If you've ever run an Erasmus+ project that felt chaotic in the final month, it wasn't the final month that was the problem. It was the timeline. Most avoidable Erasmus+ stress comes from starting the wrong things too late.
This is a month-by-month timeline for a typical short-term KA1 project (KA122-SCH), from the application window to the final report. Adapt it to your national deadlines, but the sequence and lead times are broadly consistent across Europe.
12 months before the first mobility
This is application-writing season.
- Read your National Agency's current KA1 call carefully
- Convene a small working group in your school (head, coordinator, 2-3 teachers)
- Do the needs analysis honestly, what problems are we solving?
- Decide on topic areas and rough numbers of participants
- Start browsing providers to sanity-check budgets, do not commit to any yet
- Prepare mandatory documents: PIC/OID, legal entity form, financial identification form
Realistic time investment: 30-50 hours across 2-3 people, spread over 6-8 weeks.
8-10 months before
Application submission window.
- Complete the online application form
- Save frequently, the platform logs out
- Get all internal signatures and approvals before the deadline
- Submit at least 48 hours before the actual deadline (last-day submission is where technical problems bite)
- Note your submission ID and archive a PDF of the submitted form
5-7 months before
Waiting period. Evaluation typically takes 3-5 months. Use this time to:
- Continue browsing providers so you're not starting cold when funding is confirmed
- Discuss dissemination plans with school leadership
- If you have existing mobilities from a previous project, run debriefs now to inform this one
If your application is rejected, you'll usually have the chance to resubmit next cycle. Learn from the evaluator's feedback.
4 months before the first mobility
Grant agreement signed. Now the real work starts.
- Sign your grant agreement with the National Agency
- Set up Beneficiary Module access on the EU platform
- Confirm which teachers will do which mobilities
- Begin serious provider selection (see how to choose the right course)
- Send enquiries to 3 shortlisted providers per mobility
- Compare responses within 1-2 weeks
3 months before
Booking and logistics.
- Confirm your chosen provider for each mobility
- Book flights (Erasmus+ travel is claimed via unit costs, but you must still book and pay)
- Book accommodation
- Register participants for their courses
- Start participant preparation: linguistic (if needed), intercultural, expectation-setting
If a provider charges a late registration surcharge (typically €30-€60 for booking within 4-8 weeks of the start), you should already be booked by this point.
6 weeks before
Participant readiness.
- Confirm passports are valid (should be for 3+ months after return date)
- Book travel insurance
- If travelling within EU, ensure European Health Insurance Cards are current
- Complete any pre-mobility briefings with participants
- Send participants any pre-course material from the provider
2 weeks before
Final logistics check.
- Reconfirm bookings with the provider
- Share the provider's local contact number with participants
- Print/save all mobility documents (grant agreement extract, insurance, provider contact)
- Confirm return-flight bookings
- If any participant has dropped out, notify the provider and your National Agency
During the mobility
- Encourage participants to keep a short daily log, useful for the final report
- If anything goes seriously wrong, contact the provider first, then the National Agency
- Collect Europass certificates on the final day
Within 2 weeks after the mobility
Do this while it's fresh, it's the difference between an easy final report and a painful one.
- Debrief with participants (30-60 minutes)
- Collect Europass certificates
- Save all receipts (accommodation, transport)
- Have participants complete their EU Survey (mandatory)
- Draft their reflection notes for dissemination
2-4 weeks after
Dissemination.
- Present learnings to the wider staff (staff meeting slot, workshop, or written summary)
- Share on your school's website / social channels
- Feed learning into department planning
- Document dissemination activities for the final report
Before your project end date
Final report.
Erasmus+ final reports are graded and affect your school's future applications. Spend a full working day on this, not two hours the night before.
- Complete the report in Beneficiary Module
- Include specific evidence of impact, not just "teachers found it useful"
- Attach dissemination outputs
- Submit before the deadline
The three timing rules
If you remember nothing else:
- Start course selection 4 months before the mobility. Not 6 weeks before. Late booking = late-registration surcharges + provider capacity issues + no time to shortlist properly.
- Debrief within 2 weeks of return. Memory fades fast. A debrief in month 3 is worth 20% of a debrief in week 1.
- Draft the final report 2 weeks before deadline. Not on the deadline. Evaluators can see rushed reports.
Ready to shortlist providers for your next mobility?
Browse the courses catalogue, filter by topic, city and dates. Every provider has been legally verified. Send enquiries to 3 providers per mobility and compare responses.
Follow the timeline, and your project runs itself instead of running you.