Participation in an international Youth Worker exchange (Erasmus+)
By participating in an international mobility for youth workers, organisations in the field of youth enable youth workers from Switzerland to take part in an Erasmus+ project.
Overview
For whom
- Professional and voluntary youth workers from Switzerland
Duration
- 2 days to 2 months
- The duration of the stay of the Swiss participants must correspond to the duration of the activity in the Erasmus+ application
Where
- In Europe and neighbouring countries
What we fund
- Financial support for travelling and accommodation
- Effective costs are covered for participants with special needs
What to do
- Organisations and institutions involved in the field of youth based in Switzerland apply for funding for Swiss participants
- The application must relate to a planned Erasmus+ project
Deadlines
- Application deadlines:
- 5 March 2025: for participation in projects of the Erasmus+ deadline of 12 February 2025
- 14 May 2024, for participation in Erasmus+ projects from 7 May 2025
- 8 October 2025, for participation in Erasmus+ projects from 1 October 2025
In detail
Erasmus+ offers numerous exchange opportunities for youth workers in its programme and partner countries. To enable youth workers from Switzerland to participate, we offer financial support. The Swiss organisation or institution only applies to Movetia for funding for the Swiss participants; the main application is submitted by the project coordinators in the EU.
This activity is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. This programme allows Swiss institutions to organise activities similar to the ones funded by the European education programme Erasmus+.
Requirements
For participants:
- You are a qualified and experienced person working as a youth worker supporting young people. There is no age limit.
- For participation in Erasmus+ projects, Movetia only funds participants who are resident in Switzerland.
- If you are volunteering in the field of youth, you must participate in the project outside of your other school and work commitments.
For applicant organisations and institutions:
- Organisations or institutions in the field of youth based in Switzerland are eligible to apply.
- They work according to the principles of youth work: participatory, inclusive and accessible.
To the project:
- Duration of the exchange is between 2 days and 2 months - excluding arrival and departure days.
- The Swiss project participation must be tailored to the Erasmus+ project, i.e. it must relate to the same activity period and the same project duration. A copy of the Erasmus+ application, its programme of activities and an invitation letter from the coordinating organisation must be submitted.
Funding amounts
- For the trip: CHF 400 to 500 per person (depending on the destination country)
- For the stay: CHF 65 to CHF 93 per day and person (depending on destination country)
- For the specific needs of individuals with disabilities or those suffering from physical, mental, or chronic illnesses: Max. 12,000 CHF (actual costs based on the note of requirements)Insurance and any visa fees are at your expense.
The guidelines contain all the funding amounts and the calculation in detail:
Evaluation criteria
The relevance of the project for Swiss youth work is assessed on the basis of the following evaluation criteria:
- Relevance of the project
- The project a aligns with the objectives and priorities of the Swiss organisation or institution.
The project promises high-quality learning experiences for the Swiss participants.
The project enables the participation of Swiss individuals with fewer opportunities.
- The project a aligns with the objectives and priorities of the Swiss organisation or institution.
- Quality of project planning
- The selection procedure is suitable for selecting Swiss participants with the right profile.
- The quality of the preparation and support provided to the Swiss participants is comprehensible.
- Impact of the project and dissemination of results
- The project has a positive impact on the Swiss participants and the Swiss organisation or institution involved.
- Appropriate measures for disseminating the project results in Switzerland are planned.
The decision as to whether the Erasmus+ project for which there is Swiss participation fulfils the Erasmus+ criteria is a matter for the responsible National Agency and is not reviewed by Movetia.
Procedure
For youth workers:
Are you interested in participating in an Erasmus+ project? Then contact your employer or the organisation in the field of youth you are volunteering for. This organisation will submit the application.
For institutions and organisations in the field of youth based in Switzerland:
The guidelines contain all the information you need to apply for and implement your project. These include, for example, the funding table, the eligible programme countries and the funding criteria:
Follow these steps to organise your participation:
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1. Networking with partners in the Erasmus+ programme countries
- If you hear about an interesting project or are contacted directly by an organisation that is carrying out a project with Erasmus+, discuss the options for Swiss participation with the project coordinator.
- You can also find possible partner organisations via your umbrella organisations, via organisations known to your employees or volunteers. OTLAS can also help you to expand your network.
