Erasmus+ reporting templates and how to use them

Reporting is where an Erasmus+ project either confirms its credibility or raises questions the coordinator did not anticipate. The final report determines whether the balance payment is released — and it is judged not on how well the project went, but on how clearly and consistently that can be demonstrated with evidence.

Most reporting problems are not caused by poor project delivery. They are caused by poor documentation habits during implementation — activities that happened but were never recorded properly, financial evidence collected too late to be complete, or a narrative that describes the project as it was planned rather than as it was actually delivered. This guide explains the different report types Erasmus+ actually uses, what each one requires, and gives you templates you can adapt to keep your own reporting on track.

1. The Different Erasmus+ Report Types Explained

Erasmus+ uses more than one type of report during a project’s life, and it’s worth being precise about the differences — mixing them up leads to confusion about what’s actually due and when.

Periodic report. Some grant agreements require a periodic report that accompanies a request for a further interim payment. If your project structure includes staged payments tied to milestones, this is the report that unlocks the next payment — so it needs to be complete and accurate to avoid delaying your cash flow.

Progress report. Separately, your National Agency may request a progress report simply informing them of how implementation is going. This is purely informational — it does not trigger any payment. Don’t assume that submitting a progress report means money is coming; check your specific grant agreement for what triggers each payment.

Final report. Submitted at the end of the project, this is the document the balance payment is based on. It must demonstrate what was actually delivered — activities, outputs, results, and full financial accounting — measured against what the approved application described.

2. What the Final Report Requires

The final report combines a narrative account of what was delivered with the financial documentation to support it. Both halves need to align — a strong narrative with weak financial backing, or accurate finances with a vague narrative, both invite questions from the NA.

Narrative section. Describe each activity actually carried out, compared against what was planned in the application. Where activities changed from the original plan, explain why and confirm this was communicated to the NA at the time, not just disclosed retrospectively here.

Outputs and results. Document what was produced — with evidence. For KA220 outputs, this means links to where they’re published (the Erasmus+ Results Platform, and any sector platforms used), confirmation of the open licence applied, and language versions delivered.

Financial report. A full account of expenditure per category (for actions using itemized costs) or confirmation that activities described justify the lump sum requested (for KA210/KA220). All supporting evidence — receipts, timesheets, attendance lists — must be retained for at least 5 years after the project ends, even though most of it isn’t submitted with the report itself.

Impact and dissemination evidence. Show what was actually done to disseminate results — not what was planned. Attendance figures from dissemination events, download or view counts for published outputs, and any documented uptake by external organisations all strengthen this section.

3. Internal Partner Reporting Template

This is not an official Erasmus+ form — it’s a practical internal tool coordinators use to collect consistent, complete input from partners before consolidating the official report. Adapt it to your project’s work package structure.

4. Activity Log Template

Write one entry immediately after every project activity — meeting, workshop, pilot session, dissemination event. This becomes the raw material for your narrative sections later, and it’s far more accurate written fresh than reconstructed from memory months later.

5. Reporting Differences: KA210 vs KA220

KA210. Reporting is lighter — typically just a final report, since the lump sum model doesn’t require itemized financial reporting. You still need to demonstrate the activities described in your application actually took place, so keep evidence throughout even without formal receipts.

KA220. More extensive — periodic and/or progress reports may be required alongside the final report, and the final report itself covers multiple work packages, several partners’ input and more detailed output documentation. Build internal partner deadlines well ahead of each NA deadline to allow for consolidation time.

6. Most Common Reporting Mistakes

Writing the final report from memory. Without an activity log and consistent partner input collected throughout, the final report ends up describing the plan rather than what actually happened — and details get lost or blurred.

Narrative and financial records that don’t line up. Every activity described must be traceable to supporting evidence. Every cost claimed must map to a described activity. Mismatches here are the most common source of NA queries.

Assuming progress reports unlock payment. They don’t — only a periodic report tied to an interim payment request does that, and only if your grant agreement includes one. Check what your specific agreement requires rather than assuming.

Undisclosed deviations surfacing for the first time in the final report. Changes to the plan should be flagged to the NA when they happen, not revealed retrospectively at reporting stage.

7. Reporting Checklist

• ✅ Grant agreement checked for exactly which report types apply to your project
• ✅ Activity log maintained throughout — entry written after every activity
• ✅ Partner reporting template used consistently at each internal deadline
• ✅ Financial evidence collected immediately after each activity, not at reporting stage
• ✅ Deviations from the approved plan flagged to the NA when they happen
• ✅ Narrative cross-checked against financial records before submission
• ✅ Output publication evidence (Results Platform, open licence confirmation) ready for the final report
• ✅ All documentation retained for at least 5 years after project end