The increase of the budget should help improve the low success rates and allow more people than ever to benefit from the programme.
On 15 February 2019, the European Commission (EC) has communicated its decision on how to spend the additional budget that Erasmus+ receives for 2019. The total expenditure under the 2019 amended work programme is increased to EUR 3.27 bio. (compared to the EUR 3 bio. announced in October 2018) for the education programme. This represents an increase of 16% compared to the budget in the 2018 work programme.
The increase from the previously announced to the amended 2019 budget is beneficent to all activities and sectors, including mobility and partnerships. More funding in comparison to the 2018 budget receive:
- Mobility for school staff (KA101): +29%
- Mobility for vocational education and training (VET) learners and staff (KA102): +21%
- Mobility for higher education students and staff (KA103): +16%
- Mobility for adult education staff (KA104): +91
- Strategic partnerships for schools (KA201): +24%
- Strategic partnership for VET (KA202): +10%
- Strategic partnership for higher education (KA203): +51%
- Strategic partnership for adult education (KA204): +29%
- European Universities initiative: did not yet exist in 2018. Receives +100% compared to the previously announced 2019 budget. The piloted initiative now has EUR 60 mio. at its disposal for approximately 12 networks that will test the concept (originally, a budget of 30 Mio. EUR for six networks was announced for 2019). The EC has recently published the European Universities’ Guide for Experts – Part II as well as an extended FAQ.
While Swiss institutions cannot take part in mobility actions (Key Action 1) (except for Erasmus Mundus Master Degrees and incoming digital opportunity trainees), they can participate in most of the cooperation projects (Key Action 2), be it as ‘full partner’ or ‘associate partner’ with own resources. Swiss institutions wishing to take part in a consortium as ‘associate partner’ can apply for funds at Movetia.
Another budget increase is expected for the last call for projects that will be published in autumn 2019. With these increases, the success rates will improve hopefully and more institutions and learners than ever will benefit from the programme in the last two years of the current programme.