Erasmus+ Youth Mobility

The European Union programme Erasmus+ funds Youth projects across Europe. This is to provide non-formal and informal learning opportunities for young people so that they can acquire competences that improve their personal and socio-educational development. It also encourages active participation in society, improving employment prospects. Participation also enables youth workers to develop skills to bolster professional development, foster new organisational practices and raise quality of youth work in general.

There are three main types of Erasmus+ Youth Mobility projects:

Visit each page for more detail on each project type.

Here you will find general information on Youth Mobility and how to get involved. You can then sign up to our newsletter or come to an information session to find out more.

If you want to apply for funding, you will need to be familiar with the priorities of Erasmus+ . You will also need to read the Youth Mobility section of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide to understand the programme rules.

What is a Youth Mobility Project?

A ‘Mobility’ project is where a youth organisation sends its young people or youth workers to another country to learn and develop both personal and professional skills.  Activities are intended to have a positive impact on the young people and organisations involved, the communities where they take place, the youth field itself and the European economic and societal sectors at large. Read the Youth Mobility section of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for a comprehensive overview of Youth mobility objectives.

Youth organisations or, in certain cases, groups of young people can apply for funding to prepare and manage the project, and for the costs of travel and participation. Extra funding is available to include those with fewer opportunities. The minimum time a project can last is three months.

Who Can Take Part in a Mobility Project?

Any Youth organisation in Ireland or organisation active in the Youth field can apply to Léargas for funding. Groups of young people can also take part in some project types. Contact our Youth officers in the Programme Support and Development team if you have any questions about who can take part.

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Youth Mobility Deadlines

February

23rd

Erasmus+ Mobility Deadline Spring 2023

Mobility for learners and staff in Adult Education, School Education, VET and Youth. Staff Mobility in the field of Sport. Apply by 11:00am Irish time.

May

4th

Erasmus+ Youth Mobility Deadline Summer 2023

Mobility projects in Youth. Apply by 11:00am Irish time.

October

4th

Erasmus+ Youth Mobility Deadline Autumn 2023

Mobility for Youth (Youth Exchanges, Mobility of Youth Workers, Youth Participation). Apply by 11:00am Irish time.

October

19th

Erasmus+ Accreditation Deadline 2023

Accreditation in Adult Education, School Education, VET and Youth. Apply by 11:00am Irish time.

What Happens on a Mobility Project?

Youth organisations and informal groups of young people carry out projects that bring together young people from different countries to exchange and learn outside their formal educational system. There are three main types:

Youth Exchanges
Groups of young people from at least two different countries meet for a short period to jointly carry out a non-formal learning programme on a topic of their interest.

Mobility for Youth Workers
Youth organisations that want to enhance the professional development of youth workers and the capacity of the wider organisation can send workers for training or to take part in courses.

Youth Participation 
Youth organisations and informal groups of young people from all backgrounds can arrange activities including workshops, debates, role-plays, simulations, use of digital tools, awareness raising campaigns, and training.  Participation Activities can take place in Ireland or in other countries. This project type has a special focus on those with fewer opportunities.

What is the Funding for a Mobility Project?

There is no set amount of funding for a Youth Mobility Project. It is decided by the quality of the project planned, and the amount of funding available. As a guideline, in 2020 projects received funding from varying from €9,000 to €63,000. See Guide to Your Funding for budget allocations in 2021.

How Does an Organisation Get Involved?

There are three ways:

  • Apply for a one-off project or a limited number of activities lasting three to 24 months
  • Become an accredited organisation with an ‘Erasmus Plan’, and apply for a series of projects over several years
  • Join a project as a partner organisation.

Whether it is a Youth Exchange, Youth Worker Mobility or Youth Participation Activity, all projects have four stages. You will need to outline these clearly in your application:

  • Planning – Define the needs, objectives and desired outcomes
  • Preparation – Establish the practicalities
  • Implementation – Carry out the activities
  • Follow-up – Evaluation and feedback.

You will need to read the Youth Mobility section of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for further details on these four stages.

 

Next Steps To Getting Involved

Step 1

Sign Up For Updates

Sign Up to our Newsletter and get regular updates on Erasmus+ events and supports organised by Léargas.  We will update you on training opportunities, project labs and application workshops that will empower you to take part in European Youth Work!

Sign Up
STEP 2

Join an Erasmus+ Training Activity

Sign up for an Erasmus+ Training Cooperation Activity or TCA.  These trainings happen at national and international level and are a great way to find partners for your project.

Explore
STEP 3

Discover at a Discovery Day

Explore how an Erasmus+ project could help your organisation meet its needs

 

Explore
Step 4

Find Partners

Register on OTLAS or use other tools to find a partner for an Erasmus+ project

 

Register Now
Step 5

Plan at a Project Lab

Come to a Léargas-led workshop for guidance on developing an idea into a project plan

Explore
Step 6

Attend An Application Workshop

Come to a Léargas-led workshop on how to write, budget and submit your application

Explore

How Does an Organisation Find Courses and Partners?

Young people, youth workers and youth organisations should take advantage of the community-building platforms on the European Youth Portal. Eurodesk is also a great source of information for identifying mobility opportunities. Visit our Programme Results section to see which organisations have previously taken part.

What Are the Next Steps? 

Once the project is planned, the organisation or group of young people can submit an online application before the deadline. The application requires a lot of detail and organisations should allocate at least six weeks to plan and write it.

Léargas evaluate applications using strict Erasmus+ criteria. We contact applicants with our decision three months after the deadline. If your project is funded, the organisation receives a large proportion of the funding at the start of the project. The organisation then carries out the project and submits a Final Report on its progress. The remainder of the funding is paid when this Final Report is approved.

Read our section on Applying For Erasmus+ Mobility for more detail on the application process.

 

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Key Events

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for European Solidarity Corps

Join this online course and learn at your own pace about how you can take part in the European Solidarity Corps as a young person or organisation. Course runs until 06 November 2022!

Deadline: 30 June 2023

Latest Youth News

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Meet The Team

Audrey Reilly

Support and Development Officer, Youth Exchanges, Youth Participation Activities, Youth Worker Mobility (01) 8871222

Vacant

Senior Support and Development Officer, Youth KA2, Accreditation, DiscoverEU

Daniel Abels

Support & Development Officer, Youth, Project Support All Fields (01) 8871257

Emmanuelle Place

Senior Finance Officer (Acting), Erasmus+ Youth & European Solidarity Corps (01) 8871207

Nicola Sherry

Operations Officer, Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps (01) 8871212

Carlos Barceló

Operations Officer, Erasmus+ Youth & European Solidarity Corps (01) 8871235

Seána Sweeney

Operations Officer, Erasmus+ Youth & European Solidarity Corps (01) 8871237