individuals with opportunities to improve their skills, enhance their employability and gain cultural awareness. Under Key Action 1, organisations can apply for funding to run mobility projects offering:
- Structured study programmes
- Work experience
- Job shadowing
- Training
- Teaching opportunities (for both staff and learners)
Key Action 1 - erasmusplus.org.uk
Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices
Key Action 2 of the Erasmus+ programme is about enabling organisations to work together and share best practice. Funding under Key Action 2 is primarily used for creating partnerships with similar organisations in other participating countries.
Key Action 2 - erasmusplus.org.uk
Key Action 3: Support for policy reform
The 3rd Key Action covers any activity or project aimed at supporting and facilitating the modernisation of education and training systems. The programme will fund strategic activities supporting policy reform across the EU in education, training and youth under this Key Action.
Key Action 3 - erasmusplus.org.uk
Each Key Action can be delivered under any one of the five strands available: Adult Education, Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training (VET), Schools, and Youth. More information about the difference between the activities allowed under these strands is available here.
Match funding
Match funding is not a formal requirement under Erasmus+, however funding should be used for the activity proposed, as opposed to the running of the project itself. You cannot use other funding (including European funding) to co-finance costs. Some Key Actions under Erasmus+ follow a unit cost method for calculating the amount of grant which is able to be claimed. Official calculations often depend on the distance that is to be travelled, and will then be scaled up depending on the amount of time the project is set to run for.
Eligibility criteria
Each Key Action has its own set of eligibility criteria, split into general criteria which must be met, and additional criteria which increase the chances of the project being accepted. For an up to date look at the eligibility criteria for each Key Action, check the latest update of the Erasmus+ programme manual.
Partners
Erasmus+ requires project applicants to have partners from other eligible countries involved in each project. Projects which have more than one other member state as a partner will be stronger and can help to deliver more change.
Key Action 2 requires the creation of "Strategic partnerships" to administer projects and ultimately deliver the project outcomes.
"Depending on the priority addressed by the project, strategic partnerships should involve the most appropriate and diverse range of partners in order to benefit from their different experiences, profiles and specific expertise and to produce relevant and high quality project results" - Programme Guide for 2015 Call, UK National Agency For the latest information on partnership requirements for the programme, check the latest update of the programme guide .
Call dates
The latest call dates for the Erasmus+ programme are available on the programme website, under "upcoming funding deadlines".