By Gregory Clare
After the annus horribilis that was 2020, we embark on hopeful times. Vaccine productions in abundance, bitcoin is on the up, and our bad breakup with the United Kingdom is finally behind us. We are removing their pictures on our social media and unfollowing; it is time for the European Union to dust itself off and start anew. Will young people be the ones to take the European Union forward? The European Commission has always hoped that the young would be the glue that keeps the Union together. It is hardly surprising that the Commission proposed a significant enlargement of the budget for a programme shaped to benefit the young.
The name Erasmus alone resonates with a whole generation of European youth. The similarly named Erasmus (exchange) Programme has, since its inception in 1987, developed into a cultural phenomenon, sui generis, in which more than nine million students have participated. many hold fond memories of their Erasmus experience, that was filled with introductions to students from across Europe. The so-called ‘Erasmus Generation’ is studded with students from various countries who could be described as keen European integrationists.
It has therefore been hailed as one of the greatest projects of the European Union. The president of the Erasmus Student Network, Kostis Giannidis, referred to the Erasmus Programme as the answer to the radicalisation of young people in Europe. If there is ever to be an “ever closer union” it will happen through consolidating gains made with the Erasmus programme and in
extension the overarching Erasmus+ Programme, the Union’s programme for education, training, youth, and sport.
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While the Erasmus Programme represents one of many actions within the Erasmus+ Programme, nine million participants in a Union of 445 million is disappointingly low. Erasmus has been a privilege for a few and has not yet developed into the inclusive student mobility programme that could offset radicalisation. The Commission seems to recognise this and is looking to go beyond reaching the traditional Erasmus demographic. In its proposal for the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ funding period, it stresses the need for the programme to reach people with fewer opportunities.The Erasmus+ should play a larger role in the Union’s actions to address socio-economic challenges which should lead to increased mobility among young people in the EU.
What can prospective Erasmus+ grant applicants expect of the 2021-2027 funding period? Quite in line with the Commission’s intention in this period’s Multiannual Financial Framework, the application process will be simplified and scaled-up. Small-scale partnerships will be able to benefit from simplified administrative requirements and shorter project durations, which should lead to increased accessibility to funding for small organisations. Also, projects that are deemed to be of high quality, but which did not receive financing due to budgetary constraints, will be awarded a Seal of Excellence certification, which should assist grant seekers in acquiring alternative funding under the European Regional Development Fund or the European Social Fund+.
ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME 2021-2027 STRUCTURE
As early as 1994, the European Union aimed to strengthen European educational initiatives through the SOCRATES programme, which was followed by SOCRATES II in 2000 and 2007 the Lifelong Learning Programme (2007-2013). After the programme transitioned from the Lifelong Learning Programme (2007-2013) to Erasmus+ (2014-2020) the programme brought together the focus on various sectors of education and training and a programme on youth under one umbrella. Henceforth, Erasmus+ has been streamlined under three key actions for the education sectors (formal, non-formal and informal).
The strategic elements of the Erasmus+ programme (setting budgets, priorities, targets and criteria; and monitoring and evaluation) is overseen by the European Commission. In addition, the Commission assumes responsibility for the supervision and coordination of the structures at national level. The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), also known as the Executive Agency, oversees the complete life-cycle management of projects, including promotion, grant request analysis, monitoring, and dissemination of project and programme results. The large and more strategic Calls for Proposals, also known as Centralised Activities, are generally managed at this level.
National Agencies promote and implement the programme at the national level and are responsible for providing information on the Erasmus+ programme, administering the project selection process, monitoring and evaluating the programme on a national level and providing support to project applicants and participating organisations throughout project life cycles. The bulk of Calls for Proposals, so-called Decentralised Activities, are managed by the National Agencies.
THE KEY ACTIONS TO APPLY FOR
The Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 confirms the general framework constituted by the key actions:
Key Action 1 – Learning mobility
Funding opportunities under this action are conceived for individual schools, organisations and a consortium of schools jointly managing a project and creating synergies.
• Professional development courses for teachers and school staff.
• Best practice exchange (teaching abroad and job shadowing).
• Student mobility: projects that allow classes of students to visit a school in another European country.
Key Action 2 – Cooperation among organisations and institutions
Funding opportunities benefitting transnational networks of schools and/or organisations.
• Cooperation and best practice exchange.
• Innovation
• Research projects
Key Action 3 – Support policy development and cooperation.
Managed by the Executive Agency, this action is dedicated to centralised Erasmus+ activities providing grants for a wide variety of actions leading to innovative policy development, policy dialogue and implementation, and the exchange of knowledge in the fields of education, training and youth. It should be noted that grant opportunities under this Key Action are generally published outside of the annual Erasmus+ Call for Proposals and are either directly implemented by the Commission or published in specific Calls for Proposals throughout the 2021-2027 period.
