Erasmus+ for youth work
The Federal Council is aiming for Switzerland to become an associate partner of Erasmus+ from 2027 onwards – a major opportunity for youth work too. This prospective association will open up a significantly broader range of funding opportunities for Swiss youth work than those provided by the Swiss Erasmus+ programme up to 2026. We are here to support you through this planned transition, so that you can continue to carry out your mobility and cooperation projects and benefit from the new opportunities as soon as possible. On this page, you will find general information on Erasmus+ programmes, networks and tools for mobility and cooperation in youth work.
If the planned association with Erasmus+ goes ahead, international mobility and cooperation would no longer be funded through the Swiss programme from 2027 onwards, but through Erasmus+. This means changes to the rules and framework conditions, but also opportunities for new projects, partnerships and international networks. Although projects can be carried out in a similar way under Erasmus+, youth work requires various preparatory steps at both the structural and operational levels.
One important change would be the accreditation of youth work organisations for mobility projects. In terms of cooperation, Erasmus+ projects could now be led, and the need to submit duplicate applications would be eliminated.
Movetia’s role would remain unchanged: project organisers would continue to receive advice, guidance, monitoring and support from the national agency – but within a broader European programme framework.
Switzerland aims to join Erasmus+ by 2027
For project organisers, this means that you should plan your project for 2027 within the framework of the funding opportunities under Erasmus+. At the same time, you should be prepared to submit your project under the current Swiss programme in the event that Parliament does not approve association with Erasmus+. Movetia will support you in this process, as far as possible, by providing information on funding opportunities and the application process.
Why Erasmus+ is important for youth work
Switzerland’s association with Erasmus+ would give youth work comprehensive access to European and cooperation schemes. Swiss young people, youth workers and organisations would thus once again be able to reap the full benefits of Europe’s largest education programme – without the structural and financial constraints of the current Swiss transitional arrangement.
Full access to activities, networks and tools:
With Erasmus+, all mobility and cooperation schemes, as well as European platforms, would be open to youth work. At present, many of these opportunities are closed to Swiss stakeholders or are difficult to access; at the same time, partners abroad face restrictions in their cooperation with Switzerland. Association would completely remove these barriers.
An international leadership role and greater visibility:
At present, Swiss youth work practitioners can participate in projects under selected funding schemes, but cannot coordinate them. With full access to the programme, organisations would be able to initiate and run their own projects. This would boost innovation, enable project leadership and enhance Switzerland’s appeal as a partner country.
One programme, one framework:
Mobility and cooperation could once again be managed directly through the established Erasmus+ structures – simply, digitally and more efficiently for all involved. European partners often do not accept parallel agreements; association would remove this complexity. At the same time, the Erasmus+ networks make it considerably easier to find partners, thereby increasing participation in exchange and cooperation activities.
Learning mobility for young people and youth workers, cooperation for organisations
Erasmus+, like the Swiss solution to date, supports mobility and cooperation projects. However, these have different names and their content differs in some respects.
Key Action 1 (KA1) – Learning mobility for individuals
This key action focuses on the mobility of individuals. In youth work, this key action covers the mobility of young people, young adults and youth workers. Under this key action, Erasmus+ supports formats similar to those currently offered by the Swiss Solution: international youth exchanges and the mobility of youth work professionals. In addition, there are formats that do not exist under the Swiss Solution: youth participation projects, as well as DiscoverEU and DiscoverEU Inclusion. The programme is complemented by comprehensive support for sustainable travel and inclusion. Another new feature is the Erasmus+ accreditation in the youth sector: organisations that regularly organise mobility programmes are thus granted simplified and long-term, predictable access to funding . Further information on learning mobility for individuals and the relevant programmes can be found here.
Key Action 2 (KA2) – Cooperation between organisations and institutions
This Key Action focuses on institutional cooperation between various institutions and organisations. It promotes collaboration in youth work in the form of partnerships and projects. In Switzerland, such collaborations have so far been partly funded through the Swiss Erasmus+ Programme and the International Programme. Instead of receiving supplementary funding from Swiss sources and participating as an associated partner with little say in Erasmus+ collaborations, institutions could in future take part in the full range of cooperation partnerships as full partners within the Erasmus+ framework and even take on a leading role. Further information on the collaborations and the relevant opportunities can be found here.
Key Action 3 (KA3) – Support for policy development and policy cooperation
This Key Action supports developments in education policy at European level. It promotes policy dialogue, synergies and knowledge transfer to advance national and European education policy. Youth work organisations may also participate under Key Action 3. Information on Key Action 3 can be found on our page on cooperation, following on from the cooperation opportunities.
Priorities of Erasmus+
Erasmus+ supports projects that contribute to the programme’s priorities. The horizontal priorities apply to all areas of education and all Erasmus+ projects. For each horizontal priority, there is a SALTO Resource Centre that provides useful materials.
Horizontal priorities and the associated resource centres
- Inclusion and diversity – SALTO Inclusion and Diversity
- Digital transformation – SALTO Digital
- Environment and combating climate change – SALTO green transition and sustainable development
- Participation in democratic life, shared values and civic engagement – SALTO Participation & Information
Tools and networks facilitate mobility and cooperation projects
By becoming associated with Erasmus+, Swiss youth work organisations would gain access not only to all funding opportunities but also to the programme’s networks and tools. These support you in project organisation and management, finding partners, exchanging experiences and recognising learning outcomes.
Tools
- Erasmus+ website: Programme information from the European Commission: priorities, actions, deadlines. At the heart of the programme is the Programme Guide – it applies to all actions, both centralised and decentralised
- Erasmus+ Platform: Calls for proposals and application forms for decentralised actions: KA1 mobility and most KA2 partnerships
- EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Calls for proposals and application forms for centralised Erasmus+ actions, e.g. European Youth Together, capacity building in youth work, Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges
- Erasmus+ Project Results: Overview of funded projects
- Youthpass: Recognition of learning outcomes from non-formal education
- OLS: Language learning in mobility projects
- Otlas: Tool for finding partners
The Erasmus+ networks are designed to help establish new project partnerships or, as a participating organisation, to join existing consortia. They facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience (online or at events), whilst also serving as a source of information for your project planning and for the young people themselves. Various networks are already in place, but are becoming increasingly relevant under Erasmus+.
Networks
- SALTO-YOUTH: Resource centres for youth work – materials, toolkits and training courses. Of particular relevance: the European Training Calendar, featuring further training courses and networking seminars where you can meet project partners.
- Websites or newsletters from other National Agencies (e.g. OeAD (AT NA), JUGEND für Europa (NA DE), Agence Erasmus+ Jeunesse et Sport (FR NA), Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù (IT NA))
- Eurodesk Switzerland: an information network on mobility opportunities in Europe, for young people and those working in the youth sector.
- European Youth Portal: Information from the European Commission for young people on engagement, volunteering and mobility.
- Swisscore – Swiss Liaison Office in Brussels
The lists are not yet complete and are being updated on an ongoing basis.
Next steps for you in project planning
It’s worth starting to plan your project now. Explore the subpages for Cooperation and Mobility to find out about the various funding streams and how you can start preparing today.
