Erasmus+ Pre Market Engagement

At the first UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK government agreed to work towards association to the Erasmus+ Programme. We are taking forward the next stage of negotiations with the European Union on the clear mutual understanding that the UK will only associate to Erasmus+ on significantly improved financial terms. The timelines and terms for any association are subject to further discussion.

Erasmus+ is the European Union’s flagship programme to support education, training, youth, and sport in Europe and beyond, with an estimated budget of €26.2 billion for the period 2021-27. It is a grant funding scheme offering a broad range of opportunities for learners and staff across the education, training, youth, and sport sectors, from school exchanges, work placements, language courses, and semesters abroad, to professional development activities for youth workers, training for grassroots sport staff, and a range of international partnership and cooperation projects for institutions.

The Erasmus+ Programme is implemented mostly by a network of National Agencies located in the EU Member States and ‘third countries’ associated to the Programme. The National Agency (NA) for the Erasmus+ Programme in the UK would market the Programme, provide advice, guidance, and training to applicants and beneficiaries, assess applications for a number of the Programme’s actions, administer grants to organisations across the UK and provide support throughout the lifecycle of their projects, and work closely with the UK Government and the Devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to ensure that the Programme provides maximum benefits to our education, training, youth, and sport systems.

The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations.