Erasmus+ European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport

KEY POINTS

• The programme replaces the Erasmus+ 2014–2020 programme.
• It includes dedicated measures with the aim of being more inclusive, improving access, particularly for people with fewer opportunities, and providing support for the digital and green transitions.
• It is a lifelong learning programme covering all levels and types of education, training, youth and sport.
• The Erasmus+ programme supports priorities set out in the European education area, the digital education action plan (see more: Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027), the 2019–2027 EU youth strategy, the European skills agenda (see more: European Skills Agenda) and the European Union work plan for sport.

Objectives and key actions

The general objective of the programme is to support, through lifelong learning, the educational, professional and personal development of people in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, in Europe and beyond. The programme shall be a key instrument for building a European education area, supporting the implementation of European strategic cooperation in the field of education and training, including its underlying sectoral agendas, advancing youth policy cooperation under the 2019–2027 EU youth strategy and developing the European dimension in sport.

The specific objectives of the Erasmus+ programme are to promote:

• the learning mobility of individuals and groups, and cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of education and training;
• non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, and cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of youth;
• the learning mobility of sport staff, and cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of sport organisations and sport policies.

These objectives will be pursued through three key actions:

1. learning mobility;
2. cooperation among organisations and institutions;
3. support for policy development and cooperation.

Eligibility

Beyond the European Union (EU) and the EU Member States, the programme is open to the participation of members of the European Free Trade Association that are members of the European Economic Area, along with other non-EU countries, including EU candidate countries, under certain terms and conditions. Certain actions of the programme may also be open to entities from non-EU countries not associated with the programme.

Budget

• The programme will run from 1 January 2021 until 31 December 2027, the duration of the multiannual financial framework.
• It has a budget of €24.574 billion in current prices, with an additional €1.7 billion in constant 2018 prices.
• 83% of the budget is allocated to education and training and 10.3% to the field of youth, with 1.9% allocated to sport-related activities.
• The regulation includes the forms of EU funding available and rules for granting such funding in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, the financial regulation (see summary).

Inclusion measures

In 2021, the European Commission adopted an implementing act aimed at more inclusive and diverse participation in the Erasmus+ programme for the 2021–2027 period. Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1877 will enable more people to access the opportunities offered by the programme by better reaching out to people with fewer opportunities, thus improving equity and inclusion in the European education area. The measures set out with this aim include:

• increased financial support for people with fewer opportunities, to cover any additional expenses or needs;
• tailored support to participants (such as linguistic support, preparatory visits or reinforced mentorship) throughout all phases of their project;
• additional help for organisations involved in inclusive projects;
• a wider array of project and mobility opportunities of different duration and formats to allow participants to find what best fits their needs;
• mechanisms to give priority to quality projects involving participants with fewer opportunities and addressing the themes of inclusion and diversity; and
• the availability of more user-friendly, accessible and multilingual documents and materials.