Who can take part in Erasmus+ is a question IBD hears constantly, and the honest answer is: far more institutions than most coordinators expect. Schools, FE colleges, universities, VET providers, adult education bodies, youth organisations, and sports clubs all have defined routes into the programme. So do their students, apprentices, teachers, youth workers, and volunteers. This guide sets out exactly who qualifies, by institution type, with no jargon.

The One Rule That Changes Everything

Individuals cannot apply for Erasmus+ funding themselves. The programme works through participating organisations: your school, college, university, or employer applies on your behalf. If the application succeeds, the organisation signs the grant agreement and distributes funding to cover participants’ costs. That single rule changes how to think about eligibility. The question isn’t “can I take part?” It’s “can my organisation apply?” Different question, different answer.

Schools, Including Independent and Faith Schools

State schools, academies, independent schools, and faith schools are all eligible to apply for Erasmus+ mobility funding for pupils and staff. The activities covered range from group mobility for pupils and individual exchanges through to professional development courses for teachers, job shadowing, and invited expert visits. Erasmus+ school projects can run from a few days to several weeks, and the programme supports both outbound visits abroad and incoming exchanges where European students and staff visit UK schools. For many schools, it’s the first time their students have had a structured international learning experience built into the curriculum rather than bolted on as an afterthought.

The most persistent misconception IBD Group encounters is that independent and faith schools don’t qualify. They do! We have guided more than 50 independent and faith schools through the application process and helped them secure funding for projects their coordinators had assumed were out of reach. Erasmus+ is built around inclusion, and the eligibility criteria make no distinction between school types.

We have completed some fantastic Erasmus+ mobilities for schools: a Year 6 class from a London primary school travelled to Trento, Italy, for a project built around geography, geology, Roman history, and food safety. Many pupils were flying abroad for the first time, and they visited the Dolomites, Roman ruins, museums, and castles, then worked alongside Italian students in collaborative workshops. The outcomes were exactly what Erasmus+ funds for: confidence, cultural awareness, and a genuine enthusiasm for learning that didn’t fade when they got home.

Yahya Islam, a student who travelled to Bangladesh as part of another school Erasmus+ project IBD Group supported, described it this way: “This project allowed me to enjoy my time in many ways I didn’t think I could. It allowed me to explore cultures outside of my own, and to meet different people. I would like to thank IBD Partnership mainly because it helped my school grant students like me the ability to explore and adventure the outside world.”

Schools can apply as individual organisations or join a consortium led by an accredited coordinator. First-time applicants typically start with a short-term project running six to eighteen months. Previous Erasmus+ experience is not required. If you need some help with your Erasmus+ project or simply want to learn more, check out our Erasmus+ page.

Further Education and Vocational Education Training Providers

FE colleges and VET providers, including independent training providers and apprenticeship organisations, can access Erasmus+ through Key Action 1 mobility projects. Work placements for students, professional visits to companies abroad, long-term ErasmusPro placements, job shadowing for staff, professional development courses, and invited expert visits are all covered. The programme is well suited to sector-specific projects where learners develop practical skills in a real working environment overseas, whether that’s hospitality in France, engineering in Germany, or health and social care in the Netherlands. Staff mobility is equally well funded, giving teachers and trainers the chance to observe professional practice in other European countries and bring new methods back into their own classrooms.

IBD Group supported a group of FE students from Kent who are training to become football coaches. They went on a 12-day football coaching and leadership programme in Valencia, Spain. They trained alongside Spanish coaches, attended tactical workshops, and developed practical coaching skills alongside a level of independence most had never tested before. Many had never travelled without family. By the end, the confidence shift was visible; coordinators described it as one of the most impactful projects they’d run.

Skaidrite Romancuka, a fashion design teacher from a vocational school in Latvia, who completed a staff mobility in Valencia through an Erasmus+ project, wrote: “The mobility helped broaden my view of design education at a European level. One of the most valuable aspects was the exchange of experience with teachers from other countries and learning about new methods I can adapt in my own teaching practice.”

Two routes are available for Further Education and Vocational Education Training providers: short-term projects for first-time applicants or those planning limited activity, and accredited projects for organisations with an Erasmus+ accreditation who want regular, simplified access to funding. Joining an existing consortium is also an option for providers not yet ready to lead an application.

