Key Action 2 HEGuidance on applicationsDavid HiblerJoanna Collins

Overall objectives

• Boost skills, employability, labour market relevance

• Modernise education, training, youth work

• Focus on young people

• See http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/index_en.htm

Key facts

• Simpler, cross-sectoral structure based on ‘Key Actions’

• Worth €940m to UK over seven years

• Replaces Lifelong Learning Programme, Youth in Action and other EU programmes

• Addresses EU agenda for modernisation of HE

Erasmus+ is ‘the new EU

programme for education,

training, youth and sport’

European policy context

Key Actions

• Key Action 1: Learning Mobility of Individuals• Key Action 2: Co-operation for Innovation and

Exchange of Good Practices• Key Action 3: Support for Policy Reform• Some activities managed centrally, not by

National Agencies• Organisation, not individual applications• No funding for preparatory visits

Key Action 2

• Strategic Partnerships (by sector and cross- sectoral)

• Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances• Capacity Building Projects• Support to IT Platforms • Broadly, absorbs Tempus within changed focus

Key Action 2 Strategic partnerships

• Development, transfer and/or implementation of innovative practice (incl. mobility) and development of labour market skills

• Partnership size and type flexible• HE, VET, schools, adult education, youth and

cross-sectoral• Funding based on unit costs

Strategic partnerships in HE

Basic criteria• Wide variety of organisations: public or private,

professional bodies, NGOs etc, in programme countries; sectoral, cross-sectoral

• Participating HEIs - Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE)

• Minimum 3 organisations from 3 programme countries• Up to €150,000 per year • 2 or 3 years: duration depends on objectives and activities• Overall budget less for UK, expect much competition

Application deadline

DEADLINE

30 APRIL

12.00 CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME

(11.00 BST)

Possible Strategic Partnerships themes

Priorities for KA2 HE• Enhance quality and relevance of learning, attainment

levels • Key skills: entrepreneurship, languages, digital • labour market relevance: links with work• Non traditional approaches, virtual mobility, use of ICT• Professional development• Capacity building, Organisational development• Equity and inclusion • Pursue EC priorities for modernisation of HE

Projects • Address policy objectives• Foster transversal (cross-cutting) skills for employability• Promote practical experience, work-based learning• Professional development in using ICT, support for OER• Develop innovative curricula • Validation of non-formal and informal learning and

connection with formal; transition to new levels with European tools, link with national recognition systems

• Career guidance and counselling

Activities

• Very flexible to deliver project objectives

Separate budget lines:• Project management and meetings• Intellectual outputs• Multiplier events• Teaching, training and learning activities • Linguistic support• Dissemination of results

Award criteria• Relevance: policy; needs; objectives; synergies between

fields; innovative or complementary; added EU value • Design and implementation : work programme phases;

consistency; methodology; quality control; VFM; appropriate T&L if any; recognition of learning outcomes

• Quality of team and cooperation: participating organisation skills and competencies ; tasks and responsibilities; management arrangements

• Impact & dissemination: evaluation; impact; dissemination; sustainability

• Programme Guide pages 99 to 100

The application eform

• Completed on-line• Guidelines on NA website www.erasmusplus.org.uk • “Declaration of Honour” to be signed off by legal

representative of institution (download for signature, scan, upload)

• IT issues- to Erasmus helpdesk Erasmus@britishcouncil.org

Advice • Read relevant sections of Programme Guide, especially

objectives and priorities for KA2 (pages 93 to 96); award criteria (pages 99 to 100); examples of projects (page 243)

• See project examples http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/project_reports/project_reports_erasmus_en.php

• Guidance on using the eforms is at [t.b.c.]• Read full application form and guidance before

completing the form

The application form content overview

• Context: background• Participating organisations: basic information• Description of the project: rationale for project and

partnership, objectives• Preparation and project management: including m&e;

target groups• Project activities: details of all outputs and activities

The application form content overview

• Follow-up: dissemination, use of results, sustainability• Budget: management and activities• Project summary • Formal aspects: data protection, sign off

• Basic information• NA – select UK1• Details fill in automatically when PIC input• HEIs – accredited (ECHE), do not have to add further

information to show eligibility• Summary of background and experience• Partners – as above

Context and participating organisations

Description of the project, objectives• Rationale, issues and needs ie why this project?

• Innovative or complementary: how fits with other activity?

