What is Erasmus+ for FE and VET institutions?

Erasmus+ funds staff and learner mobility: real people going abroad to study, train or work in a professional environment. For Further Education (FE) and Vocational Education & Training (VET) institutions, it is the most directly relevant part of the programme. Your students can spend weeks inside a real business abroad gaining hands-on experience in their sector. Your staff can spend a few days observing a partner institution, attending a training course or building relationships with European counterparts. All of it is funded.

The UK left Erasmus+ in 2021 following Brexit, which cut off access to this funding for British FE and VET providers for six years. That changes in January 2027, when the UK formally rejoins the programme. Applications are expected to open in November 2026 through the British Council, which has been confirmed as the UK National Agency. European VET institutions have continued to access Erasmus+ throughout this period and can already include UK destinations in their 2027 project planning.

This article is part of IBD’s series on who can apply for Erasmus+ funding in the UK. The full guide covering all institution types is the place to start if you are new to the programme. This article goes deeper on youth and sports organisations specifically.

Are FE/VET institutions eligible for Erasmus+?

Yes, fully. Any publicly recognised FE or VET institution is eligible to apply for Erasmus+ KA1 funding. That includes general FE colleges, sixth form colleges, specialist colleges, adult education centres, apprenticeship providers and private training organisations registered in any Erasmus+ programme country. The programme is not limited to universities. Vocational education and training sits at the heart of the KA1 school and VET mobility strand, alongside schools and adult education providers.

European VET institutions already access this funding annually and can include UK destinations from January 2027. British FE and VET providers applying for the first time will go through the British Council, which will publish detailed guidance when the 2027 application portal opens in autumn 2026. If your institution already holds an Erasmus+ accreditation from before 2021, that may provide a useful foundation for your new application.

What kinds of Erasmus+ projects can FE/VET institutions run?

Most FE and VET Erasmus+ projects are built around one of three activity types, though a single project can combine more than one.

Work placements

This is what most people picture. Students spend two to six weeks working inside a real business abroad, in their sector, with real daily responsibilities. IBD has been doing this since 2005, and it is where we started. Our original focus was vocational students going into workplaces, getting proper experience and coming back with something real on their CV. We still believe it is one of the most useful things an FE or VET institution can give its students.

The sectors we can cover now are considerably broader than when we started. Retail and hospitality are straightforward at most of our destinations. Medicine, legal and more specialist sectors are available at some, and we are always honest about what is genuinely achievable before any project is built around it. Our largest single placement project put 45 students across the south coast of England in one go, spread across several different sectors simultaneously. That was a logistical challenge that taught us a great deal about what good coordination actually requires.

Professional visits and study trips

Not all FE and VET Erasmus+ projects are placement-based. A well-designed professional visit can deliver just as much value for certain course types. We are currently organising a project for a sixth form from London, sending 25 business studies students to Dubai and Slovakia. During the visit they will attend guest lectures from accomplished local professionals, tour companies operating in their field and visit universities and institutions relevant to their studies. Direct exposure to how different economies and industries operate is exactly the kind of context that does not come from a textbook.

Professional training

Erasmus+ also funds structured training programmes where students attend a course or workshop abroad rather than a workplace placement. A good example is a group of football coaching students we sent to Valencia, Spain. The programme was built around professional coaching sessions delivered by UEFA-licensed coaches, combined with visits to Valencia CF’s training facilities. It sat within their qualification framework and gave them something no institution in the UK could replicate domestically.

Job shadowing for staff

KA1 also funds mobility for institutional staff, not just students. Teachers, heads of department and curriculum leads can spend time shadowing colleagues at a partner institution in Europe, attending a training course or building a relationship that benefits future student projects. IBD arranges the host placement, accommodation and full logistics for staff mobility just as we do for student groups.

How much Erasmus+ funding can an FE/VET institution receive?

Grants are awarded to your institution rather than to individual students, and the amount depends on your destination, group size, project duration and participant profile. The rates are set by the European Commission and updated annually.

As a guide for 2027 projects, you can expect funding to cover:

• Travel costs from roughly €20 up to €1,500 per participant depending on distance from your institution to the destination
• Individual support covering accommodation and meals, starting from €79 per participant per day for destinations in the UK, Ireland and Spain
• Organisational support of up to €500 per participant to cover coordination, preparation and documentation costs
• Inclusion support for participants with fewer opportunities, which can add significantly to the overall grant

A group of 20 students on a three-week placement can attract a grant well into five figures. The programme is designed so that the cost to your institution, and to your students, is minimal. Erasmus+ is not a partial subsidy; it is built to cover the real cost of running a mobility.

How IBD Partnership Group works with FE and VET institutions

IBD has been working with vocational students and FE/VET institutions since 2005. This sector is where we started and where a significant part of our work still sits. We have now supported more than 1,000 FE and VET students on placements and visits abroad, across destinations in Europe and beyond, and we continue to expand into new regions and more specialist sectors each year.

We operate hosting destinations in Portsmouth, London, Brighton and Southampton in the UK, Cork and Limerick in Ireland, and Valencia in Spain. For outbound projects, we work with a network of partner organisations across Europe and can place students in most major sectors at most European destinations.

When an institution comes to us, we start by understanding the course requirements and what the placement or visit actually needs to deliver. That shapes everything: the destination, the employer or host match, the timing, the activity programme and the documentation. We handle the full logistics from employer matching through to Europass Mobility certification, with a dedicated local IBD contact on the ground for the duration of every project.

What we also do is help FE and VET providers understand the funding landscape, identify the right project structure for their goals and build a project framework that is ready to submit when the application portal opens. We have been helping institutions obtain Erasmus+ funding since the programme’s early years.

FAQ

Can a small FE or VET provider apply for Erasmus+ or is it only for large institutions?

Size is not a factor in eligibility. Any recognised FE or VET institution can apply regardless of student numbers. Smaller providers often find that a focused project with 10 to 15 students is easier to manage and equally well-funded per participant as a larger one.

Do students need a certain level of English or academic attainment to participate?

No fixed academic threshold exists within the Erasmus+ rules. Employers and host organisations set their own expectations, and IBD works to match students to placements that fit their level. Students heading to English-speaking destinations benefit from the language immersion regardless of their starting point.

Can the placement sector match our institution’s specialist courses?

Yes, and this is where early planning matters. IBD covers more than 30 sectors across our destinations, including more specialist areas such as healthcare, legal and engineering at certain sites. Contact us early so we can confirm availability before the project is built around a specific sector.

What happens if a student withdraws after the project is approved?

Erasmus+ funding rules allow for replacements in most cases. The grant is awarded to the institution rather than the individual, so a replacement student can usually step in if there is enough lead time before departure.

When should an institution start planning for a 2027 project?

Now. The application window is expected to open in November 2026, and applications built on a clear project rationale and a confirmed hosting partner perform better in assessment. Institutions that leave planning until October tend to be rushing a submission that better-prepared applicants spent six months getting right.

Can European VET institutions include the UK as a destination in their 2027 projects?

Yes. The UK rejoins Erasmus+ as a fully associated country from January 2027, which means European sending organisations can include UK hosting partners in their KA1 applications from the 2027 call onwards. IBD is an established UK hosting organisation ready to receive groups from January 2027 across all our destinations.

If your FE or VET institution is planning its first Erasmus+ project for 2027, or if you want to understand what a placement, professional visit or training programme would look like for your students, get in touch with the IBD team. We have been doing this for 20 years and we are happy to talk through what is realistic before any commitment is made. Contact us here.