Universities and Higher Education Institutions

UK universities have the broadest access of any sector. The standard route runs through inter-institutional agreements with EU partner universities holding a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). The UK institution doesn’t need its own ECHE, but the EU partner does, and that partner typically leads the application. Under this arrangement, UK students can study abroad at partner institutions and academic staff can take part in teaching and training mobility. Beyond individual exchanges, universities can also collaborate on joint degree programmes, intensive study weeks, and blended learning projects that combine short-term physical mobility with online collaboration. For institutions with existing European partnerships, the return of Erasmus+ from 2027 makes it significantly easier to formalise and fund activity that has been running informally since 2021.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees are a separate and particularly well-funded route. UK universities can participate as full consortium partners, and students enrolled at UK institutions can receive Erasmus Mundus scholarships. For many UK HEIs, this is the most substantive and immediately accessible point of entry.

Adult Education Providers

Non-vocational adult learning organisations, community learning providers, and similar bodies can access Key Action 1 mobility funding for both learners and staff. Target groups are adult learners in non-vocational education, trainers, and organisational staff. Adult education projects often focus on skills that aren’t tied to formal qualifications: digital literacy, financial capability, language learning, and civic participation are all areas the programme actively supports. For providers working with disadvantaged adults or communities with limited access to international experience, Erasmus+ also offers additional funding to cover the extra costs of supporting participants with fewer opportunities.

Youth Organisations

Non-profits, NGOs, European Youth NGOs, public bodies at local and national level, social enterprises, and profit-making organisations with genuine youth work experience are all eligible, provided involvement isn’t commercially motivated. Organisations must have been legally established for at least two years before the application deadline. The youth strand of Erasmus+ is one of the most flexible parts of the programme, covering non-formal and informal learning rather than classroom-based education, which means projects can take a much wider range of formats than in the school or VET sectors. Youth exchanges, training courses, seminars, and volunteering activities are all fundable, and the programme places particular emphasis on reaching young people who face barriers to participation, whether those are economic, geographic, social, or related to disability.

Activities include youth exchanges, mobility projects for youth workers, and youth participation activities. Participants are generally aged 13 to 30, though specific limits vary by activity type. Informal groups of young people can also participate as partners in a project without being formally constituted, provided their representatives can take on legal obligations on the group’s behalf.

Sports Organisations

Grassroots sports organisations can also apply for staff mobility funding under Key Action 1. Coaches, paid staff, and volunteers are all eligible. Staff from non-grassroots sport can participate where their involvement demonstrably benefits grassroots sport through knowledge transfer or training. The programme doesn’t fund athlete competition or elite sport development; the focus is on building organisational capacity and the professional development of the people running clubs and community programmes. For smaller clubs and local sports bodies that have never engaged with European funding before, Erasmus+ offers a realistic entry point, and IBD’s team has experience guiding sports organisations through a process that can feel daunting from the outside but is more accessible than most assume.

Since 2005, IBD Group has supported more than 50,000 participants across the UK and Europe through international mobility programmes, working with schools, FE colleges, universities, and youth organisations of every size and type. The pattern that comes up most: institutions that assumed they weren’t eligible turned out to be wrong. Independent schools. Faith schools. Small FE colleges with no international track record. Youth organisations that had never heard of Erasmus+ until someone pointed them toward it.

The eligibility criteria are broader than most people realise. If you’re not sure whether your institution qualifies, or which route makes sense for your context, IBD’s team can give you straightforward advice on your options. We’ve been through this process across dozens of institution types and know where the genuine barriers are and where they simply don’t exist.

IBD Group has been guiding institutions through the Erasmus+ process since 2005. If you’re not sure whether your school, college, or organisation is eligible, or which route is right for you, our team can give you clear advice on your options. Get in touch to find out where you stand.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Can independent schools apply for Erasmus+ funding?

Yes. Independent schools are eligible on the same basis as state schools, as long as you are registered with the local education authority and deliver recognised education to your pupils.

Can faith schools take part in Erasmus+?

Yes. There is no exclusion for faith schools in the Erasmus+ eligibility criteria. IBD has guided a number of faith schools through the application process successfully.

Can individual teachers or students apply for Erasmus+ directly?

No. Applications must go through an eligible participating organisation such as a school, college, university, or youth body. The grant is awarded to the institution, which then selects and funds participants.

Do you need previous Erasmus+ experience to apply?

No. Previous experience is not required to apply for a short-term mobility project or an Erasmus accreditation. The programme is designed to be accessible to first-time applicants.

Can UK organisations still access Erasmus+ after Brexit?

UK institutions currently participate as third-country organisations, giving access to certain Erasmus+ actions. The UK is expected to rejoin fully from January 2027, with the first funding call anticipated in November 2026.

What types of participants can take part in Erasmus+?

Participants include students, apprentices, trainees, teachers, school leaders, youth workers, coaches, and volunteers. The programme covers learners and staff across every eligible institution type, not just students.