Erasmus+ Partnerships for Cooperation

What is a Partnership Project?

A partnership project is where an organisation works with other relevant groups in different countries to exchange ideas or to develop, transfer or implement innovative practices.  Funding is available for Irish organisations, institutions, companies, and research organisations that are active in Adult Education, School Education, VET or Youth. The project should address at least one of the Erasmus+ priorities.

Who Can Take Part in a Partnership Project?

There are two types of partnership project:

• Cooperation Partnerships
• Small-scale Partnerships

Cooperation Partnerships are suitable for experienced organisations or larger-scale projects. Small-scale Partnerships have shorter durations and simpler administration. They are ideal for grassroots organisations or newcomers to Erasmus+.

Any public or private organisation established in an Erasmus+ Programme Country can apply.

What Happens in a Partnership Project?

Partnership projects help organisations to:

• Increase quality in their work, activities or practices
• Build capacity to work transnationally and across sectors
• Address common needs and priorities in education, training and youth
• Enable transformation and change, leading to improvements and new approaches at individual, organisational or sectoral level.

A partnership project could be:

• An Adult Education organisation working with expert organisations to develop an innovative training course
• A school working with other schools to develop its approach to digital learning.

What is the Funding for a Partnership Project?

Erasmus+ funding can be used for:

• Project management and implementation – for preparing and carrying out the project
• Learning and training activities – to support project implementation
• Meetings and events – e.g. workshops to exchange practice or develop results
• Project deliverables – producing results or outcomes
• Sharing and promotion activities – aimed at sharing the project’s results

There are set lump sum amounts for a Partnership project which contribute to the cost of eligible activities linked to the implementation of the project. You can choose between the pre-defined amounts according to the activities you wish to undertake and the results you wish to achieve. The pre-defined amounts are €400,000, €250,000 or €120,000 for a Cooperation Partnership and €60,000 and €30,000 for a Small-Scale Partnership.

How Do We Set Up a Project?

All Partnership projects have four stages, that you must outline clearly in your application.

• Planning – Define the needs, objectives, activities, outcomes and schedule
• Preparation – Plan the activities, develop the work programme and practical arrangements, formalise agreements with partners
• Implementation – Carry out the activities
• Follow-up – Evaluate the impact, share and encourage use of the project results.

What Happens Next? 

Once the project is planned, the organisation 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+ Partnerships for more detail on the application process.