Cooperation Partnerships in the field of Youth

They aim to support the development, transfer and/or implementation of innovative practices as well as the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at the European level. Results should be reusable, transferable, up-scalable and, if possible, have a strong transdisciplinary dimension.

Selected projects will be expected to share the results of their activities at local, regional, national and transnational levels.

Cooperation Partnerships are anchored to the priorities and policy frameworks of each Erasmus+ sector, both at the European and national level, while aiming at producing incentives for cross-sectoral and horizontal cooperation in thematic areas.

Cooperation Partnerships aim at:

• Increasing quality in the work, activities and practices of organizations and institutions involved, opening up to new actors, not naturally included within one sector;
• Building capacity of organizations to work transnationally and across sectors;
• Addressing common needs and priorities in the fields of education, training, youth and sport;
• Enabling transformation and change (at individual, organizational or sectoral level), leading to improvements and new approaches, in proportion to the context of each organization.

Expected results

To be considered for funding, Cooperation Partnerships must address:

• at least one horizontal priority and/or
• at least one specific priority relevant to the field of education, training, youth and sport that is mostly impacted.

For projects in the field of education, training and youth managed by the Erasmus+ National Agencies in indirect management, National Agencies may, among these priorities, give more consideration to those that are particularly relevant in their national context (called "European priorities in the national context").

National Agencies must duly inform potential applicants through their official websites.

For projects in the field of sports only one priority (horizontal or specific) can be addressed.

Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Iceland (Ísland), Liechtenstein, North Macedonia (Северна Македония), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Türkiye

eligible entities

Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organization (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University

Project Partnership

A Cooperation Partnership is a transnational project and must involve at least three organizations from three different EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme. There is no maximum number of participating organizations in one partnership.

All participating organizations must be identified at the time of applying for a grant.

For applications submitted to National Agencies in the fields of school education, vocational education and training, adult education and youth, the same organization (one OID) cannot be involved in more than 10 applications overall per deadline, either as applicant or partner.

As a general rule, Cooperation Partnerships target the cooperation between organizations established in EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme.

However, organizations from third countries not associated to the Program can be involved as partners (not as applicants), if their participation brings an essential added value to the project and as long as the minimum participation from three organizations from three different EU Member States or third countries associated to the Program are fulfilled.

Any participating organization established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Program can be the applicant/coordinator. This organization applies on behalf of all participating organizations involved in the project.

In order to be eligible, applicant organizations must have been legally established at least 2 years before the application deadline.

For Partnerships in the fields of education, training and youth submitted by European NGOs and managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) the applicant coordinator must be a European NGO active in the field of education, training and youth.

Any public or private organization, established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Program or in any third country not associated to the Program of the world (see section "Eligible Countries" in Part A of the Program Guide) can participate in a Cooperation Partnership. Exception: organizations from Belarus (Region 2) and the Russian Federation (Region 4) are not eligible to participate in this action.

Organizations established in EU Member States and third countries associated to the Program can either participate as the coordinator of the project or as a partner organization.

Organizations in third countries not associated to the Program cannot participate as project coordinators.

Irrespective of the field impacted by the project, Cooperation Partnerships are open to any type of organization active in any field of education, training, youth, sport or other socio-economic sectors as well as to organizations carrying out activities that are transversal to different fields (eg local, regional and national authorities, recognition and validation centers, chambers of commerce, trade organizations, guidance centers, cultural and sport organizations).

Depending on the priority and the objectives addressed by the project, Cooperation Partnerships should involve the most appropriate and diverse range of partners in order to benefit from their different experiences, profiles and specific expertise and to produce relevant and high quality project results.

In addition to the organizations formally participating in the project (the coordinator and partner organizations), Cooperation Partnerships may also involve other partners from the public or private sector that contribute to the implementation of specific project tasks/activities or support the promotion and sustainability of the project. Within an Erasmus+ project, these partners will be called "associated partners".

other eligibility criteria