Key Action 2 HE Guidance on applications

1. Key Action 2 HEGuidance on applications David Hibler Joanna Collins

2. 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

3. 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

4. Erasmus+ is ‘the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport’

5. European policy context

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Strategic partnerships in HE

10. 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

11. Application deadline DEADLINE 30 APRIL 12.00 CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME (11.00 BST)

12. Possible Strategic Partnerships themes

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. The application eform • Completed online • 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

18. 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 www.erasmusplus.org.uk • Read full application form and guidance before completing the form

19. 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

20. The application form content overview • Follow-up: dissemination, use of results, sustainability • Budget: management and activities • Project summary • Formal aspects: data protection, sign off

21. Context and participating organisations • 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

22. 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”.

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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.

26. Intellectual outputs • Publications e.g. 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

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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. Follow up - dissemination • Target audiences, different levels • Responsibilities, skills of team • Accessibility, media • Monitoring

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

34. 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 • Transnational project meetings (must be justified) per participant and distance travelled • Intellectual outputs per day and staff role (manager, researcher/teacher/trainer, technician, administrator)

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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.

38. Further information Call for Proposals and Programme Guide http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm UK NA websitewww.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