Erasmus accreditation is a tool for organisations that want to open up their activities to cross-border exchange and cooperation and that plan to implement learning mobility activities on a regular basis. The Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth gives simplified access to funding opportunities under Key Action 1 learning mobility activities in the field of youth. Applicants will be required to lay down their approach to project management, their longer-term objectives and plans in terms of activities to be supported with Erasmus funds and expected benefits. The award of the Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth confirms that the applicant has appropriate and effective processes and measures in place to implement high quality learning mobility activities as planned and use them to benefit the youth field. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is introduces the programme behind the accreditation, and our guide on what National Agencies are explains who awards it and who follows it up.
Last updated: October 2026.
What are the objectives of Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth?
The Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth action has the following objectives.
🌱 Personal and professional development: Strengthening the personal and professional development of young people through non formal and informal learning mobility activities.
🗳️ Active citizenship: Fostering the empowerment of young people, their active citizenship and participation in democratic life.
🧑🏫 Quality youth work: Fostering quality development of youth work at local, regional, national, European and international level by building capacity of organisations active in the youth field and supporting the professional development of youth workers.
🤝 Inclusion and diversity: Promoting inclusion and diversity, intercultural dialogue and the values of solidarity, equal opportunities and human rights among young people in Europe.
Our guide on the role of youth workers describes the people these objectives support, and our guide on what non-formal education is explains the learning approach behind them.
What funding does accreditation give you access to?
Successful applicants for Erasmus accreditations in the field of youth will gain simplified access to two Key Action 1 funding opportunities in the youth field: mobility projects for young people (Youth Exchanges) and mobility projects for youth workers. The yearly call for funding for accredited projects is presented in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide section on mobility opportunities for accredited Erasmus organisations in the field of youth. Accredited organisations have the possibility to apply for funding for youth mobility activities in a simplified way. Applications are based on the previously approved accreditation Activity Plan, so a detailed list and description of the planned activities is not required. Instead, the applications focus on estimating the number of activities to be implemented and the number of participants involved.
Eligible activities are Youth Exchanges and youth workers professional development activities. Additionally, preparatory visits can be implemented, and system development and outreach activities can be implemented only in conjunction with youth workers professional development activities. The mobility activities to be implemented under this Action must comply with the minimum requirements laid down for each activity type in the respective sections of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide. Accredited organisations commit themselves to comply with the Erasmus Youth Quality Standards and deliver high quality mobility activities in the field of youth.
Accredited youth organisations are not eligible for funding under the standard Youth Exchanges and Mobility projects for youth workers. Accredited youth organisations can, however, take the role of a partner in those projects. Our guide on exchanges between groups of young people explains that activity type, and our guide on mobility of youth workers and job shadowing covers the activities built around staff.
Which organisations can apply, and when?
The following types of organisations are eligible to apply.
🏛️ Eligible types of organisations: A non-profit organisation, association, non-governmental organisation (NGO); European Youth NGO; a public body at local, regional, national level; a social enterprise; a profit-making body active in corporate social responsibility and with proven experience in the youth field, provided its involvement does not have a commercial purpose and is not aimed at generating profit.
🌍 Established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme: Applicant organisations must be established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme.
📅 Legally established at least two years before the deadline: Applicant organisations must have been legally established at least two years before the application deadline and have relevant experience implementing activities in the youth field.
🏢 Where to apply: Applications must be submitted to the National Agency of the country where the applicant organisation is established.
⏰ Submission deadline: 29 September at 12:00:00, midday Brussels time.
✅ Erasmus Youth quality standards: Applicants for the Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth must subscribe to the Erasmus Youth quality standards as presented on the Europa website.
In countries where interest for Erasmus accreditations in the field of youth is very high, the National Agency may set a maximum number of accreditations to be awarded, and that decision will be published on the National Agency's website together with the Call. If the National Agency does not set a maximum number of approved accreditations, all applications satisfying the criteria set in the Call will be approved. If the National Agency sets a maximum number of approved accreditations, a ranking list of applications satisfying the minimum award criteria will be established, and accreditations will be awarded starting from the highest scoring application until the maximum number of awarded accreditations has been reached. In case more than one application has the same number of points as the last one to be awarded, the maximum number of awarded accreditations will be increased to include all applications with that number of points. Our guide on which countries can take part lists where an organisation can be established, our guide on what an Organisation ID (OID) is covers the identifier your organisation needs first, and our guide on 2026 EU project deadlines collects the dates in one place.
How are accreditation applications assessed?
The quality of the proposals will be assessed by assigning points out of a total of 100, on the basis of the award criteria and scores. To be considered for award, applications must pass at least 70 out of the total 100 points, and at least half of the maximum points in each of the three award criteria. Applicants must have sufficient operational and financial capacity to implement the proposed activity plan, including at least two years of relevant experience implementing activities in the youth field. Applicants must submit a signed declaration on honour, certifying that they are not in any of the situations referred to in the exclusion criteria, that the submitted application contains original content authored by them and that no other organisations or external individuals have been paid for drafting the application.