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2. optional Arrange a preparatory visit
Would you like to meet potential project partners on site to get to know each other or jointly develop a project? Get financial support for a preparatory visit.
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3. Collecting the relevant materials from the Erasmus+ application
- Ask the project coordinator for the original application as submitted for the Erasmus+ project and the activity programme. You then submit these with the Swiss application. You should also enclose a confirmation from the project coordinator confirming that Swiss participation is desired.
We will be happy to provide you with individual counselling to answer any questions you may have concerning the planning, submission and implementation of your project. The counselling can take place by phone, online or on site.
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4. Submit project proposal
- Submit the project application online in the same application round as the Erasmus+ application.
Go over the application form as early as possible to become familiar with the requirements. The application forms get activated when the spring or fall call has been launched, usually in December and June. You can save your entries in the application form and continue to fill it in later. If you are submitting an application for the first time, you will need to register first.
- Enclose the relevant documents from the Erasmus+ application with the funding application. Please also include the statutory documents of your organisation and the declaration of honour of an authorised signatory in the application.
It is important to us to enable people with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic illnesses to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for special needs. You can apply for additional funding in the login area during the project period. You can find more information under inclusion and equal opportunities.
- After thorough preparation, you will need approximately 3 hours to complete the application; if there are any open questions, it may take longer to complete the form and compile the documents.
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5. Movetia evaluates the funding application
- We review the funding application with regard to fulfilment of the preconditions and the evaluation criteria and decide whether the project can be funded and with what amount.
- The evaluation lasts approximately 60 days.
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6. Waiting for and submitting the European funding decision
- After we have evaluated your application, you will receive a funding decision. If the project is supported by Movetia, you must still wait for the decision from the Erasmus+ programme country, as participation is only possible in a project that has actually been financed by Erasmus+.
- If you receive a positive decision from Erasmus+, forward it to Movetia immediately so that the funding decision can take effect. We will then send you a contract.
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7. Payment of funding amounts
- 80% of the funding amount will be paid after the contract is signed; the final settlement will be made with the final report. In certain cases, Movetia reserves the right to apply a different payment procedure.
- Grants are paid exclusively to Swiss institutions and organisations.
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8. Carry out exchange
- You decide who will take part in the mobility for youth workers. Advertise the project in your network and via your communication channels or inform your network about the planned project. You can also advertise your project via Eurodesk Switzerland.
- Prepare the participants for the exchange so that they can benefit as much as possible from the experience.
Implement the project in accordance with the application. Please note this information sheet. During the project period you can apply for additional funds for participants with physical or mental impairments by submitting a request for persons with special needs.
- Please make sure to submit a correct and complete list of participants.
You can use a separate form to notify us of any changes to your project (e.g. duration, project partner, budget). From the 2025 funding period onwards, modifications can be made directly in the login area during the project period.
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9. Submit final report
- Submit a final report 60 days after the end of the project term via the online platform.
- This final report must be accompanied by a declaration of honour, the list of participants and the final report of the Erasmus+ project.
- Reserve 2-3 hours for appropriate reporting.
- Depending on the number of mobilities carried out, we will pay out any remaining amounts or issue a reclaim.
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10. Spread the word
- Other organisations and institutions can benefit from your exchange experience. Therefore, report on the exchange project via your channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. Make sure you mention Movetia as a funding partner. We provide the logo and text modules for this purpose.
Q & A
Are Swiss participants allowed to take part in Erasmus+ mobility for youth workers?
Movetia can fund the participation of Swiss youth workers in Erasmus+ projects. To do so, a Swiss organisation or institution must be invited by the project coordinators from Europe to send youth workers. Movetia will pay for the participation of the Swiss youth workers if the European project is carried out and the participation of the youth workers from Europe is funded.
What happens if I want to participate in an international mobility for youth workers Erasmus+, but the European application is rejected?
With the rejection in Europe, the project and any participation in it is cancelled. It is not possible for the planned Swiss participants to receive funding for a trip abroad without a connection to the planned European project.
Why is no organisational fee paid for a participation project?
The organisational tasks lie mainly with the coordinating organisation in Europe, while the Swiss organisation is responsible for sending participants. However, should a planning meeting take place as part of the Erasmus+ project, a Swiss participant can be funded.
