Erasmus+ is one of the most inclusive funding programmes in Europe — open to schools, universities, NGOs, youth organisations, VET providers, adult education centres, local authorities and social enterprises across 33 countries. But “open to many” does not mean “open to all,” and the programme’s structure — five distinct sectors, multiple Key Actions and specific eligibility rules for each — means that understanding exactly who can apply, in which sector and under which conditions is the essential first step before writing a single word of an application.
This guide explains who can apply for Erasmus+, how the five sectors work, which sector your organisation belongs to, what the difference between a coordinator and a partner means in practice, and the most common eligibility errors to correct before submitting.
📋 In This Guide
1. Organisation Types: Who Is Eligible
Erasmus+ uses broad language to define eligible organisations — “any public or private organisation active in the field of education, training or youth” — which deliberately includes a wide range of institution types. In practice, the programme is open to the following organisation types, each subject to the sector and Key Action requirements described later in this guide.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), associations and foundations. Registered civil society organisations with a formal legal identity are eligible across all five sectors, provided their activities are relevant to education, training or youth. This includes small local associations, national federations, international networks and foundations with an education or youth mission. For a full guide to NGO eligibility specifically, see our post on whether NGOs can apply for Erasmus+.
Schools and educational institutions. Pre-primary, primary, secondary and special education schools are eligible under the School Education sector. This includes both state-funded and private schools, provided they are formally recognised by national education authorities. Schools are among the most active applicant types in Erasmus+ — particularly for KA1 staff mobility and KA210 cooperation projects.
Vocational education and training (VET) providers. Organisations that deliver vocational or professional skills training — including vocational colleges, apprenticeship providers, training centres and enterprise training departments — are eligible under the VET sector. Both public and private VET providers qualify, provided they can demonstrate that vocational training is their primary or significant activity.
Universities and higher education institutions (HEIs). Universities, polytechnics, university colleges and other recognised HEIs are eligible under the Higher Education sector. For KA131 student and staff mobility, HEIs must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). For KA220 cooperation partnerships in higher education, ECHE is not a requirement for all partners but is standard for most.
Adult education providers. Organisations delivering non-vocational continuing education to adults — community learning centres, adult literacy programmes, cultural education organisations, libraries with learning programmes — are eligible under the Adult Education sector. The key distinguishing criterion is that the learning delivered is non-vocational: it focuses on personal development, civic participation, cultural education or basic skills rather than professional qualifications.
Youth organisations and youth centres. Formally registered organisations whose primary mission is working with young people through non-formal learning, youth work or youth development are eligible under the Youth sector. This includes national and local youth councils, youth wings of larger organisations, youth clubs, youth exchanges organisers and youth work training organisations.
Local, regional and national public authorities. Government bodies at any level — from municipal councils to regional development agencies to national ministries — are eligible provided they have an active remit in education, training or youth. Public authorities are particularly common as partners in KA220 cooperation projects, where their policy-level reach strengthens the impact dimension of the application.
Social enterprises and private bodies. Private companies and social enterprises are eligible if they can demonstrate a genuine, documented mission in education, training or youth — not merely as a peripheral activity. A social enterprise running a digital skills training programme for marginalised young adults qualifies. A consultancy that delivers corporate training as its primary service does not — unless the training is directed at learners in an eligible education or youth context.
Informal groups of young people. Uniquely among Erasmus+ Key Actions, KA1 Youth actions (KA152, KA153, KA154) and KA210 in the Youth sector allow informal groups — groups that are not formally registered as organisations — to apply. The group must have at least 4 members and at least one adult aged 18 or over who can act as legal representative. This provision makes Erasmus+ genuinely accessible to grassroots youth initiatives that have not yet formalised.
💡 The Key Test: Is Your Organisation Active in Education, Training or Youth?
The single most important eligibility question for any organisation type is whether it is genuinely active in the field of education, training or youth — not just tangentially connected to it. An environmental NGO that delivers non-formal environmental education to young people qualifies. An environmental NGO that conducts pure research with no educational component does not. When in doubt, ask: does our organisation directly deliver learning experiences, facilitate skill development or support young people’s development? If yes, the sector connection is likely there.
2. The Five Erasmus+ Sectors Explained
Erasmus+ is not a single programme — it is a family of actions organised into five sectors, each with its own National Agency contact, its own evaluation priorities and its own specific eligibility rules. Understanding which sector you belong to before applying is not optional — applying in the wrong sector is an eligibility error, not a minor administrative issue.
School Education. The School Education sector covers pre-primary, primary, secondary and special needs education. It funds mobility for teachers, school leaders and school staff (KA1), cooperation partnerships between schools (KA210, KA220) and the new European Partnerships for School Development (KA240). The primary focus is on improving teaching quality, school leadership development and the integration of digital, environmental and inclusive practices into school curricula. The target participants are school staff and, in some activities, pupils.
