A Small-scale Partnership is transnational and involves minimum two organisations from two different EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme. The project must focus on a theme and aims to give experience to young people on how to implement a project. Small-scale Partnerships are designed to widen access to the programme to small-scale actors and individuals who are hard to reach in the fields of school education, adult education, vocational education and training, youth and sport. There is no maximum number of participating organisations in one partnership. All participating organisations must be identified at the time of applying for a grant.

---

What?

Small-scale Partnerships aim to give access to the programme to small-scale actors and individuals who are traditionally not reached. The grants amounts and the durations are lower but the administration requirements are much simpler compared to the Cooperation Partnerships. As such, grassroots organisations, less experienced organisations and newcomers to the Programme can apply in an easier manner, reducing entry barriers to the programme for organisations with smaller organisational capacity.
This action will also support flexible formats – mixing activities with transnational and national character although with a European dimension – allowing organisations to have more means to reach out to people with fewer opportunities. Small-scale Partnerships can also contribute to the creation and development of transnational networks and to fostering synergies with, and between, local, regional, national and international policies.

Why?

Objectives of this action

• Attract and widen access for newcomers, less experienced organisations and small-scale actors to the programme. These partnerships should act as a first step for organisations into cooperation at European level.
• Support the inclusion of target groups with fewer opportunities
• Support active European citizenship and bring the European dimension to the local level

In addition, the main objectives of Cooperation Partnerships also apply to Small-sсale Partnerships, proportionally to the scope and volume of each project:

• Increasing quality in the work and practices of the organisations and institutions involved, opening up to new actors not naturally included within one sector;
• Building capacity of organisations 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, organisational or sectoral level), leading to improvements, in proportion to the context of each organisation

Who?

• Who can apply?

Any participating organisation established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the programme can be the applicant. This organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project.

• Which types of organisations are eligible to participate in the project?

Any public or private organisation, established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the programme can participate in a Small-scale Partnership.

Where?

All the activities of a Small-scale Partnership must take place in the countries of the organisations participating in the project.
In addition, if duly justified in relation to the objectives or implementation of the project, activities can also take place at the seat of an Institution of the European Union (Brussels, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, and The Hague), even if in the project there are no participating organisations from the country that hosts the Institution.  

When?

For Small-scale Partnerships in the fields of vocational education and training, school education, adult education and youth submitted by any organisation in these fields:
Applicants have to submit their grant application

• by 22 March at 12:00:00 (midday Brussels time) for projects starting between 1 September and 31 December of the same year.
• by 4 October at 12:00:00 (midday Brussels time) for projects starting between 1 January and 31 August of the following year

Possible additional deadline for Small scale Partnerships in the field of youth:
National Agencies may organise an additional around for applications for projects in the field of youth, for which the rules set out in this Guide will also apply. National Agencies will inform of this possibility via their website. If the additional round is organised, applicants have to submit their grant application by 4 May at 12:00:00 (midday Brussels time), for projects starting between 1 August and 31 December of the same year.

Duration of the project

The project duration can be between 6 and 24 months.
The duration has to be chosen at application stage, based on the objectives of the project and on the type of activities planned over time.

Funding

The proposed funding model consists of a menu of two possible lump sums, corresponding to the total grant amount for the project. Applicants will choose between the two pre-defined amounts according to the activities they want to undertake and the results they want to achieve:
Single lump sum amounts:

• 30 000 EUR
• 60 000 EUR

Source

• ​erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-2/small-scale-partnerships

This page was last updated on 14/07/2023.