Erasmus+ guide · Accreditation
Erasmus accreditation (KA120): how it actually works
Updated for Call 2026 · Written by the trainer who teaches it
The Erasmus accreditation is the Programme’s answer to a real problem: organisations that want to send staff and learners abroad every year shouldn’t have to compete from scratch every year. You apply once, with a multi-annual plan, and if you’re accredited you get simplified access to funding for the rest of the programming period.
In plain terms: accreditation is not funded per project — it is a door. Once you hold it, you request funds every year and the Programme Guide is explicit that no quality evaluation happens at that stage: all admissible requests are funded.
What the accreditation gets you
- Annual funding without competing. Accredited organisations request their grant each February (the KA121 request) and receive an allocation based on their plans and past performance.
- Stability to plan. Your Erasmus Plan covers two to five years — long enough to build mobility into how your organisation actually works, rather than improvising project by project.
- Consortium option. You can apply as an individual organisation or as a mobility consortium coordinator, offering mobility to other organisations in your country (they don’t need their own accreditation).
Who can apply
Organisations active in school education, VET or adult education. Each field is a separate application; pick the field that matches your organisation’s core activity, not the topic of the courses you want to attend.
One rule catches many applicants: in the same field you must choose — individual organisation or consortium coordinator, not both.
The deadline
Verified against the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, Call 2026. Always confirm on your national agency's website — second rounds and national details vary.
How your application is scored
Four criteria, 100 points. You need at least 70 overall and at least half the maximum in every single category — a brilliant Erasmus Plan with a weak management section fails.
| Criterion | Max points |
|---|---|
| Relevance | 10 |
| Erasmus Plan: Objectives | 40 |
| Erasmus Plan: Activities | 20 |
| Erasmus Plan: Management | 30 |
Notice where the weight is: 70 of the 100 points are the Erasmus Plan itself — objectives, activities and management. That’s why we’ve written a separate guide on the Erasmus Plan, the document evaluators actually spend their time on.
Advice is allowed. Paid writing is not.
The Guide encourages you to seek advice — from education authorities, from experienced peers, from experts. Consortium candidates may consult their future members. You may build on your own strategy documents. What you may not do is pay someone to write the application.
The red line: your application includes a sworn declaration that its content is original and that nobody external was paid to write it. Breaking it is grounds for exclusion and repayment — for your organisation. This guide teaches you to write your own. We will never write it for you, and you should not buy that from anyone.
Frequent questions
Is the accreditation itself money?
No. The accreditation is a door, not a grant. Once you hold it, you request funding every year (KA121) through a simplified process — and every admissible request is funded, without a new quality evaluation.
How long is an Erasmus accreditation valid?
Accreditations granted under Call 2026 are valid from 1 February 2027 for the rest of the programming period. Your Erasmus Plan can cover two to five years, and an approved plan remains valid until your national agency approves an update.
Can we apply in more than one field?
Yes — school education, VET and adult education are separate applications, one per field. You cannot, however, apply both as an individual organisation and as a consortium coordinator in the same field.
Is there a limit to how many accreditations are granted?
Yes. Each national agency sets a maximum number of new accreditations per field, based on budget, and publishes it on its website at least 14 days before the deadline. Selection is by ranking of applications above the minimum thresholds.
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