Erasmus+ KA1 · How it works
How Erasmus+ works for a school
From the first idea to the final report: the phases of a project, the two ways to get funded, and how the money reaches the school. Every rule below comes from the Programme Guide 2026.
Four phases, in every project
Plan
Define the learning outcomes, the type of activities, a work programme and a timetable.
Prepare
Practical arrangements, choosing the participants, agreements with partners and participants, and language, cultural and task preparation.
Carry out
The mobility itself: the course, the job shadowing or the teaching assignment abroad.
Follow up
Evaluate the activities, recognise what participants learned, and share and use the results.
Route 1: a short-term project (KA122)
The simplest way in. One application, a few activities, no accreditation needed.
- Apply by 19 February 2026, 12:00 Brussels. A national agency may open a second round until 1 October.
- Start between 1 June and 31 December of the same year (first round), or 1 January and 31 May of the following year (second round).
- Duration: 6 to 18 months.
- Size: up to 30 participants; preparatory visits and accompanying persons do not count.
- Limits: 1 application per round, and at most 3 short-term grants in five consecutive call years.
- Who: individual organisations. Accredited organisations and consortium coordinators cannot apply.
Route 2: accreditation, then a grant every year (KA120 → KA121)
For schools that want Erasmus+ as a permanent part of their development.
- Accredit by 29 September 2026, 12:00 Brussels, with an Erasmus Plan. Accreditations granted under Call 2026 are valid from 1 February 2027.
- Request funding every year by 19 February 2026, 12:00 Brussels. Projects start 1 June; no quality evaluation — all admissible requests are funded.
- Each yearly project lasts 15 months, and can be extended to 24 months if justified.
- Report: a final report after each grant agreement.
The road to accreditation, step by step · Which route suits your school
How the money moves
- Grant agreement. Once the project is selected, the school signs an agreement with its national agency.
- Prefinancing. A first payment arrives before most activities take place.
- Activities. The mobilities happen. The grant is calculated with unit costs: what KA1 pays for.
- Final report. The final payment is calculated from it, and issued within 60 days of the agency receiving it.
If activities do not happen, happen differently or are of insufficient quality, the grant is reduced and excess prefinancing is paid back.
What the teacher actually does
- Before: is selected by the school, agrees what they will learn, and prepares (language, the course programme, practicalities).
- During: takes part in the course, the job shadowing or the teaching assignment.
- After: brings the learning back, receives recognition (for example the Europass Mobility document) and shares the results with colleagues. Our dissemination kit helps with that last step.
Write it yourself. When the school signs the application, it declares that no one external was paid to write it. Advice is fine; paid writing is not. Why it matters.
Frequent questions
Can a teacher apply for Erasmus+ on their own?
No. For school staff, the organisation applies: the school, a local or regional authority, or another body active in school education. The teacher takes part through the school’s project.
How long from application to the first trip?
With a short-term project, you apply by 19 February 2026, 12:00 Brussels and the project can start between 1 June and 31 December of the same year. So the first mobility can happen a few months after the deadline.
What happens if we do not use all the money?
The final payment is calculated from the final report. If activities do not take place, take place differently or are of insufficient quality, the grant is reduced and any excess prefinancing is paid back.
How many short-term projects can a school get?
At most 3 in 5 consecutive call years, and only 1 application per round. After that, the route is accreditation.