Erasmus+ Partner Search Strategies That Actually Work

Most Erasmus+ partner search advice stops at a list of platforms. Post a call on EPALE, try the School Education Gateway, check the SALTO database. This is fine as a starting point — but it is not a strategy. It is a passive approach that puts you in a queue with hundreds of other coordinators posting identical messages and waiting for whoever replies.

Experienced Erasmus+ coordinators do not wait for partners to find them. They identify specific organisations, approach them with a targeted message, and build relationships before the deadline pressure begins. This guide covers the strategies that actually produce strong partners — not just willing ones.

1. Passive vs Active Partner Search: Why the Difference Matters

A passive partner search means putting your project idea on a platform and waiting for organisations to contact you. An active partner search means identifying the organisations you want, researching them, and approaching them directly with a message that demonstrates you already know who they are and why they are the right fit.

The practical difference is significant. Passive searches attract organisations that are actively looking for any project to join — which often means organisations with limited experience, limited capacity, or no specific expertise in your topic. Active searches reach organisations that are good at what they do and not necessarily looking for a new project — which means, if you can convince them, you get a genuinely strong partner.

The five strategies below move along a spectrum from mostly active to partly passive. The most effective approach is to combine the first three strategies — which are fully active — with a targeted platform posting as a supplementary channel. Do not rely on platform postings alone.

2. Strategy 1 — Mine the Erasmus+ Results Platform

The Erasmus+ Results Platform (erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects) is the most powerful partner-finding tool available — and the most underused. It contains thousands of funded projects going back several programme generations, each with a full list of partner organisations, contact details, project descriptions and outputs.

The search logic is simple: find projects that are similar to what you want to build, identify the partner organisations in those projects, and contact them directly. These organisations have already demonstrated they can deliver in your topic area, they know how Erasmus+ works, and they have experience being a partner — which means less hand-holding for you as coordinator.

How to use it effectively:

• Search by keyword (your topic area), Key Action (KA220 or KA210) and country (countries you want represented)
• Filter for projects completed in the last 3–5 years — organisations from older projects may have changed staff or priorities
• Read the project summaries to assess relevance — look for projects where the topic, target group and methodology overlap with yours
• Note the partner organisations — particularly those in a non-coordinator role, as they are accustomed to being partners
• Find the contact details on the organisation’s own website — the Results Platform often lists only a general email; go directly to the project manager or EU projects officer

3. Strategy 2 — Use LinkedIn as a Targeting Tool

LinkedIn is not just a place to post partner calls in groups. Used actively, it is a precision targeting tool for finding the right individuals — not just organisations — within the countries and sectors you need.

People search. Search for “Erasmus+ project manager” or “EU projects coordinator” filtered by country. This surfaces individuals whose job is to manage EU-funded projects — these are the people who will actually respond to your outreach and have the authority to commit their organisation to a partnership. Connect with a personalised message rather than a generic connection request.

Organisation search. Search for organisations by sector and country — “VET provider Italy,” “youth NGO Romania,” “adult education centre Portugal.” Review their LinkedIn presence for signs of active project work: posts about funded projects, Erasmus+ logos, photos from training events or transnational meetings. Active organisations are more likely to be responsive and delivery-capable.

Group engagement. LinkedIn groups such as “Erasmus+ Projects,” “EU Project Managers” and “KA2 Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships” are active communities. Do not just post a partner call — engage with existing discussions, comment on posts and build visibility before you need something. Organisations that recognise your name will respond more readily.

Content as attraction. Posting short, useful content about Erasmus+ on LinkedIn — tips, observations, project updates — builds your professional visibility in the sector. Over time this generates inbound interest from organisations looking for experienced coordinators or co-applicants.

4. Strategy 3 — Work Your Existing Network First

Before spending time on cold outreach, systematically work through the network you already have. Most coordinators underestimate the value of warm introductions and existing relationships — and overestimate how much cold outreach they will need to do.

Previous project partners. Organisations you have worked with before are the easiest partners to recruit. They know how you work, they trust your coordination capacity and the due diligence on both sides is minimal. If you have delivered a previous Erasmus+ project, your former partners are the first people to contact for the next one — even if only to ask for a referral to another organisation in their network.

Your National Agency contacts. National Agency staff sometimes know of organisations in other countries looking for partnerships. This is informal and not guaranteed, but NA officers attend transnational events and have networks that span multiple countries. A short, professional email to your NA contact — explaining what kind of partner you are looking for — occasionally produces useful introductions.

Sector network referrals. Contact organisations in your own network who work in the country or sector you need and ask directly: “Do you know a reliable VET provider in Bulgaria who has Erasmus+ experience?” A warm referral from a trusted contact produces a much stronger introduction than cold outreach and significantly increases the likelihood of a positive response.

