Continuing education in adult education

Conferences, courses, seminars, congresses: We support you financially if you would like to go abroad for continuing education or invite adult education experts to Switzerland for training purposes. 

Next steps

For institutions:

Next application deadline: 5 march 2025

Application form available at the end of 2024

For institutions:

Next application deadline: 5 march 2025

Application form available at the end of 2024

Overview

For whom

  • Collaborators in the field of adult education 

Duration of continuing education

  •  2 to 60 days

Where

  • Worldwide for persons from Switzerland (outgoing)
  • In Switzerland for experts from abroad (invited experts)

What we fund

  • Financial support for organisation, travel, accommodation, and course costs 

What to do

  • Participants contact their institution
  • Institutions look for suitable further education courses or suitable experts. You plan the course in collaboration with your institution, which submits the funding application.

Deadlines

  • Application deadline: 5 March and 1 October
  • Project start: 1 June or 1 December

Next steps

For institutions:

Next application deadline: 5 march 2025

Application form available at the end of 2024

In detail

In order to further develop your professional, didactic, and personal skills in the field of adult education, you can take part in continuing education abroad. We fund the participation in courses, seminars, conferences, and congresses. You may also invite an expert from abroad to provide further training sessions for staff members in your adult education institution in Switzerland (invited experts).

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+.

International perspective on adult education

Continuing education in an international setting further develops the skills of adult education professionals. It provides knowledge, practical tools, and a European or even global perspective on the latest approaches in adult education. Explore new methods and deepen your understanding of the diverse needs of adult learners. For example:

  • Plan a 3-day stay at an international conference on adult education.
  • Take part in a workshop series on innovative learning strategies.
  • Attend a weekend seminar to promote adult reading and writing skills.
  • Take part in a course on knowledge management for educational institutions.

Invite experts to your institution in Switzerland

We also provide financial support to specialists from abroad who attend a conference or organise a workshop in Switzerland in order to train collaborators from your institution (Invited Experts). The specialist can be an expert in a specific topic and thus provide valuable input for your institution or a colleague from abroad who deals with the same issues as your institution. Thus, you provide your institution access to internationally validated expertise, stimulate reflection, and inspire your colleagues to come up with innovative ideas. Staff members who do not travel abroad for their continuing education also benefit from invited experts. 

Hub for international networks

Not only do conferences and courses provide you with access to in-depth expertise and give you new ideas, but they also serve as an international meeting point where you can begin to establish an international network. Use the new contacts e.g. for job shadowings, for cooperation projects, or get to know potential guest lecturers for your own institution. 

The experience abroad strengthens your ability to work with people from other cultures and broadens your career prospects. This benefits not only the participating adult learners, but also the educational institution at home as a whole. 

Planning your stay

In order to get the best out of your stay abroad, plan your continuing education well in advance and define the subject matter, the country of destination, and the respective language, in which you would like to realise your continuing education. Look for a suitable continuing education programme that meets your professional needs. Check the dates and enrolment conditions. You will return to your home institution with new perspectives, newly acquired educational know-how, and international contacts.

Requirements

For participants:

  • You work in adult education, e.g. as a teacher, trainer, counsellor, supervisor, head of an institution or you are part of the technical/administrative staff of an adult education institution.

For institutions:

  • Your institution is engaged in adult education. Examples include adult education centres, cantons, municipalities or offices, associations, vocational guidance centres, NGOs, museums, libraries.
  • The applicant institution is based in Switzerland.

The continuing education: Points to be considered

  • Continuing education lasts between 2 to 60 consecutive days.
  • There is a clear connection to adult education.
  • Benefit for the Swiss education system.
  • It meets the requirements of your professional environment.
  • Webinars or online events are not funded.

Funding amounts

  • Organisational fee for the institution: 240 CHF to 420 CHF per person
  • For the journey: 400 CHF to 1’000 CHF (per person, depending on the country of destination)
  • For the stay: 144 CHF to 192 CHF (per day, per person, depending on country of destination)
  • For course costs: 84 CHF (per day, per person, up to a maximum of 840 CHF)
  • 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.

You can find all the funding contributions and the calculation in detail in our grant table:

Procedure

For participants

Contact the institution in Switzerland. They will submit the funding application to us both for continuing education abroad and for invited experts who come to Switzerland. 

For institutions

Essentially, all collaborators can initiate a project. The funding application is officially submitted by the institution in Switzerland.

