Apply for school partnership funding

Under Key Action 2, funding is available for Strategic Partnerships between schools-only and also Strategic Partnerships between other education and training organisations working in the field of school education.

This part of Key Action 2 is managed in the UK by the British Council as part of the UK National Agency.

     How to apply     

What activities are possible?

The aim of the partnership is to create a group to tackle particular issues related to schools education, such as teaching standards, entrepreneurship, citizenship, basic skills or linguistic skills, through collaboration and innovation. It is still possible to include pupils on short/long term visits/exchanges under Key Action 2 but only if this part of the activity helps to deliver the project’s outcomes.

In summary, there are two application forms which cover the involvement of different types of education organisations:

• the school-only application form covers school-only or school-to-school partnerships; and 
• the school education application form covers partnerships between organisations working in the field of school education, such as universities, local authorities, charities, schools and schools coordination bodies.

Organisations and schools can choose to be the lead organisation or a partner in a project led by an organisation from another participating programme country. The lead organisation applies to the Erasmus+ National Agency in their country for funding on behalf of the project as a whole.

Projects can last from 12 – 36 months depending on the project type and application type applied for. There is no maximum number of partners, however, the budget for management costs is capped and equivalent to 10 partners. Strategic Partnership funding can receive a maximum of €150,000 in funding per year.

There are two different kinds of Strategic Partnership projects that you can apply for: projects supporting exchanges of practices and projects supporting innovation.

The National Agency splits the Key Action 2 (Strategic Partnerships) schools budget to have a fairer assessment process and allocation of funds, in what is a highly competitive field. The indicative budget allocation is as follows: 60% of available funds will be allocated to Strategic Partnerships for exchange of good practice, and 40% to strategic partnerships for innovation.

School-only Strategic Partnerships

Projects supporting exchanges of practices

Projects must involve a minimum of two schools from two different programme countries. For information on who can apply for a school-only Strategic Partnership please read our webpage on eligible schools if you have not already done so.

Projects supporting the exchange of practices cannot apply for intellectual output or multiplier event funding. If a school wishes to create a Strategic Partnership supporting innovation with intellectual outputs they should apply using the school education project format, as outlined below.

School education Strategic Partnerships

Projects supporting exchange of practices/ projects supporting innovation

Projects must involve a minimum of three eligible organisations from three different programme countries.  

School education projects can elect to be projects supporting the exchange of practices or projects supporting innovation. Please note that school education projects that select to support the exchange of practices cannot apply for intellectual output or multiplier event funding.

Strategic Partnership activity could include:

• developing, testing and implementing innovative approaches and practices for pupils, staff and organisations;
• cross-sectoral co-operation between schools and other organisations leading to curriculum development, reinforcing basic skills, combating violence in schools as some examples;
• local consortia between local/regional authorities and schools to improve the educational offer for young people;
• facilitating the recognition and certification of skills and competences;
• short-term exchanges of groups of pupils on study/training periods within a project aiming to promote linguistic skills and intercultural awareness, as two examples;
• the encouragement of active citizenship and entrepreneurship;
• the use of eTwinning for online collaboration between partners and/or students and for teacher, student teacher and teacher educator professional development; and 
• the use of the International School Award to plan and record the impact of your international work on curriculum teaching. Your school will then receive the foundation, intermediate or full accreditation level of the award.

If you have not applied for funding before, please visit our before you apply webpages for more information, and sign up to eTwinning and the European Commission's School Education Gateway portal.

Who can apply?

Any UK organisation involved in school education can participate in a Strategic Partnership for school education, either as the lead or as a partner. One organisation must lead the project and make the application for funding. UK organisations leading a project must apply to the UK National Agency on behalf of the partnership.

For schools-only projects, please check the list of eligible institutions on our eligible schools and authorities page.