5. Strategy 4 — Attend Sector Events and Partner-Finding Seminars

In-person and online sector events are high-density partner-finding opportunities. In a single day at the right event, you can meet more relevant organisations than weeks of email outreach produce.

SALTO partner-finding seminars. SALTO Resource Centres organise structured partner-finding events specifically for Erasmus+ applicants — primarily in the youth sector but increasingly across sectors. These events bring together organisations from multiple countries who are actively looking for partnerships. Attendance is usually free or low-cost. Check the SALTO events calendar at salto-youth.net well in advance of the call deadline.

National Agency events. Most National Agencies organise information days, application workshops and networking events in the months before major deadlines. These attract applicants at the same stage as you — looking for partners, developing ideas, preparing applications. Attending your own NA’s events also builds goodwill with the agency, which is never a disadvantage.

Sector conferences and professional networks. If your project topic touches a specific professional field — digital education, social entrepreneurship, migrant integration, environmental education — attend the relevant sector conference and approach organisations there. Professionals who are not yet in the Erasmus+ ecosystem but are active in your topic area can make excellent first-time partners, bringing fresh credibility and target group access.

6. Strategy 5 — Post a Targeted Partner Call on the Right Platforms

Platform partner calls are a passive strategy — but a well-written, targeted call on the right platforms still has value as a supplementary channel. The key word is targeted: a vague call for “any organisation interested in education and youth” will attract low-quality responses. A specific call describing a concrete project, defined partner profiles and clear expectations will attract fewer but far better responses.

A strong partner call includes: the project topic and target group in one sentence; the Key Action and approximate budget; the duration; the specific partner profile you are looking for (organisation type, country, sector expertise); what the partner will be expected to lead or contribute; and your contact details and response deadline.

Post on the platforms most relevant to your sector: EPALE for adult education and VET, SALTO for youth, School Education Gateway for schools. Post on LinkedIn in the relevant groups. Do not post the same generic call everywhere — adapt the emphasis to the audience of each platform.

7. Outreach Tactics: What Works and What Does Not

The quality of your outreach determines the quality of the responses you get. Below is a comparison of the most common outreach tactics — what each one achieves, when to use it, and what to avoid.

8. Most Common Partner Search Mistakes

Relying exclusively on platform calls. Posting on EPALE and waiting is not a strategy — it is hope. Platform calls are a useful supplementary channel, but experienced coordinators use them as one of five tools, not as the only one. If your partner search consists entirely of platform postings, you will spend weeks waiting and then accept whoever responds, rather than recruiting the partners your project actually needs.

Starting too late. Six weeks before a deadline is too late to build a strong consortium from scratch. You have time to collect mandate letters, not to build genuine partnerships. Strong consortia are built over two to four months — enough time to identify candidates, have introductory calls, align on the project concept, agree on roles and budget shares, and complete the documentation properly.

Not screening respondents before committing. When an organisation responds to your partner call, that is the beginning of a due diligence process — not the end of the partner search. Before confirming them as a partner, have a video call, ask about their current project load and staff capacity, request examples of previous Erasmus+ work, and clarify what they can genuinely contribute. Accepting the first three respondents without screening produces weak consortia.

Over-communicating in the first message. A first outreach message that runs to five paragraphs and includes a full project description, a list of expected partner tasks and a budget overview will not be read in full — and will often be ignored. The goal of the first message is to secure a call, not to transfer the complete project brief. Keep it short, specific and action-oriented.

Ignoring the Erasmus+ Results Platform. This is the single most valuable partner-finding resource available and the most consistently underused. Organisations listed on the Results Platform have been funded, have delivered, and are known quantities. Skipping this resource in favour of posting generic calls on EPALE means choosing unknown quantities over proven ones.

9. Partner Search Strategy Checklist

• ✅ Partner search started at least 3 months before the application deadline
• ✅ Partner profile defined for each consortium slot before any outreach begins
• ✅ Erasmus+ Results Platform searched by topic, Key Action and target country
• ✅ At least 5 specific organisations identified from the Results Platform for direct outreach
• ✅ LinkedIn used to identify EU project managers and officers in target countries
• ✅ Existing network contacted for warm referrals before cold outreach begins
• ✅ SALTO partner-finding seminar calendar checked for relevant upcoming events
• ✅ Platform partner calls posted on sector-relevant platforms with specific partner profile and response deadline
• ✅ First outreach message under 200 words — specific, personalised and action-oriented
• ✅ Video call conducted with each candidate before confirming as partner
• ✅ Partner capacity verified — staff availability, current project load, financial processes
• ✅ Budget shares and role expectations discussed and agreed before application is finalised