The new ERASMUS+ 2021-27 programme is about to be launched but what do we know about it up to now?
Little do we know about the new programme guide and its publication date but luckily enough the new call will remain quite the same. And the good news is that the next 7-year funding cycle has been increased by 60% thus reaching nearly €25 billion, as compared to a total budget of €15 billion in the previous seven-year budget cycle. The programme spending for 2021 has been set at €2.89 billion, an amount comparable to recent-year budgets.
While we wait for the new 2021 Erasmus+ guide, I-Box wants to share with you some of the most important features of the new programme cycle that will help you plan your next transnational projects.
The European Union’s Erasmus+ programme will remain the largest and most important student mobility initiatives in the world.
No substantial changes are expected in terms of proposed actions, in fact, the new programme will be targeting young people especially those out of employment, education and training and will maintain its strong commitment to bridge the world of education and training with the one of the labour market. Nothing new also on the actions front as well – the next cycle will maintain the three Key Action structure too.
At technical level, it is also fair to presume that the submission platform won’t undergo substantial changes. The application form format has been changed only recently and it is quite difficult to imagine a simpler form, although it has been promised that the application process will be easier. Its online configuration and the standardised way of inserting the budget in our project proposals make our life pretty easy and it will continue doing so!
Let’s now focus on the real novelties of the next seven-year framework. We have been anticipated about the increased international character of the next programme. Mobilities will be extended to more extra-EU countries and not only for students and education and training professionals, but also for adult learners. More people will be enabled to travel and spend a period abroad for training and education reasons. This is of course one of the main scopes of the Erasmus+ programme and it is also the reason why from next year on students will be enabled to spend shorter time abroad.
Short-term mobility schemes will allow more young students to experience an outgoing mobility, making it possible also for those people who could not afford spending a period abroad before. This is a very good news for the European young cohorts and for the Union as a whole – the Erasmus mobility scheme has contributed to increase the sense of belonging and the European identity of many citizens. We really hope it will continue doing so in the next future, notwithstanding the difficult times we’re living.
Another novelty will be the increased possibility to opt for a blended mobility – the digital and online aspects of the mobility scheme have been enhanced to allow more people to take part in it. The blended mobility has been particularly designed for VET and adult learners.
On the Strategic partnerships front, well, most probably we will need to forget this wording. In fact, the new KA2 transnational projects will be called Cooperation partnerships in order to remark the extended international character of the programme. The different name is not synonym of deep changes though, in fact, the actions going under Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices won’t be affected by any alteration. The novelty will be represented by the additional small scale partnerships. The next Erasmus+ programme won’t be just extended to more participants in terms of people mobility but also in terms of participating organisations. The new small scale partnerships will be directed at newcomers and small organisations that have less financial capacity and little experience in EU funded project. The programme will thus incentivise the participation of smaller entities making it easier for them to participate. To this end, the administrative procedures will be smoother and bureaucratic processes will be fewer. It is possible to imagine that these partnerships will include less organisations under the same project proposal and that a smaller impact will be expected from them. Small scale projects will also be shorter (no more than 24 months) and will have a smaller budget.
Inclusion and participation are thus two pillars of the new programme cycle too. The next Erasmus+ framework has been designed to increase synergies among a wider pool of participants and stakeholders and to reach learners and organisations who could not take part in the programme in the previous cycles.
Sustainability actions and climate change will also play an important role in the next 7-year programming period. We will see an increasing attention directed at sustainable initiatives at transversal level as this will be the priority not only for the Erasmus+ programme but also of the European Union Member States. The next programme will invest in the fields of renewable energy, environmentalism, sustainability and artificial intelligence.
As the pandemic has taught us the importance and the necessity of technology in learning, working and cooperation, a significant amount of funding will be allocated to the digital sector.
We really hope these small tips will be useful for your next Erasmus+ planning. I-Box Create team is also ready to support you in each phase of the project lifecycle, from the preparation of your proposals to the implementation and follow-up. These three moments are crucial for a successful process and strategic planning plays an important role when seeking to fund your Erasmus+ proposal.
Count on us as a partner or support consultancy for your next proposal. We will make sure it will fit the programme main requirements and make your proposal a winning one.
