Erasmus+ Funding Opportunities: Beyond Student Exchange

When most people hear “Erasmus,” they think of university students spending a semester abroad. While student exchange remains a core element of the programme, Erasmus+ has evolved into one of the EU’s most versatile and generously funded instruments, supporting a broad spectrum of activities in education, training, youth, and sport. With a total budget of EUR 26.2 billion for 2021-2027, Erasmus+ offers significant funding opportunities for organisations that many applicants overlook.

The Structure of Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is organised into Key Actions (KA) and additional strands that target different types of activities and beneficiaries. Understanding this structure is the first step toward identifying the right opportunity for your organisation.

Key Action 1 (KA1): Learning Mobility of Individuals

KA1 is the most recognisable part of Erasmus+, but it extends well beyond traditional student exchange. It funds international mobility experiences for a wide range of learners and education professionals.

What KA1 Covers

• Higher education student and staff mobility: Study periods, traineeships, and teaching or training assignments at partner institutions abroad
• VET learner and staff mobility: Vocational education and training participants and professionals gaining experience in another country
• School education staff mobility: Teachers, school leaders, and other educational staff undertaking job shadowing, courses, or teaching assignments abroad
• Adult education staff mobility: Professionals in adult learning organisations participating in structured courses or job shadowing
• Youth mobility: Youth exchanges that bring together young people from different countries for non-formal learning activities, and mobility for youth workers

Why KA1 Matters Beyond Student Exchange

KA1 is a powerful tool for professional development, institutional capacity building, and international networking. Schools can send their teachers abroad to learn new pedagogical approaches. Vocational training centres can expose their students to different industry practices. Youth organisations can facilitate intercultural dialogue and active citizenship among young people.

Key Action 2 (KA2): Cooperation Among Organisations and Institutions

KA2 is where Erasmus+ becomes a strategic instrument for institutional development and innovation. It funds partnerships between organisations that work together to develop, share, and transfer best practices.

Cooperation Partnerships

These are collaborative projects involving at least three organisations from three different Programme Countries. They focus on developing innovative practices, exchanging experiences, and building networks. Projects typically last 12 to 36 months and can receive between EUR 120,000 and EUR 400,000 depending on the sector.

Cooperation Partnerships are open to organisations active in education, training, youth, sport, and other socio-economic sectors. The thematic scope is broad — from digital education and green skills to social inclusion and democratic participation.

Small-Scale Partnerships

Designed for organisations with less experience in EU funding, Small-Scale Partnerships offer a more accessible entry point. They involve fewer partners (minimum two from two different countries) and offer simplified administration with lump-sum grants of EUR 30,000 or EUR 60,000.

These partnerships are particularly well-suited for grassroots organisations, small NGOs, community groups, and first-time applicants.

Alliances for Innovation

Alliances for Innovation bring together higher education institutions, VET providers, and businesses to foster innovation in education and training. These larger-scale projects develop new curricula, teaching methods, and learning solutions that respond to labour market needs. Funding can reach up to EUR 1 million for two-year projects and EUR 1.5 million for three-year projects.

Capacity Building Projects

KA2 also supports Capacity Building in Higher Education and Youth, targeting partnerships between Programme Countries and eligible third countries. These projects strengthen the institutional capacity of organisations in partner regions through curriculum reform, governance modernisation, and knowledge transfer.

Key Action 3 (KA3): Support for Policy Development and Cooperation

KA3 supports activities that contribute to the development of new policies in education, training, and youth at European level. While this Key Action is primarily managed centrally by the European Commission, it opens opportunities for organisations to engage in forward-looking policy work.

What KA3 Includes

• European Youth Together: Projects led by youth organisations that promote cross-border partnerships, encourage participation in democratic life, and raise awareness of EU values
• Experimental policy measures: Projects testing innovative policy approaches in education and training, implemented in cooperation with public authorities
• Civil society cooperation: Support for European NGOs and EU-wide networks active in education, training, youth, and sport

KA3 is particularly relevant for organisations with policy expertise and a European network, including umbrella organisations, think tanks, and advocacy groups.

Jean Monnet Actions

Jean Monnet Actions promote excellence in teaching and research on European integration. They are open to higher education institutions and other organisations worldwide.

Types of Jean Monnet Actions

• Jean Monnet Modules: Short teaching programmes (minimum 40 hours per academic year) on EU studies, funded for three years
• Jean Monnet Chairs: Teaching positions for university professors specialising in EU studies, funded for three years
• Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence: Focal points gathering expertise on EU topics, supported for three years
• Jean Monnet Networks: Consortia of institutions fostering policy debate and knowledge sharing on EU themes
• Jean Monnet activities for schools and VET: Projects that bring EU learning to primary and secondary education

These actions are valuable not only for political science and law faculties but for any academic discipline that engages with European governance, policy, or integration.

Sport Actions

Erasmus+ dedicates a specific strand to sport, supporting projects that promote physical activity, social inclusion through sport, and the integrity of sporting competition.

Available Sport Actions

• Cooperation Partnerships in Sport: Collaborative projects addressing priorities such as encouraging sport participation, promoting health-enhancing physical activity, combating doping, and fighting match-fixing
• Small-Scale Partnerships in Sport: Simplified projects for smaller organisations and newcomers to EU funding
• Not-for-Profit European Sport Events: Funding for organisations hosting sporting events that promote the European dimension of sport

Sport organisations, federations, clubs, municipalities, and NGOs active in sport can all participate in these actions.

Practical Tips for Erasmus+ Applicants

Align with Programme Priorities

Every Erasmus+ call specifies horizontal and sectoral priorities. Proposals that clearly address at least one priority — such as inclusion and diversity, digital transformation, green practices, or democratic participation — score higher in evaluation.

Start with Small-Scale Partnerships

If your organisation is new to EU funding, Small-Scale Partnerships offer an excellent starting point. They have simplified application procedures, manageable budgets, and shorter project durations. Success in a small-scale project builds credibility for larger applications in the future.

Build on Existing Relationships

The strongest Erasmus+ partnerships are those built on genuine, pre-existing relationships. Reach out to organisations you have already collaborated with at conferences, through networks, or in previous projects.

Focus on Dissemination and Sustainability

Evaluators give significant weight to how project results will be shared and sustained beyond the funding period. Include a clear dissemination plan with concrete activities — publications, conferences, online platforms, policy briefs — and describe how the partnership will continue after the project ends.

Use National Agencies as Resources

Each Erasmus+ Programme Country has a National Agency that manages decentralised actions and provides guidance to applicants. National Agencies offer information sessions, pre-submission consultations, and training events that can significantly improve your application.

How Nexus Grant Solutions Can Help

Erasmus+ offers a wide range of opportunities, but navigating the programme structure, identifying the right action, and assembling a competitive proposal requires expertise and experience. At Nexus Grant Solutions, we support organisations across the education, training, youth, and sport sectors in accessing Erasmus+ funding — from initial programme identification through to full proposal development and partner coordination. Contact us to explore how Erasmus+ can support your organisation’s international ambitions.