The Erasmus+ program is often known and primarily associated with one of its key actions, which is student exchange at the university level (known as Erasmus). But not everyone knows that the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ are much broader and include not only educational institutions such as schools and universities but also entities focused on social inclusion, cultural promotion, and community action. This is precisely why the word Erasmus is associated with the symbol “+,” to indicate that the funding opportunities are much more extensive than just student mobility.
The program aims to promote transnational cooperation among institutions, organizations, and individuals in the fields of education, vocational training, youth, and sports. One of the areas that Erasmus+ focuses on is identifying and implementing innovative practices in the fields of education, vocational training, and youth. This type of funding is generally managed through Key Action 2 of the program, which offers opportunities for organizations, public entities, and civil society organizations to collaborate on initiatives for the benefit of the community and citizens.
In particular, the Erasmus+ program focuses on two types of projects:
- Strategic Partnerships: These projects promote cooperation between organizations from different European countries. The main objectives of strategic partnerships are the development, implementation, and dissemination of innovative and quality practices in the areas of education, training, and youth. They can involve organizations active in the field of vocational training, adult education, and the youth sector.
- Innovative Practices Exchanges: These projects aim to allow the organizations involved to share and learn best practices in the fields of education, vocational training, and youth. Practice exchanges often focus on specific topics and enable staff and operators in the sectors involved to acquire innovative skills, knowledge, and methods to implement in their own work context.
Key Action 2, therefore, also involves youth organizations and the community sector, promoting an integrated and inclusive approach. Some practical examples can be vocational training projects for staff in the fields of education, social work, and health for innovative job practices; education and promotion projects on socially relevant topics such as the reception of migrants, LGBTIQA+ community inclusion; vocational training projects for the job placement or reintegration of vulnerable groups (people with disabilities, people over 50, migrants).
Why should your organization submit an application? Here are some reasons, along with some tips, why you should participate in the next call:
- Expand towards an international perspective: participating in the Erasmus+ program allows you to broaden your horizons and collaborate with international partner entities from different European countries and, in some cases, even from countries outside the European Union. This international cooperation allows you to gain new perspectives, skills, and innovative approaches, as well as share best practices with organizations in the same sector. Therefore, we recommend starting by looking for international partners with common interests and objectives to increase the chances of success in your application.
- Networking and visibility: participating in Erasmus+ projects provides the opportunity to create new networks internationally and increase your visibility. This can lead to new collaboration opportunities and future partnerships, expanding the scope of projects and allowing you to achieve international impact. To prepare for this involvement, it is useful to participate in events, webinars, and workshops organized around the Erasmus+ world, either by the European Union or by third-party entities with the purpose of creating new connections between organizations.
- Funding your own projects: Erasmus+ offers funding for innovative projects with social purposes, allowing you to develop and implement new initiatives tailored to address specific needs and challenges in your territory and its target audience. Funding represents a great opportunity to carry out projects that would otherwise not be feasible, benefiting the entire community. Therefore, one piece of advice is, when you conceive and write the project, to train yourself to explain and demonstrate clearly the impact and added value of the project to convince evaluators of the importance of the application.
If you have a project idea that goes in this direction and you want to take a leap into an international dimension with your organization, at AmbTu, we can help you with the partnership search, project writing, and application process. Take your ideas to Europe, contact us!
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