• Partners: how chosen? skills, knowledge, experience? New partners? EU added value

• Communication and meetings, partners and stakeholders

• Priorities (cf EU priorities) - overall objectives eg partnerships between education and employment

• Topics - eg regional dimension; environment; discipline

• Results: outputs, products, changes; people trained, skills, knowledge, cultural awareness, languages NB not outputs covered below under “activities”.

Preparation and project management

• Preparation: analyses, planning, building engagement, possibly before funding starts (cf. “activities”)

• Budget and timelines: management and monitoring budget between partners, monitoring timelines, rectifying

• Quality of activities: monitoring quality of delivery; who, how, when? (cf. “activities”)

• Risks: internal and external, how monitored and mitigated• Assessing achievement: qualitative and quantitative

indicators and activities (outputs, results, objectives) cf. “activities” and “impact” below

Implementation

• Organisation of activities: who, what, where, how coordinated, timelines (template annex promised)

• Target groups: who? cf. “needs”, above• Participants with fewer opportunities: number; proportion of

participants • Support for them• Difficulties in participation

Project activities (and outputs)• Divided into types• For each type (eg intellectual outputs, events, mobility) :

– Phase of the project: Preparation; Implementation; Follow-up; Dissemination; Closure

– Title– Description– Tasks– Estimated start and end dates– Organisation leading the activity– Other participating organisations.

Intellectual outputs• Publications eg academic papers; policy recommendations

at different levels; curricula , course materials; training materials; assessment methods, materials; handbooks, advice, guidance; case studies ; good practice; websites; innovative uses of IT and different media; software

Type Languages Media  

Multiplier events

• Emphasis on visibility and dissemination in Erasmus+• Beyond participating individuals and organisations• Event type • Intellectual outputs covered

Learning, teaching and training activities

• Must contribute to overall objectives of project• Eligibility criteria and funding different from mobility in KA1:

quality criteria (eg recognition) the same• Students: blended mobility i.e. up to 2 months physical

mobility with virtual mobility• Staff teaching and training: 2 to 12 months• Intensive programmes of 5 days to two months• Short – term joint staff training events: 5 days to 2 months

Learning, teaching and training activities• Activity type – click as appropriate• Activity description • Number of participants• Participants with special needs: even if you are not sure of

the details, included any anticipated participation by people with special needs.

• Accompanying persons – as above• Long (months) or short term (days) – as appropriate. • Participating organisations

Follow up - impact

• Impact (effects, results, changes) on participating individuals and organisations and other stakeholders

• Impact beyond the project, local, regional, national, European

• Measurement – who, what, how

Follow up - dissemination

• Important in Erasmus+ - added value of EU funding, wider reach and impact

• Communicating successes and results widely: for use by others including other sectors; to influence policy; into the future

• Measureable, realistic objectives• Timetable• Resource planning• Involvement of target groups if possible

Follow up - dissemination

• Target audiences, different levels• Responsibilities, skills of team• Accessibility, media • Monitoring

Sustainability

• Of project activities and results• Resources – financial, other (eg institutional support)

Budget (summary)

• Different activities: different funding levels and structures • Most payments conditional on justification in application• Unit costs and lump sums, with ceilings• Project management - 500 per month for coordinating;250

per month for participating (all)• Transnational project meetings (must be justified) per

participant and distance travelled • Intellectual outputs per day and staff role (manager,

researcher/teacher/trainer, technician, administrator)

Budget (summary)• Multiplier events related to intellectual outputs: per local

and foreign participant • Learning, teaching, training: travel by distance, and

subsistence per participant by day or month• Linguistic support: lump sum per participant in 2 to 12

months mobility• Special needs: actuals – costs included in application• Exceptional costs: 75% actuals , subcontracted goods and

services which partners cannot provide

Project Summary• Synopsis: to be used for publicity, uploaded to EC

dissemination platform • Context• Objectives • Participants• Activities• Methodology• Results, impact, longer term benefits• Summary of participating organisations and budget

ECAS and PICs• Need PIC http://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply • HEIs ask Erasmus coordinator • Other organisations: register on the European

Commission Authentication Service (ECAS), see http://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply

• Log in to Participant Portal with ECAS account details, see EC Participant Portal User Manual

• Register on the Unique Registration Facility (URF) • You will receive a PIC.

Further information• Call for Proposals and Programme Guide

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm

• UK NA website, www.erasmusplus.org.uk • #erasmusplusuk – BC/Ecorys hashtag• Erasmus Helpdesk (detail) erasmus@britishcouncil.org • Examples of centralised projects under LLP

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/project_reports/project_reports_erasmus_en.php