Erasmus+ work plan template and how to use it

A work plan template is only useful if you know how to fill it in correctly. Most Erasmus+ applicants find generic templates online, copy the structure, and then write activities that are too vague, assign everything to the coordinator, or produce a timeline that back-loads all the deliverables into the final two months.

This guide gives you a ready-to-use work plan template for KA210 and KA220 — and more importantly, walks you through exactly how to complete each field so the result is something evaluators recognise as credible, feasible and well-structured. There is also a separate, lighter template for KA210 at the end.

1. How the Work Plan Is Structured in the Application Form

The Erasmus+ application form structures the work plan differently depending on the Key Action. Before using any template, make sure you understand what the form actually expects from you.

2. How to Fill In Each Field Correctly

Every activity in your work plan — whether KA210 or KA220 — must address five fields. Here is what each one requires and the most common mistake made in each:

3. KA220 Work Plan Template — Full Example

Copy this structure into your planning document and replace the content with your own project details. This example is based on a 24-month KA220 project with 3 partners across 3 countries. Adjust the number of work packages, activities and timeline to fit your project scope.

4. KA210 Work Plan Template — Simplified Version

KA210 does not use formal work packages. The structure is simpler — an activity list with partner roles, timelines and outputs. Here is a template for a typical 18-month KA210 project with 2 partners.

5. How to Build the Timeline

Once all activities are defined, map them against the project timeline to check the overall shape of the work plan. A well-structured timeline follows a clear arc:

• Months 1–5: Setup and research — kick-off, needs analysis, baseline mapping
• Months 4–14: Development — core intellectual outputs produced; overlap with research phase is normal and expected
• Months 13–20: Pilot and testing — outputs tested with real participants; evaluation and revision
• Months 18–24: Dissemination and sustainability — multiplier events, policy outreach, open-access publication; overlap with testing phase is normal

Overlapping phases are fine and realistic. What evaluators flag is a timeline where everything finishes in the last 2 months, or where dissemination only starts after all other work is complete. Both suggest poor planning.

6. The Four Consistency Checks Before You Submit

Run these four checks against your completed template before entering anything into the application form. Each one catches a different type of common error.

Check 1 — Work plan vs objectives. List your specific objectives. For each one, identify at least one activity in the work plan that directly contributes to it. If any objective has no corresponding activity, either add an activity or remove the objective.

Check 2 — Work plan vs budget. Go through every activity that requires spending — workshops, translation, travel, expert fees, equipment. Each must have a corresponding budget line. Run this check line by line; discrepancies between narrative and budget are a reliable red flag for evaluators.

Check 3 — Work plan vs partner roles. List each partner. Check that each one leads at least two activities across at least two work packages. A partner who only appears as “contributing” in WP1 meetings is not demonstrating meaningful participation.

Check 4 — Work plan vs timeline. Review the shape of the timeline. Are activities spread across the full project duration? Is dissemination starting from Month 18 at the latest? Are there any months where nothing appears to be happening? Fill gaps or explain them explicitly.

7. Most Common Template Mistakes

Copying the template structure without adapting the content. The templates above are examples, not scripts. Every field — activity description, partner, timeline, output — must reflect your specific project. Evaluators recognise generic template language immediately.

Activities without outputs. Every row in the template must have a named output in the final column. If you cannot name what an activity produces, it either needs to be merged with another activity or removed. Activities that produce nothing are not activities — they are overhead.

WP1 exceeding 20% of total budget. In KA220, the application form caps project management at 20% of the total grant. If your WP1 is absorbing more than this, redistribution is required — move coordination-heavy activities into the relevant implementation WP instead.

Using the template as a final document. This template is a planning tool. The application form has its own fields and character limits. Use the template to design the work plan, then transfer it into the form — do not paste tables directly into free-text fields.

8. Work Plan Checklist

• ✅ All 5 fields completed for every activity: description, lead, contributing partners, timeline, output
• ✅ Each specific objective has at least one corresponding activity
• ✅ Each partner leads at least 2 activities across at least 2 work packages
• ✅ WP1 budget does not exceed 20% of total grant (KA220)
• ✅ Activities spread across full project duration — no back-loading
• ✅ Dissemination activities start no later than Month 18 of a 24-month project
• ✅ Every activity that costs money has a corresponding budget line
• ✅ Each work package has a different lead partner (KA220)
• ✅ All outputs named specifically — not “results” or “materials”
• ✅ Template adapted to your project — no generic placeholder language