Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 for institutions: KA1, KA2, KA3 actions and how universities access funds

The Erasmus+ programme allocates EUR 26.2 billion across 2021-2027, making it the world's largest education and youth mobility programme. For International Offices, VET providers, and companies participating as host organisations, understanding the programme's structure is not optional. This is the institutional guide: what each Key Action funds, how universities access budget allocations, and what compliance the 2026 programme requires.

The three Key Actions: what each funds

The Erasmus+ 2021-2027 programme is organised around three Key Actions. Each addresses a different level of engagement and requires a different institutional relationship with the programme.

For most universities, the primary operational engagement is KA1 (running student and staff mobility) and, for institutions with capacity, KA2 (partnership and curriculum development projects). KA3 is primarily relevant for policy-focused organisations and national youth authorities.

KA1: Learning Mobility of Individuals in detail

KA1 is the core of Erasmus+ for higher education institutions. Under KA1 Higher Education (KA131 for programme countries, KA171 for international credit mobility with partner countries), universities receive a grant allocation that they use to fund individual student and staff mobilities.

KA131: Mobility between programme countries

KA131 covers student and staff mobility between the 33 Erasmus+ programme countries. This is what most people mean when they say "Erasmus+." Under KA131, institutions can fund:

• Student study periods abroad: 2-12 months at a partner higher education institution
• Student traineeships abroad: 2-12 months at a company, research institute, or other host organisation in a programme country
• Recent graduate traineeships: Same as student traineeships but for students who have graduated within the previous 12 months
• Staff teaching assignments: Teaching at a partner institution for a minimum of 8 hours over at least 2 consecutive days (or 1 day for long-distance travel)
• Staff training: Professional development activities abroad, minimum 2 consecutive days
• Short-term mobility for blended programs: 5-30 days physical mobility combined with a virtual component

Grant amounts per student mobil are set by the European Commission and vary by destination country group. For student study periods and traineeships in 2026:

Top-ups are added for: green travel (EUR 50 per person, up to EUR 4 for short-distance), fewer opportunities participants (EUR 100/month or lump sum EUR 100 for short-term), and individual support for participants with disabilities or specific needs.

KA171: International Credit Mobility with partner countries

KA171 is Erasmus+ ICM, the mechanism for student and staff mobility between programme countries and eligible partner countries outside the EU. South Africa, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and many other non-EU nations are partner country regions under KA171.

Under KA171, the EU institution applies for and holds the grant. It then uses those funds to nominate and support students from its partner institution in the partner country. The EU institution must have a signed Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) with the partner country institution as the administrative basis for the exchange.

Grant rates for KA171 outgoing students (partner country to programme country) are higher than KA131 rates, reflecting greater travel distances and adjustment costs. For 2026:

• Incoming students (from programme country going to partner country): EUR 700/month
• Outgoing students (from partner country coming to programme country): EUR 850/month for Group 1, EUR 700/month for Group 2
• Travel grant: EUR 275-1,285 based on distance bands, with green travel top-up available

KA2: Cooperation Among Organisations

KA2 funds multi-institution cooperation projects. Unlike KA1 (which puts money on individual mobility), KA2 produces institutional outputs: joint curricula, research methodologies, capacity building activities, and open educational resources. KA2 projects are more competitive than KA1 allocations and require significant project management capacity.

KA2 project types in 2026

Alliances for Innovation (formerly Knowledge Alliances)

Alliances for Innovation are the highest-value KA2 action for higher education institutions. They fund structured collaboration between universities and companies to design new curricula, micro-credentials, and training programs in areas of identified skills gaps. For institutions working in digital transformation, green transition, or AI-relevant fields, Alliances for Innovation represent a EUR 500K-4M funding opportunity with built-in business-sector partnerships.

A consortium applying for an Alliance for Innovation must include at least three higher education institutions and three companies from at least three different programme countries. The consortium demonstrates a concrete labour market need, a proposed educational response, and measurable outputs (new courses, accredited micro-credentials, trained graduates).

How universities access Erasmus+ KA1 budget: the application process

Accessing KA1 funding is not automatic even for ECHE-holding institutions. The process follows an annual cycle:

1. Annual call for applications: National Agencies publish annual calls, typically in January-February. Universities submit KA131 applications specifying how many student and staff mobility grants they are requesting and providing evidence of their mobility track record and quality assurance plans.
2. National Agency evaluation: Applications are assessed against ECHE commitments, the university's Erasmus Policy Statement, and financial management capacity. Grant amounts are determined by the National Agency based on available national budget, the institution's application, and historical performance.
3. Grant agreement signing: The National Agency issues a grant agreement specifying the total award, the breakdown by activity type, and the performance conditions. In the EU, the grant agreement must be signed before any mobility activity begins.
4. Internal allocation by International Office: The International Office allocates the received budget across faculties, disciplines, and partner institutions according to the university's own mobility strategy. IIAs determine which students can go where.
5. Student and staff selection: Individual students and staff are selected through the university's internal process. Selection criteria must be transparent and non-discriminatory, and must give priority to fewer-opportunities participants.
6. Pre-departure documentation: Learning Agreements (for students) and Mobility Agreements (for staff) must be completed and signed before departure. Under EWP requirements, these must be processed digitally for all KA131 and KA171 mobilities by 2026.
7. Financial reporting: After mobilities are completed, the institution submits a final report to the National Agency, including individual participant reports, attendance certificates, and financial statements. Final grant payment (typically 20% withheld pending reporting) is released upon successful report submission.

The Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE): the institutional prerequisite

No higher education institution can participate in Erasmus+ without a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). The ECHE is a quality accreditation granted by the European Commission (not national agencies) that commits the institution to the Erasmus+ principles: equal access, mobility quality, automatic credit recognition, inclusion, and sustainability.

The current ECHE covers the 2021-2027 programme period. Institutions that held an ECHE for the previous programme period (2014-2020) needed to renew for 2021-2027. New institutions entering the programme must apply for an ECHE before they can submit any KA1 mobility applications.

Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIAs) and EWP digitalisation

Every student exchange under KA131 or KA171 requires a signed IIA between the sending and receiving institution. Since 2022, all IIAs must be managed through the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) digital network. This has practical implications for International Offices:

• IIAs must be signed digitally via an EWP-connected platform (not PDF exchange via email)
• Learning Agreements must also be processed digitally via EWP from 2023
• Transcript of Records and Arrival/Departure confirmations must be digital from 2025
• Institutions whose mobility management software is not EWP-connected face compliance issues and potential grant eligibility problems during audits

Common EWP-connected platforms used by European institutions include: MoveON (widely used in Netherlands and Nordics), Mobility-Online (Germany and Austria), Mobility Manager by Benefactor, and institution-built API connectors for large universities with custom ERP systems.

National Agency contacts by country

Companies as Erasmus+ host organisations

Companies, NGOs, and public organisations can host Erasmus+ traineeship students without holding an ECHE. The administrative and financial relationship is between the student's sending institution and the National Agency. The host organisation's obligations are:

• Sign the Traineeship Agreement with the student and the sending institution before the internship begins
• Provide a workplace supervisor and ensure the student's learning objectives are met
• Issue a Traineeship Certificate confirming the activities, duration, and competencies developed
• The host organisation does not receive or handle Erasmus+ grant funds directly

For companies that want to build a pipeline of Erasmus+ traineeship students: the most effective approach is to contact International Offices at universities in relevant programme countries and negotiate an inclusion in their active IIA partner list. Once a company is listed as an approved traineeship host with a specific sending university, the International Office can actively nominate suitable students for traineeship positions.