Applying for Erasmus+ KA1 funding for the first time can feel opaque. The forms are long, the eligibility rules are dense, and the National Agency instructions are written for people who already understand how the programme works. This guide walks through the process in the order you'll actually do it, from deciding which application track fits your school to submitting a compliant proposal.
This is not a substitute for your National Agency's official guidance, every country has slight variations. But it should give you a realistic map of what applying for KA1 actually looks like.
Two application tracks: accreditation vs. short-term project
The first fork in the road is choosing between:
Erasmus+ accreditation, a multi-year status that gives your school predictable annual funding for mobilities. Best for schools that plan regular mobility year on year. More work up front, less work per year afterwards.
Short-term project (KA122-SCH), a single project lasting 6-18 months, with a defined number of mobilities. Best for schools trying Erasmus+ for the first time, or for those with an occasional need.
Most first-time applicants choose the short-term route. It's simpler, has a lower rejection rate, and doesn't lock you into a multi-year commitment.
Realistic timeline
Assume roughly this cadence:
| Step | Timing |
|---|---|
| Read your National Agency's call | Autumn / early winter |
| Draft project rationale and needs analysis | 4-6 weeks before deadline |
| Identify course providers and get quotes | 3-4 weeks before deadline |
| Complete online application form | 2-3 weeks before deadline |
| Submit before the deadline | Usually February or March |
| Wait for evaluation results | 3-5 months |
| Sign grant agreement | Following the results |
| First mobilities can start | Typically June onwards |
Do not leave the application to the last week. The online form logs out, drafts are lost, and PDFs need to be attached in specific formats. Give yourself buffer time.
The needs analysis: where most applications live or die
Erasmus+ evaluators score your application on how well you demonstrate a real, specific institutional need, not just "our teachers want professional development".
A strong needs analysis:
- Names 2-3 concrete problems your school faces (e.g. "declining engagement in Year 8 maths", "we've had 40% growth in students with additional language needs and no staff training")
- Links each problem to specific, measurable goals
- Explains why international mobility is the right response (not just an in-house training day)
- Shows this comes from a school development plan, not one enthusiastic teacher
Weak applications say things like "our teachers will improve their skills". Strong applications say "three teachers will complete a CLIL course to allow us to launch a bilingual maths stream in September 2027".
Choosing courses that fit
Once you have your needs framed, then you choose courses. Not the other way around.
For each planned mobility you'll need:
- Course title, provider, city, dates
- Duration in working days (usually 5-7)
- Course fee and unit costs for travel, subsistence and organisational support
- A short paragraph explaining why this course matches your identified need
Independent verified directories like ErasmusCourse let you filter by topic, city and dates, which makes the shortlisting step faster than manually searching provider websites.
Budget: what's included
Erasmus+ funds mobilities through a combination of unit costs. For KA1 you can typically claim:
- Travel, unit costs based on distance band from your school to the destination
- Individual support, daily subsistence at fixed rates per country
- Course fee, actual cost, capped at €80/day per participant (up to 10 days)
- Organisational support, a per-participant flat rate for your school
- Inclusion support, additional funding for participants with fewer opportunities
- Green travel top-up, for participants using low-carbon transport
Do not commit to expensive courses assuming the full fee will be covered. Check the current per-day cap against your provider's daily rate.
Documents your school will need
Prepare these before you start the online form:
- PIC / OID number for your organisation (register on the Funding & Tenders Portal if you don't have one)
- Legal Entity Form signed by your head
- Financial identification form signed by your head + your bank
- Mandate letter if a consortium is applying
- CVs of key staff involved in the project
None of these are hard, but assembling them takes time. Start early.
Common mistakes that cause rejection
- Vague needs analysis, evaluators can tell when a needs section was written to fit a course, not the other way around.
- Unrealistic mobility numbers, a small school applying for 20 mobilities in one year will be questioned.
- Copy-paste content from other applications or provider websites.
- Missing quality assurance plan, how will you know if the mobility worked? Evaluators want to see a monitoring and evaluation approach, not just a hope.
- No dissemination plan, Erasmus+ expects you to share what you learned. Say how.
After you're funded
If your application is successful:
- Sign the grant agreement with your National Agency
- Set up Beneficiary Module access on the EU platform for reporting
- Confirm mobilities with your providers
- Prepare each participant with linguistic and intercultural preparation
- Document each mobility (attendance, learning outcomes, Europass)
- Submit a final report
The final report matters. Poor final reports affect your school's chances on future applications.
Ready to plan your first mobility?
Once you've decided on topics and rough dates, browse verified Erasmus+ KA1 providers across Europe. Each listing has confirmed dates, transparent fees and legal-entity verification, which are exactly the details evaluators look for when scoring your application.