Vocational Education and Training (VET). The VET sector covers initial and continuing vocational education and training — the pathway from education into employment through skills-based qualifications. It funds mobility for VET learners (students and apprentices) and staff, cooperation partnerships to develop VET curricula and teaching materials, and accredited VET mobility programmes. VET is one of the most active sectors in Erasmus+ — heavily used by training centres, apprenticeship providers, sector skills organisations and chambers of commerce.
Higher Education. The Higher Education sector covers universities and other recognised higher education institutions. It funds the iconic Erasmus student and staff exchange programme (KA131), cooperation partnerships for curriculum development and institutional innovation (KA220-HED) and international mobility involving partner countries outside Europe. Higher Education has its own separate accreditation mechanism — the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) — which is required for all HEIs participating in KA131.
Adult Education. The Adult Education sector covers non-vocational continuing education for adults — learning that takes place outside of formal schooling and professional training contexts. It funds mobility for adult education staff and learners, cooperation partnerships to develop adult learning resources and methodologies, and accredited adult education mobility programmes. Common applicant types include community learning centres, adult literacy organisations, cultural institutions with learning programmes, folk high schools and libraries.
Youth. The Youth sector is the most accessible and most flexible sector in Erasmus+. It funds youth exchanges (KA152), youth worker mobility (KA153), youth participation activities (KA154), and small-scale and cooperation partnerships for youth organisations (KA210-YOU, KA220-YOU). The Youth sector is unique in allowing informal groups of young people to apply, in running two deadline rounds per year and in explicitly prioritising the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in all funded activities.
3. Who Can Apply by Sector
The table below maps the most common organisation types to the sectors they can apply in. Use it to confirm that your organisation’s primary mission aligns with the sector you are considering before beginning any application.
| Organisation Type | School Education | VET | Higher Education | Adult Education | Youth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School (primary/secondary) | ✓ Primary | – | – | – | – | Apply under SCH always |
| VET provider / training centre | – | ✓ Primary | – | – | – | Apply under VET always |
| University / HEI | – | – | ✓ Primary | – | – | ECHE required for KA131 |
| Adult education organisation | – | – | – | ✓ Primary | – | Non-vocational learning only |
| Youth NGO / youth centre | – | – | – | – | ✓ Primary | Apply under YOU always |
| General NGO (education + youth activities) | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | Apply in sector of primary mission |
| Local / regional public authority | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | Match to education/youth remit |
| Social enterprise (education/youth mission) | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | Must document education/youth mission |
| Informal group of young people | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ KA1 + KA210-YOU only | 4+ members, 1 adult aged 18+ |
| For-profit company (no edu/youth mission) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Not eligible for any action |
4. Coordinator vs Partner: What the Difference Means
Every Erasmus+ KA2 project has one coordinator and one or more partners. These are not interchangeable roles — they carry fundamentally different responsibilities, different administrative requirements and different levels of accountability to the National Agency. Understanding the distinction before choosing your role in a consortium is one of the most important decisions a first-time applicant makes.
The coordinator. The coordinator is the applicant — the organisation that submits the application to the National Agency, signs the grant agreement and takes legal and financial responsibility for the entire project. The coordinator receives the full grant from the NA and distributes the appropriate share to each partner. If a partner misuses their share of the grant or fails to deliver their activities, the coordinator is responsible to the NA. The coordinator also compiles and submits all progress and final reports — consolidating input from all partner organisations. In KA220, the coordinator’s financial and operational capacity is explicitly assessed during evaluation.
The partner. A partner organisation participates in the project’s activities, contributes to the intellectual outputs and delivers the activities assigned to it in the work plan. Partners do not submit the application, do not sign the grant agreement directly with the NA and are not directly accountable to the NA — their accountability runs through the partnership agreement with the coordinator. Partners receive their share of the grant from the coordinator after the grant agreement is signed. In KA220, partners must also have a valid OID and — unlike KA210 — must sign a mandate letter authorising the coordinator to act on their behalf.
| Responsibility | Coordinator | Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission | Submits the application to the NA | Does not submit — contributes information to coordinator |
| Grant agreement | Signs grant agreement directly with NA | Signs partnership agreement with coordinator only |
| Financial responsibility | Receives full grant; distributes to partners; liable for entire project budget | Receives partner share from coordinator; accountable to coordinator |
| Reporting | Compiles and submits all reports to NA | Submits progress reports to coordinator only |
| Mandate letter (KA220) | Not required for coordinator | Required — signed by legal representative |
| Capacity assessment | Evaluated during application — financial and operational capacity assessed | Not independently assessed — profile described in application |
⚠️ First-Time Applicants: Consider Applying as Partner Before Coordinating
For organisations applying for the first time — particularly for KA220 — participating as a partner in another organisation’s project before coordinating your own is a proven path to building the grant management experience that evaluation rewards. As a partner you develop hands-on familiarity with the Beneficiary Module, the reporting process and the partnership dynamics without bearing full coordinator accountability. When you subsequently apply as coordinator, your organisation has a documented track record to present in the Team criterion.
