Erasmus+ Small-scale Partnerships: the key information

Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnerships: an entry to European funding

Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnerships aim to reduce entry barriers for smaller organizations and support flexible formats. These partnerships are designed to foster bottom-up development and enable transnational networks focused on education, training, youth, and sport. They are open to public or private organizations established in an EU Member State or third country associated with the programme.

Below you will find the key information about the programme:

• The duration of Small-Scale Partnerships is between 6 to 24 months.
• Participants must include a minimum of two organizations from different EU Member States or associated third countries.
• Funding is offered in a lump sum of 30,000 to 60,000 euros depending upon project size, its activities and duration.

Designing a Small-Scale Partnership: four stages

If you are to design a Small-Scale Partnership project, four essential stages of the project from development to completion are recommended by the European Commission:

• The first stage, planning, involves defining the needs, objectives, project and learning outcomes, activity formats, and schedules.
• The preparation stage follows, and it includes the meticulous organization of planning activities, development of work programmes, making practical arrangements, confirming target groups, and setting up agreements with partners.
• Next, the implementation stage is marked by the execution of all the planned activities, ensuring that everything that was prepared, is carried out as intended.
• Finally, the follow-up stage consists of evaluating the activities and their impact at different levels, sharing, and utilizing the project’s results, which rounds off the process and allows for reflections on the overall success and areas for improvement.

Key horizontal priorities to consider

When designing a Small-Scale Partnership, there are also four key horizontal priorities to consider. These priorities can help you to determine the focus and activities of your project, as the Commission highly encourages including their integration:

1. Inclusion and diversity: The projects must promote equal opportunities, inclusion, and fairness. They should reach out to participants from diverse backgrounds and consider the needs and views of those with fewer opportunities.
2. Environmental sustainability: Projects should be eco-friendly and include green practices, reflecting on and learning about environmental issues and finding greener ways of implementation.
3. Digital dimension: Virtual cooperation and blended learning opportunities are vital. Depending on the field, various platforms like eTwinning, EPALE, European Youth Portal are encouraged for collaboration.
4. Participation and civic engagement: The projects should support active engagement in democratic life and social participation. They should focus on promoting understanding of the European Union context, common EU values, unity, diversity, cultural identity, and heritage.

Application deadlines

Application can happen twice per year. Below we indicate the upcoming deadlines for small-scale projects in both the spring and fall. The deadlines are as follows:

• March 22 for sport-related projects
• March 22 and October 4 for general projects
• May 4 for additional youth-related projects

Where to apply?

Applications for partnerships in vocational education and training, school education, adult education, and youth are submitted to the National Agency of the country where the applicant organization is established. Partnerships in the field of sport apply to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency in Brussels. The same consortium can only submit one application to one agency per deadline.