What is Erasmus+?

Erasmus+ is the EU funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. It runs from 2021 till the end of 2027 with a total budget of more than 26 billion euro. Within Erasmus+ there are different sections: one for education and training, one for sport and one for youth projects.

The youth section of Erasmus+ in Flanders is called ‘Erasmus+ Jeugd‘. It funds projects for and by young people and youth organisations. It has a separate budget and specific project possibilities.

What does Erasmus+ (Jeugd) aim for?

The general objective of Erasmus+ is to support, through lifelong learning, the educational, professional and personal development of people in education, training, youth and sport, in Europe and beyond, thereby contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and social cohesion, to driving innovation, and to strengthening European identity and active citizenship.

As such, Erasmus+ ‘Jeugd’ shall be a key instrument for building a European Education Area, advancing youth policy cooperation under the Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027.
The programme has the following specific objective for youth: promote non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of youth.

Where can I apply for funding for my project?

Two National Agencies implement Erasmus+ in Flanders, Belgium:

1. JINT vzw is the Flemish National Agency for ‘Erasmus+ Jeugd’, the youth section.
2. Epos vzw is the Flemish National Agency for education and training.

Applications in the field of sport are dealt with centrally by the Executive Agency of the European Commission (EACEA).

If you are an International Non-Governmental Youth Organisation (INGYO), please read the information below.

Find more information in English on the Erasmus+ website of the European Commission.

For International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations (INGYO’s)

Youth projects of INGYO’s have to apply at the National Agencies, not at the Executive Agency (EACEA).
In order to facilitate this, funding has been distributed to all programme countries according to the usual budget distribution keys. This means that INGYO’s or their member organisations can apply for project grants to all National Agencies as long as the applicant is legally established in the country were it applies. It is possible for an INGYO to be partner in the project of one of their member organisations.

Please note that INGYO’s have to follow Belgian procedures. This means that organisations must apply to the National Agency of the Community where they are located.
For example: an organisation located in Liege has to apply to BIJ, an organisation from Antwerp to JINT, an organisation from Eupen to Jugendbüro.Organisations based in Brussels can apply either to BIJ OR to JINT, knowing that JINT will handle the application in Dutch and English and BIJ in French and English.

Is your organisation a Brussels-based international organisation? Please read this document before applying for an Erasmus+ accreditation.