Most of the 2026 Erasmus+ deadlines have already passed at the time of writing. But two important windows are still open: the Erasmus Accreditation deadline (29 September) and the second round for KA1 Youth actions — youth exchanges, youth worker mobility and youth participation activities (1 October). This guide leads with what’s still actionable, then
Erasmus+ youth exchanges are one of the most widely used and most impactful mobility activities in the programme. They bring together groups of young people from different countries for a short-term international experience — typically 5 to 21 days — focused on a shared theme, non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue. For youth organisations, youth centres
Erasmus+ KA220 — Cooperation Partnerships — is the most ambitious and most impactful cooperation action in the Erasmus+ programme. It funds transnational partnerships between three or more organisations to develop substantial outputs, drive systemic innovation and contribute measurably to the modernisation of education, training and youth work across Europe. KA220 is also the most demanding
Erasmus+ KA210 — Small-Scale Partnerships — is the most accessible cooperation action in the Erasmus+ programme. It was introduced in the 2021–2027 programme generation specifically to open European cooperation to organisations that had previously found KA220 too complex, too demanding or too large for their needs. Smaller NGOs, community organisations, schools with limited administrative capacity
Erasmus+ Key Action 2 is the cooperation strand of the programme — the funding stream that supports transnational partnerships between organisations to develop innovative practices, produce transferable outputs and drive systemic change in education, training and youth work. Where KA1 sends individuals abroad to learn, KA2 brings organisations together to create something that did not
Erasmus+ Key Action 1 is the mobility strand of the programme — the funding stream that sends learners, educators, youth workers and staff across Europe for training, job shadowing, study periods and professional development activities. It is the most widely used Key Action in the programme and, for many organisations, the natural entry point into
Most Erasmus+ applications are not rejected because of poor writing or weak budgets. They are rejected because the project idea itself is not strong enough — it is too vague, too generic, not clearly grounded in a real need, or not differentiated from the thousands of similar proposals submitted in the same call. A winning