5. How to Identify Your Sector
Most organisations belong clearly to one sector — a secondary school to School Education, a university to Higher Education, a registered youth organisation to Youth. But some organisations are genuinely cross-sectoral, and for them the sector selection question requires a deliberate decision rather than an obvious answer.
The primary mission rule. The single most reliable guide is your organisation’s primary registered mission — the purpose for which it was created and the field in which the majority of its activities take place. An NGO that was founded to work with young people and runs youth exchanges, youth training and youth participation projects should apply under Youth even if it also occasionally delivers adult training workshops. The primary mission is the anchor.
The project target group rule. If your organisation genuinely operates across multiple sectors, apply in the sector that best matches the primary target group of the specific project you are proposing. A multi-purpose community organisation proposing a project that primarily serves adult learners through a literacy programme should apply under Adult Education for that project. The project target group determines the most appropriate sector when the organisational profile does not point clearly to one.
The VET-Adult Education boundary. The distinction between VET and Adult Education is the most commonly misunderstood sector boundary in Erasmus+. VET covers vocational learning — training that leads toward formal qualifications, professional competences or occupational skills. Adult Education covers non-vocational continuing education — learning for personal development, cultural participation, civic engagement and basic skills that does not lead to a professional qualification. A language school teaching adults for personal enjoyment is Adult Education. A language school teaching adults for professional purposes is closer to VET.
When in doubt — contact your National Agency. Every programme country’s National Agency employs sector specialists who can advise on sector eligibility before you apply. Contacting your NA with a brief project concept and organisation description — and asking which sector is most appropriate — takes 30 minutes and prevents the most costly eligibility error a first-time applicant makes. For the full list of 2026 deadlines and NA contacts see our 2026 deadlines guide.
6. Most Common Mistakes Around Organisation and Sector Eligibility
Applying in the wrong sector. The most common and most consequential eligibility error. A youth NGO that applies under Adult Education because some of its beneficiaries are technically adults, or a VET provider that applies under School Education because it works with young people, risks producing an application that is assessed against the wrong evaluation priorities by evaluators who are specialists in a different field. Always apply in the sector of your primary mission. When uncertain, contact the NA before submitting.
Assuming any registered organisation qualifies. Legal registration is a necessary but not sufficient condition. A registered company that sells business software with no education or youth dimension does not qualify simply because it is a legal entity. The organisation must be genuinely active in education, training or youth — and must be able to demonstrate that connection in the application. If the sector connection requires significant reframing to make visible, it is likely not strong enough to withstand evaluation scrutiny.
Coordinating before the organisation is ready. Taking on the coordinator role without the administrative capacity, financial management systems and staff time to manage it is one of the most common causes of project implementation problems. Before agreeing to coordinate — especially for KA220 — assess honestly whether your organisation has the capacity to receive a grant, distribute it to partners, manage financial records, coordinate multi-country activity and report to the NA. For a full breakdown of coordinator responsibilities see our project management guide.
Describing the organisation generically in the application. The application asks for a description of each partner organisation — their profile, their expertise and their role in the project. Writing “an experienced NGO with extensive knowledge of the field” tells an evaluator nothing. Every organisation description must be specific: what the organisation does, who it serves, what relevant expertise it brings to this specific project and why it — and not another organisation — is the right partner for the role assigned to it.
Not registering OIDs far enough in advance. This bears repeating because it remains the most common last-minute crisis in Erasmus+ applications. OID registration takes 1–5 working days. For a consortium of three organisations, that means three independent registration processes — each of which can encounter delays. Set an OID confirmation deadline for all organisations at least two weeks before the submission deadline. For a step-by-step registration guide see our Beneficiary Module guide.
7. Organisation and Sector Eligibility Checklist
- ✅ Organisation is formally registered as a legal entity in its country
- ✅ Organisation is based in one of the 33 Erasmus+ programme countries
- ✅ Organisation is genuinely active in education, training or youth — not just tangentially connected
- ✅ Correct sector identified — based on primary organisational mission, not secondary activities
- ✅ For multi-sectoral organisations: sector confirmed based on project target group
- ✅ VET vs Adult Education distinction clarified if relevant — vocational vs non-vocational
- ✅ National Agency contacted if sector is unclear — before submitting, not after
- ✅ Coordinator role assigned to the organisation with sufficient capacity to manage it
- ✅ All partner organisations confirmed as eligible — legal status, country, sector relevance checked
- ✅ OID registered for all organisations — validation confirmed at least 2 weeks before deadline
- ✅ For KA220: mandate letters collected from all partners and ready for upload
- ✅ Each organisation’s profile described specifically in the application — not generically
- ✅ Coordinator capacity documented — grant management experience evidenced where required
- ✅ Programme Guide for the current call year reviewed — eligibility rules verified for the specific Key Action
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