Information you need to prepare an EU project

Gather before you write

The most common problems in applications to EU programmes stem less from the quality of the text than from a lack of preparation: organisation registration left until the last days, partner details not arriving, a budget that does not match the activities, or applying to the wrong call. This guide lists the information your organisation should prepare before writing begins, with a particular focus on Erasmus+.

The rules here are based on the European Commission's official Erasmus+ pages. Programme rules are updated through the Erasmus+ Programme Guide and the calls published each year; always use the guide for the year in which you are applying.

Identify the right programme and action

Some Erasmus+ actions are managed by the national agencies in each country (decentralised actions), and others by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, EACEA (centralised actions). Who manages an action determines where the application is submitted, which registration system is used and which form is completed.

The first task is therefore to clarify which action your project falls under: learning mobility of individuals (Key Action 1), cooperation among organisations (Key Action 2), or a different EU programme? Then read that action's section of the Programme Guide from start to finish; the eligibility, assessment and budget rules are set out there.

Check country and organisation eligibility

Erasmus+ divides countries into groups. According to the Programme Guide, in addition to the EU Member States, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Serbia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are third countries associated to the Programme. Montenegro, by contrast, is among the third countries not associated to the Programme, in the Western Balkans group (Region 1). Organisations in these countries can take part only in certain actions and under certain conditions.

For example, in Cooperation Partnerships the partnership must consist of at least three organisations from three different EU Member States or associated third countries. According to the Programme Guide, organisations from non-associated third countries (Regions 1–3, excluding Belarus) may take part in this action only as partners, not as applicants, and only if they bring essential added value to the project. If you are considering working with an organisation in Montenegro, plan its role in line with this rule.

At organisation level, check whether the applicant organisation's type (school, municipality, association, business, etc.) is eligible for the action and whether accreditation is required for certain actions.

Set up EU Login and register your organisation early

Every organisation that intends to apply to Erasmus+ or the European Solidarity Corps must first create an EU Login account and then register the organisation in the relevant system. According to the Programme Guide, these steps are carried out by the organisation's legal representative, and organisations should register only once.

For actions managed by national agencies, registration is done through the Organisation Registration system on the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps platform, and the organisation receives an Organisation ID (OID). For actions managed by EACEA, registration is done through the participant register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, and a nine-digit PIC is issued. An organisation that wants to take part in both types of action may have two separate identifiers.

Before registering, search the system to see whether your organisation has already been registered; duplicate registrations can cause problems. Using another organisation's OID in an application requires that organisation's explicit consent. For national agency actions, an Identification Form appropriate to the type of organisation is uploaded to the system. For grants above 60,000 euros, documents showing financial capacity may also be requested.

Keep your organisation's information in one file

A large part of the application form presents your organisation. Evaluators look at whether the organisation has the capacity to carry out the project. Keeping the following information together, up to date and consistent saves time in this application and in later ones.

• Legal name, address, registration or founding document and tax number
• OID or PIC and the authorised person who made the registration
• Name, position and contact details of the legal representative and the project manager
• The organisation's purpose, field of activity, target groups and staff structure
• Short summaries of projects previously carried out or applied for
• Experience of the people who will work on the project
• Bank details (for the coordinator, where required)

Build a project logic from needs to results

The application should start from a concrete need of the organisation or the target group. Write a short text linking how this need was identified, which objectives the project will use to address it, which activities will be carried out and what will have changed at the end. Think from the start about how the results will be measured, how they will be shared and how they will be used after the project ends. This logic keeps all sections of the form consistent.

Agree roles with partners in writing

In actions that require a partnership, what each partner brings to the project must be clearly visible. Partners should be chosen for the expertise the project needs rather than because they are familiar. Before applying, ask each partner for the following information and collect their roles in a written task table.

• OID or PIC and legal representative details
• Organisation profile and relevant project experience
• The activities it will carry out and the outputs it is responsible for
• The people who will work on the project and their contact details
• Its share of the budget and the justification for that share

Derive the budget from the activities

In most actions, Erasmus+ budgets are calculated not from a list of actual expenses but using unit costs or lump sums. For example, according to the Programme Guide, applicants for Cooperation Partnerships choose one of three fixed amounts of 120,000, 250,000 and 400,000 euros, and the estimated total cost must exceed the amount requested; in other words, the co-financing principle applies.

Whichever method applies, the budget should be derived from the activity plan: if it is clear who will carry out each activity, when and with how many people, the budget can be defended. In mobility projects, unit costs vary by country, distance and type of activity; for current amounts, refer to the Programme Guide for the year of application.

Build the timeline backwards from the deadline

Application deadlines are published each year in the Programme Guide and in the national agencies' announcements. Working backwards from that date, set aside separate time for organisation registration, collecting partner details, writing the text, and internal approval and signature procedures. Also plan the project's own timeline according to the duration the action allows; for example, Cooperation Partnerships can last between 12 and 36 months.

Invest Consulting carries out this preparation together with you and writes the application text and budget according to the call guidelines. It is your organisation that submits the application and makes the commitments. Assessment and the decision rest with the relevant agency; approval is not guaranteed.