Erasmus+

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

New opportunities
start here
Higher education
School education
Vocational education and training
Youth
Sport
Jean Monnet

Erasmus+ Adult education

Enriching lives, opening minds

Erasmus+
 WHAT IS ERASMUS+?
Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for education, training, youth
and sport.
A new generation of Erasmus+ was launched in 2021. It brings exciting new
features, including mobility opportunities for adult learners and staff, and
permanent accreditations for adult education providers and other
organisations.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ADULT EDUCATION?

Erasmus+ offers a range of opportunities for adult learners, teachers and
other education staff to improve their knowledge, skills and competences. It
can also provide access to further education for adult learners with fewer
opportunities such as people facing social and economic barriers. For adult
education providers and other organisations, the programme offers
educational institutions or organisations the possibility to cooperate with a
wide range of partners abroad and become more open, dynamic and
attractive educational institutions or organisations. Individuals can
reinforce their ability to operate in different environment, to satisfy
personal needs and boost their willingness to learn further.

WHICH COUNTRIES CAN PARTICIPATE?

Organisations applying for Erasmus+ projects must come from one of the
27 EU Member States, or one of the countries fully associated to the
programme: Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and
Turkey.
Organisations from other countries may participate in some of the available
project formats as partners. The rules of each project format are described
in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Eligible organisations include
It’s so important to organisations providing formal,
exchange views which not informal and non-formal adult
only cross geographical education, local and regional public
borders, but also bring experts authorities, coordination bodies and
from different fields together so other organisations with a role in the
that our understanding of field of adult education.
different perspectives can grow.
Mutual learning is not just a nice To confirm that your organisation
word it is imperative in our world. is eligible, check the website of
Maria Rigle, your National Agency!
Erasmus+ project coordinator
“Helping European organisations
mainstream gender”

2 ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME
Erasmus+ priorities:
key ingredients for any project!
The Erasmus+ programme intends to address many of the challenges that
Europe faces, both now and in the years to come, and incorporates the
political priorities. Erasmus+ projects intend to address and help us with the
following:

Inclusion and diversity Environmental

Erasmus+ is designed to be inclusive sustainability
and to offer equal opportunities for Erasmus+ encourages all projects to
everyone, no matter what their age, incorporate eco-friendly practices and
social or economic background. to educate their participants about
Dedicated additional funding is environmental sustainability. For
available for any organisations example, additional funding is
wishing to implement inclusive available for using low-carbon
projects. transportation, such as train.

Digital education Participation

The digital dimension runs through Increasing participation of people in
the whole programme. There are democratic life is crucial for the EU’s
virtual learning activities and support future. Erasmus+ aims to provide
material for teachers who want to young people with the experiences,
improve their use of digital tools, an skills and competences they need to
online community in EPALE and much become active European citizens.
more. What actions are there in adult
education?

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ADULT EDUCATION? 3

 WHAT ACTIONS ARE THERE IN ERASMUS+
FOR ADULT EDUCATION?
The Programme offers different opportunities for individuals and for
organisations.
Key Action 1 is about mobility. It supports individuals spending
learning periods abroad in a hosting institution.
Key Action 2 is about cooperation. It supports the development of
organisations through the exchange of good practices and the creation
of networks.

Learning mobility of individuals

▶ Erasmus accreditation
Key ▶ Short-term projects
action 1

Cooperation among organisations

and institutions
Key ▶ Cooperation Partnerships
action 2 ▶ Small-scale Partnerships
▶ Forward- Looking projects

4 ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME
KEY ACTION 1:
LEARNING MOBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS
Key Action 1 supports organisations providing adult education, or with
other roles in this field, that want to organise learning mobility
activities for adult learners with fewer opportunities, teachers, trainers
and staff in adult education.
Projects are led by the applicant organisation, such as an adult
education provider, an organisation active in education and training, or
a local authority that sends participants to a hosting organisation
abroad. Adult learners and staff are then involved through their
organisation’s project.
This action has two important goals: to benefit individual participants
going abroad and to help develop educational institutions, raise their
capacity for cross-border cooperation and improve teaching and
learning for everyone, not only for those who travel. The funded
mobility activities are an instrument to achieve these goals!

TWO WAYS TO APPLY FOR FUNDING

Short-term projects
These are small projects lasting from 6 to 18
months and involving up to 30 participants. They
are the best choice for organisations trying
Erasmus+ for the first time, or for those who
wish to organise only a limited number of
Not ready to apply yet?
activities.
There are other ways to take
part! You can:
▶ join a mobility
consortium created by an
accredited coordinator
organisation in your country!
▶ become a hosting
Erasmus accreditation organisation and receive
Erasmus accreditation is like a membership card participants from abroad to
for mobility activities. It gives organisations learn more about Erasmus+
guaranteed access to Key Action 1 funding each before applying yourself!
year. To apply, the organisation needs to set up
an Erasmus Plan of at least 2 years.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ADULT EDUCATION? 5

 WHAT KIND OF MOBILITY ACTIVITIES CAN
YOU SET UP IN KEY ACTION 1?
Many different and exciting mobility formats are available in Key
Action 1, for both learners and staff.
Each mobility project can include a number of different activities in any
country associated to the Programme, which allows you to be creative
by combining different formats!

Adult learner mobility

▶ Group mobility of adult

learners: learners from the sending
organisation can spend time in
another country to benefit from
innovative learning organised
through cooperation between the
sending and hosting organisations.
▶ Individual learning mobility of
adult learners: learners can spend a
period abroad at a hosting organisation
to improve their knowledge and skills
benefiting from a tailored learning programme
adapted to their needs.

