Swiss Programme for Erasmus+
The Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ enables exchange activities for participants from Switzerland and their partners from abroad. It enables exchanges and cooperations with Erasmus+ countries and beyond and promotes international educational projects.
Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, youth and sport, the largest funding instrument for international education cooperation worldwide. From 2021-2027, it offers comprehensive support for exchanges and cooperation. In addition to financial support, it creates a framework for international exchange and cooperation, strengthens the network and provides tools and resources. Switzerland, no longer a programme country since 2014, has developed its own solution for participation in the Erasmus+ programme, financed with Swiss funds: the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. As the national agency, Movetia is responsible for promoting exchanges and mobilities in Switzerland.
Additional benefit for participants and educational space
The Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ offers added value / additional benefit on various levels: It promotes intercultural skills, improves job and career opportunities and helps participants to improve their language skills. The international experience of the participants and the institutional cooperation also have advantages for Switzerland as an educational center and its competitiveness: the institutions can learn from each other and network across borders. Thematic cooperation is possible, which strengthens the innovation of the individual institutions and the entire education sector.
Offers at all educational levels
The Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ offers funding opportunities for all educational levels: School education, Vocational education and training, Adult education and Youth work.
The programme supports international individual and group exchanges for pupils and VET students, exchanges for youth workers, voluntary services, internships and study visits as well as teaching assignments, job shadowing and continuing education for staff in educational institutions or youth work. In addition, the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ promotes institutional cooperation between educational institutions, authorities and youth organisations, especially with European countries, through cooperation projects.
Funding from the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+
The Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ is inspired by Erasmus+. Many processes are based on Erasmus+. As with Erasmus+, there is an annual call with one to three deadlines for submitting projects. The timing of the call launch is aligned with Erasmus+ and takes place shortly afterwards. The number of deadlines depends on the educational level:
| Educational level | Number of deadlines | Timing of deadlines |
| Higher Education | 1 | March |
| School education, vocational education and training and adult education | 2 | March and October |
| Youth Work | 3 | March, May and October |
Mobilities
The mobilities are no longer part of Erasmus+ and run in parallel, outside the Erasmus+ system. Switzerland therefore funds outgoing and incoming mobilities so that people from Switzerland can take part in exchanges in Europe and worldwide, but also so that people from abroad can spend time in Switzerland.
Cooperation
Switzerland continues to be involved in Erasmus+ cooperation projects. Swiss institutions can participate in various cooperation formats, and the Swiss Programme finances the participation of Swiss institutions in Erasmus+ cooperation projects.
The development of Erasmus+ and the role of Switzerland
Erasmus+ was launched in 1987 as a mobility programme for students. Since then, it has enabled millions of people to gain international educational and life experience. Over time, the programme has expanded to cover School education, Vocational education and training, Adult education and Youth work. Erasmus+ is playing an increasingly important role in educational institutions across Europe - both in terms of funding volume and funding opportunities.
Switzerland participated in Erasmus+ until 2014. Due to political developments and the result of the vote on the mass immigration initiative, Switzerland's participation was discontinued in 2014.
In order to continue international educational cooperation, Switzerland developed a national substitute solution: the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. This programme, funded by the federal government, enables the promotion of mobilities and cooperation projects with Erasmus+ countries and beyond.
More than 33 countries are participating in Erasmus+ 2021-2027, including all 27 EU member states and EFTA-EEA states such as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as well as the official EU accession candidates. Switzerland's re-association with Erasmus+ remains a political priority for the Federal Council. The current negotiations on association with the EU programmes (including Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe) are part of the overall package that Switzerland is seeking with the EU.