• Initiatives for policy innovation
• Civil Society Cooperation
There are also two separate areas of the programme for Jean Monnet activities and Sport.
BUDGET
In 2018, the Commission proposed a budget of €30bn for the Erasmus+ programme in the 2021-2027 period. In the final distribution of the MFF 2021-2027 funds, the Erasmus+
programme had to settle for a significantly lesser amount. Throughout 7 years, schools, organisations in adult educations, professional training, youth sector and sport will benefit from a funding of €23.4bn The Commission blames this solely on the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the figure is very close to the €21.4bn proposition by the European Council in February 2020, months before the full economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic became evident.
MEPs from the European Parliament have managed to negotiate an additional €2.2bn top-up which will be funded by revenue from competition fines (thank you Google) and de-commitments.
What does this mean for the immediate future? Stability mainly, as the current 2021 Erasmus+ budget of €2.89bn is comparable to the budgets of the latter years. We should refrain from speculating why this year’s budget is at such a modest level and focus on what we know. The 2014-2020 Erasmus+ budget was €14.7bn, which has been increased by €10.9bn in the new budget period.
PARTICIPATING IN ERASMUS+
EU grants have a bad reputation when it comes to the application process, and for good reason. That said, participation has never been easier. Let us examine how we can turn your idea into an
Erasmus+ worthy grant application.
Firstly, let us go back to the Centralised and Decentralised activities. Decentralised calls are mostly found under Key Action 1 and Key Action 2 activities and make up most calls under the Erasmus+ programmes. These decentralised activities are managed by National Agencies. Applying requires your organisation to register using the online Erasmus+ application form and obtain an Organisation Identification Code (OID).
The Executive Agency manages the centralised activities which occasionally lead to calls for proposals on the EACEA’s website, including the necessary application forms and selection procedures. Examples of centralised activities are joint master’s degrees (Key Action 1), sector skills alliances (Key Action 2), Cooperation with international organisations (Key Action 3), and Jean Monnet activities.
Confusingly, Erasmus+ call for proposals will also be communicated in bulk. The newly published call for 2021 is of these bulk call for proposals that includes all actions described in this article. Furthermore, the topics that tentatively published and can be subject to adjustments or even cancelations. Fret not, while the call could be abandoned, they are still in line with the intended activities of the Erasmus+ programme and will surely be available at a later stage, albeit in altered form.
In general, grant applicants applying for Erasmus+ funding should be established inside the European Union and should be active in the fields of education, training, youth or sport. There are some deviations from these general rules on a call-by-call basis. There are, however, no deviations from the type of applicants who are considered eligible for Erasmus+ funding. They are without exceptions organisations, or informal groups, in the following categories:
• Schools and colleges
• Youth groups
• Higher education institutions
• Adult education
• Public or Private Organisations (active in the relevant fields for Erasmus+)
• Sports organisations
Applicants seeking Erasmus+ funding under Key Action 1 should make sure that they link their request for financing with the organisational needs in terms of quality development and internationalisation. These needs should be expressed in the European Development Plan. While this document does not specifically address the project for which you intend to apply, it does refer to the general internationalisation strategy of the school and intends to ensure that the calls applicants intend to apply for are well-integrated with its European strategy.
With the European Development Plan in hand, you will develop an idea that will assist you in identifying Erasmus+ grants that match your project and strategic goals. While you could completely go your way, the European Commission does not take kindly for applications, however outstanding it may be, that deviate from the topic requirements. Fully immerse yourself in the history, ideology, policy directions of the Erasmus+ programme as a guide throughout your project design. Your applications will be far more successful if it aligns with the EU’s hopes and dreams for its Erasmus+ programme.
A few non-obligatory steps include getting to know your peers. You can do this by visiting the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform, a database of funded Erasmus+ projects, to find inspiration from successful applicants and to discover potential partners from across the Union. Projects intended for Key Action 2, considered more complex, can benefit from seeking partnerships. To this end, you can utilise the various European networks and initiatives in your sector. The following is an impression of the numerous networks available:
• eTwinning
• Eurodesk Network
• Salto-Youth
• Eurydice
• Epale
Once your OID code is in and your project idea has been developed, you should head over to the European digital platform and upload your project plan. On this platform you will also be asked to provide information on the suggested budget, management aspects, identification and dissemination of results.
CONCLUSION
We know that the Erasmus+ programme is a key driver for European integration through educational and academic cooperation. To reach their objective, the European Commission is shelling out €25.6bn over the 2021-2027 period. These will be dispersed through centralised and decentralised grant schemes, with the latter being of most importance to the majority of readers of this article. Readers interested in these decentralised grant schemes are advised to plan ahead and involve all necessary stakeholders from within and outside of the organisation. Involving network partners, such as can be found on several of the network platforms mentioned, will highly benefit your chances for success in the 2021-2027 period.
For other similar programs and the latest Grants Intelligence, check out our FUNDED magazine V1-1.
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