Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Virtual exchanges projects consist of online people-to-people activities that promote intercultural dialogue and soft skills development and make it possible for every young person to access high-quality international and cross-cultural educationwithout physical mobility.
Detailed Call Description
The specific objectives of this call are the following:
- encouraging intercultural dialogue with third countries not associated to the Programme and increase tolerance through online people-to-people interactions, building on digital, youth-friendly technologies;
- promoting various types of virtual exchanges as a complement to Erasmus+ physical mobility, allowing more young people to benefit from intercultural and international experience;
- enhancing critical thinking and media literacy, particularly in the use of internet and social media, such as to counter discrimination indoctrination, polarisation and violent radicalisation;
- fostering the digital and soft skills development of students, young people and youth workers, including the practice of foreign languages and teamwork, notably to enhance employability;
- promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education;
- strengthening the youth dimension in the relations of the EU with third countries.
The Virtual Exchanges should be organised in one or more of the following thematic areas, which correspond to the priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme:
- Inclusion and diversity;
- Digital transformation;
- Environment and fight against climate change;
- Participation in democratic life, common values and civic engagement.
Virtual Exchanges are a bottom-up initiative, participating organisations are free to choose the topics on which they will focus, but proposals must demonstrate their expected impact in relation to one or more of the above-mentioned objectives. Special attention needs to be given to the inclusion of socially and economically vulnerable people and persons unable to apply for physical mobility.
Projects will be funded based on work plans that integrate online cooperation activities, including:
- online-facilitated discussions between young people of youth organisations based in different countries, as part of youth projects. They could include role playing simulations;
- training for youth workers willing to develop a virtual exchange project with colleagues from other countries;
- online facilitated discussions between students of Higher Education institutions based in different countries, as part of higher education degrees;
- training for university professors/staff willing to develop a virtual exchange project with colleagues from other countries;
- interactive open online courses including traditional course materials such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets (like the well-known MOOCs, Massive Open Online Courses, but putting an emphasis on interactive user forums in small groups to support community interactions among students, professors, teaching assistants, young people and youth workers).
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
This action follows a lump sum funding model. The lump sum value will be limited to a maximum of 95% of the estimated budget determined after evaluation.
The EU grant per project will be of a maximum of €500.000, with €200 as maximum investment to organisations per participant (i.e. a project of €500.000 would have to reach at least 2 500 participants).
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Youth
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
Eligibility For Participation Notes
Participating organisations may be established in an EU Member State, a third country associated to the Programme or in an eligible third country not associated to the Programme (the eligible regions covered by this action are Regions 1, 2, 3 and 9).
The applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities, if applicable) must be legal entities (public or private bodies) and may fall under the following categories:
- Entities active in the field of higher education or youth (non-formal education);
- Youth organisations;
- Higher education institutions, associations or organisations of higher education institutions, as well as legally recognised national or international rector, teacher or student organisations.
The coordinating organisation must be a youth organisation or higher education institutation and be legally established and located in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme.
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 4 applicants (beneficiaries, not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:
- minimum 4 independent entities (no affiliated entities) from 4 different eligible countries;
- minimum 2 higher education institutions or youth organisations from 2 EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme and 2 higher education institutions or youth organisations from 2 eligible third countries not associated to the Programme belonging to the same eligible region;
- the number of organisations from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme must not be higher than the number of organisations from third countries not associated to the Programme.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Foundation for the Management of European (EU) Lifelong Learning Programmes
Website: Erasmus+ – IDEP
Website with Contact details: Εpikoinonia – Erasmus+ – IDEP
Address: Prodromou & Dimitrakopoulou 2, Nicosia 1090, Cyprus
Τelephone: +357 22448888
Email: info@idep.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Education and Culture Executive Agency:
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/contacts_en