WHAT COSTS ARE COVERED

IN KEY ACTION 1?
Travel Language Learning

Accommodation Visa and entry costs

Courses for staff Preparatory visits

Inclusion Organisational costs

6 ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME
 Staff mobility

▶ Job shadowing: teachers and others

staff members can benefit from practical
learning experience by following the
daily work of their peers at the hosting
organisations.
▶ Teaching assignments: teachers
can spend a period teaching or training
abroad, learning through practice and
gaining a broader perspective about adult
education in Europe.
▶ Courses and training: teachers and
other staff members can attend courses or
trainings abroad to develop their skills and
knowledge, and then apply them at their
sending organisation.

HOW ABOUT TWO-WAY EXCHANGES?

It can be very exciting to set up two-way exchanges with
your partners abroad!
This is possible when your partner organisation also has their
own Erasmus+ mobility project or an accreditation.

SPECIAL ERASMUS+ GUESTS AT YOUR

ORGANISATION!
You can also use Erasmus+ funds to invite:
▶ experts - experienced teachers, policymakers, trainers and
other professionals from abroad with expertise and who you want
to learn from.
▶ teachers in training who are enrolled or have recently graduated
from a teacher-training programme abroad.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ADULT EDUCATION? 7

 Need inspiration?
Here is an
example!

Chic&Craft project

In today’s throwaway society, it seems that nothing is of

value, that we can change our clothes or even the people
around us in the blink of an eye. The Chic&Craft project
wants people to go back to valuing what is all around
them. It wants to show them that creativity, lifelong
learning and empathy are powerful tools than can change
the world!
Using easy-to-follow online instructions and peer
learning toolkit, people with mental health issues can
became proud, more self-confident, more creative and
very positive about future perspectives.

Find more
projects on
the Erasmus+
project results
platform!

8 ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME
KEY ACTION 2: COOPERATION AMONG
ORGANISATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
Key Action 2 supports cross-border partnerships of different sizes and
formats. Partnerships are always made up of organisations from
different countries and led by a coordinator organisation that submits
the application on behalf of the project.
All funded projects are linked to one or several broad European policy
priorities. In addition, the project partners decide more specific project’s
objectives based on their common interests and expertise.
The project goals will often include capacity building through the
development of innovative tools and ways of working, exchanges of
good practices and developing links between education, business and
civil society, with special attention to people with fewer opportunities.
There are two types of partnerships to help your organisations work,
learn and grow together.

Grant options
Cooperation Partnerships
€ 120 000
Cooperation Partnerships are the most common
partnership format. They can be set up by at
least three organisations from different
€ 250 000
countries, for duration of one to three years.
€ 400 000

Small-scale Partnerships Grant options

Small-scale partnerships are a simpler
cooperation format, ideal for grassroots € 30 000
organisations and newcomers to Erasmus+.
Partnerships are composed of at least two € 60 000
organisations from different countries and can
last between 6 months and 2 years.

How does the funding work in Key Action 2?

Funding in Cooperation and Small-scale Partnerships comes with
pre-defined grant options. You have to decide which one of the options
best suits your project idea and then explain your choice in the
application.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ADULT EDUCATION? 9

 THE EUROPEAN LANGUAGE LABEL

The European Language Label is an award that honours

the most innovative language learning and teaching projects
in adult education and beyond. It promotes excellence in the
teaching of languages and raises awareness about European
cooperation in this area

PLATFORMS FOR EXCHANGE

Epale is the platform for the adult learning community in

Europe where teachers, researchers, teacher educators,
other adult education staff and policymakers can get in
touch and learn from each other through its blog posts,
forums and the partner search tool. It includes also the hub
for news, events, podcasts and discussions on Adult
Learning across Europe, and offers guidance to the
Erasmus+ beneficiaries and future applicants within its
Erasmus+ space.
Have a unique place in the adult learning community in
Europe and start experiencing it now!

Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

10 ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME
 This action is managed by the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency

KEY ACTION 2: COOPERATION AMONG

ORGANISATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS

Forward-looking Projects
Large-scale projects that aim to develop innovative policy methods
and practices with the potential of becoming mainstreamed. They
support forward-looking ideas responding to key European priorities
and giving input for improving education, training and youth systems.
The aim of the projects, which support the adult education, is to
provide adults with flexible opportunities to improve their literacy,
numeracy and digital skills, and to progress towards higher
qualification levels relevant for the labour market and for active
participation in society.
The grant awarded is determined by the estimated budget, which can
be up to 1 million Euro.

WHAT’S IN FOR
WHAT’S INADULT
IT FOREDUCATION?
ADULT EDUCATION? 11 11
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
HOW TO APPLY
Apply through the Erasmus+ National Agency
in your country for:
▶ Erasmus accreditations
▶ Key action 1 projects
▶ Small-scale partnerships
▶ Cooperation partnerships
Apply through the European Education and
Culture Executive Agency in Brussels for:
▶ Cooperation Partnerships lead by European NGOs
▶ Forward-Looking Projects

MORE INFORMATION

▶ Do not hesitate to ▶ Read the Erasmus+

contact your National Programme Guide
Agency to receive more
guidance on actions and
activities that would suit
your organisation’s
needs and to get advice
how to prepare an
application.

Print ISBN 978-92-76-44568-5 | doi:10.2766/775041 | NC-03-21-451-EN-C

PDF ISBN 978-92-76-44580-7 | doi:10.2766/685361 | NC-03-21-451-EN-N
Luxembourg: Publications Office of The European Union, 2022
© European Union, 2022
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
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