Continuing education in adult education is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. In addition to continuing education in adult education, this programme also funds Teaching assignments in adult education and Job Shadowings abroad. It is possible to combine different types of activities in one funding application. 

Follow the following steps to carry out your project:

  1. 1

    1. Finding suitable continuing education

    • Think about the topic which you and your colleagues would like to expand on in the context of continuing education abroad well in advance. You or your employer will choose the continuing education programme or the specialist.
    • Search your professional network, associations, the EPALE website [link: https://epale.ec.europa.eu/de] for a course or conference that meets your needs.
    • Continuing education abroad in adult education is generally possible worldwide, with a few exceptions. Make sure that the continuing education you have in mind takes place in an eligible programme country.

    If you have any questions, we will be glad to advise you on the basis of our experience.

  2. 2

    2. Plan the project

    • Determine the interests and needs of your institution and your staff members in terms of further education abroad and determine what is to be achieved by it.
    • Plan your participation in the continuing education programme and your stay.
    • Describe the planned activities in the project application and provide information on the following points 
      • Details of all partner institutions
      • Brief project description with objectives 
      • Overview of planned mobility activities
      • Information on the preparation, on-site support, and follow-up of the mobility activities
      • Internal and external communication of the project results. 
    • Use the award criteria as a guide:
    • It is important to us to also enable persons with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic diseases to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for persons with special needs, for which you can apply in the funding application. You may also submit a request for funding for special needs at a later stage during the project duration. You can find more information under Inclusion and equal opportunities.
    • Consider environmentally friendly means of transport in the planning of your project. Find out more about green mobility.
    • We are happy to offer individual consultation sessions to answer your questions about planning and implementation of the project and submission of the application. The consultation can take place by phone, online or on site.
  3. 3

    3. Submit funding application

    • Submit the funding application online. Meet the deadlines in March and October.
    • Begin filling in the application as early as possible in order to become familiar with the requirements. The application forms are activated once the call for projects has been launched, usually in December and June. You can save your entries in the application temporarily and continue working on it later. If you submit an application for the first time, you need to register once. 
    • Only one application is required for all persons involved in the continuing education programme. You can also apply for funding for Teaching assignments and Job Shadowing in adult education abroad in the same funding application.
  4. 4

    4. Contract and payout

    • We will review your application once the deadline has expired.
    • You will receive the notification at the end of May or the end of November.
    • In the case of a positive decision, we will send you a contract.
    • The project starts on 1 June or 1 December. You can choose between a project duration of 12 or 24 months.  
    • Within 30 days of receiving the signed contract, we will pay out the first part of the funding: 80 % of the approved total amount for projects with a duration of 12 months and 40 % for projects with a duraiton of 24 months. As soon as you have used 70 % of this amount, you can claim the next 40 %. We will calculate the remaining amount after the final report has been submitted. 
    • Payments are made exclusively to adult education institutions based in Switzerland. 
  5. 5

    5. Implement project

    • After the start of the project, we invite you to a kick off event. You will receive all the information you need to successfully carry out and complete your project. The event also provides you with the opportunity to get to know your contact persons and other project managers.
    • You can use the notification of requirements for additional financial support for persons with special needs to apply for additional funding if you have not already done so in the funding application. 
  6. 6

    6. Submit final report

    At the end of the project duration, you submit a short final report within 60 days of the end of the contract. Depending on the number of mobilities realised, we will pay out any remaining amounts or make a reclaim.

  7. 7

    7. Spread the word

    • Implement the planned communication measures. Be sure to mention that the project has been funded by Movetia. We provide the logo and text modules. 
    • Share the content widely via your institution's channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. Thus, you can present your institution as innovative, open-minded and an attractive employer. You will also stimulate professional exchange in the education sector. 
    • Contact us to increase your reach, e.g. by placing a magazine article on our website. 

Q & A

Movetia does not stipulate any regulations for substitution measures. You organise your substitution and the timing of the activity in consultation with your institution.

If you are unable to carry out a project as planned, you may try to modify it in alignment with the approved budget. It is important to note that the funding budget cannot be exceeded and that you need to inform us of any changes. 

We will be glad to advise you and help you in finding a solution.

As long as the objectives and criteria of the project as funded are met, an expert from abroad can participate in various conferences or conduct various workshops.

Further options

Similar funding opportunities

  • International cooperation for collaboration and innovation