🎯 Relevance (maximum 20 points): The relevance of the organisation to the youth field and objectives of the action in terms of the organisation's objectives and principles, target groups, regular activities and experience in the youth field. The proposal is relevant for the respect and promotion of shared EU values, such as respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as well as fighting any sort of discrimination.
🧭 Strategic development (maximum 40 points): The extent to which: the objectives identified are relevant and in line with the objectives of the Action and contribute to the EU Youth Strategy; the planned activities are suitable to address the identified needs and objectives; the planned activities bring a real benefit to the organisation, participants, participating organisations and have a potential broader impact (e.g., on local, regional, national and transnational level); the objectives and planned activities are integrated in the organisation's regular work and activities; the organisation contributes to the Inclusion and Diversity strategy; the organisation embeds in its activities one or more basic principles (environmental sustainability and responsibility, active participation in the network of Erasmus+ organisations, virtual components).
🛠️ Quality of management and coordination (maximum 40 points): The extent to which: the objectives, the activities and targets planned are clear and realistic in relation to the applicant's human resources and internal organisation; the partnership approach is balanced and effective and, where applicable, suitable to bring in new and less experienced organisations; the measures to ensure quality of activities and safety and protection of participants are appropriate; the principle of active youth participation is applied and an involvement of participants in all phases of the activities is planned; the measures to ensure a solid learning dimension are appropriate, including the support to the reflection, identification and documentation of the learning outcomes; the methods of measuring the organisation's progress towards achieving its objectives (monitoring and evaluation) and for risk management are appropriate and effective; the measures aimed at sharing the outcomes of the project within and outside the participating organisations are appropriate and effective.
Our guide on how to write a strong Erasmus+ application goes through what assessors read first, and our guide on inclusion support in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps explains the inclusion side of a strategy.
How long is an Erasmus accreditation valid?
The Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth is awarded for the entire programming period until 2027, subject to regular monitoring and continued compliance with the accreditation's requirements and instructions issued by the National Agency. To ensure realistic planning, the plan of activities submitted as part of the application could cover a period of three to four years and will be updated periodically. In case Erasmus accreditation is required for participation in any action after the end of the 2021-2027 programming period, the National Agency may prolong the accreditation's validity under conditions defined by the European Commission. If an accreditation is not prolonged, implementation of previously awarded projects can continue beyond 31 December 2027 until the end of the relevant grant agreements.
The accreditation can be terminated at any time in case the organisation ceases to exist or by agreement of the National Agency and the accredited organisation. The National Agency may terminate the accreditation unilaterally under the conditions described under 'Reporting, monitoring and quality assurance'. Unilateral termination of the accreditation by the accredited organisation is possible only if during at least three consecutive years the accreditation has not been used to submit applications for accredited mobility projects. The accreditation cannot be transferred between organisations. As an exception, in case of structural changes to an accredited organisation, for example split, merge, change of legal entity, statute or ownership, the National Agency may transfer the accreditation to one successor organisation based on a reasoned request. Our guide on running an Erasmus+ project covers the work that follows an award, and our guide on what happens to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps after the current period looks further ahead.
What do you have to report once you are accredited?
At the end of each grant agreement approved under the Erasmus accreditation in the field of youth, the accredited organisation will submit a final report about the delivered activities and targets, as specified in the applicable grant agreement. At least once during the period of implementation of the accreditation, organisations will be required to report on how they are progressing towards reaching their objectives, to report on how they are ensuring that the Erasmus Youth quality standards are respected, and to update their activity plan. The National Agency may decide to request a progress report on the different elements at the same time, or separately. The National Agency may decide to replace the reporting requirements on objectives and Erasmus Youth quality standards with a monitoring visit.
Based on the accredited organisation's performance resulting from reporting, monitoring and quality assurance checks, or as a result of significant changes in the organisation, the National Agency may change the number and schedule of progress reports. In addition, accredited organisations may voluntarily request to update their accreditation, and based on the organisation's reasoning, the National Agency will decide whether an update is justified and acceptable. The National Agency may organise monitoring visits, formal checks or other activities to track the progress and performance of accredited organisations, assess the respect of the agreed quality standards, and provide support. Formal checks may take the form of desk checks or visits to the organisation and any other premises where activities do take or have taken place. The National Agency may request assistance of National Agencies or external experts in other countries to check and monitor activities taking place there. Following a report or monitoring activity, the National Agency will provide feedback to the accredited organisations, and the National Agency may also provide obligatory or advisory instructions to the accredited organisation on how to improve their performance. Our guide on dissemination and impact in Erasmus+ projects covers sharing results, and our guide on what Youthpass is explains how learning outcomes are documented.
What happens if an accredited organisation underperforms?
In case of newly accredited applicants, high risk organisations, failure to comply with the National Agency's instructions and deadlines, very low performance resulting from reporting, monitoring and quality assurance checks, or violations of the rules of the Programme, including in another action, the National Agency may take remedial measures.
👁️ Observation: The National Agency may limit the level of funding that the accredited organisation can apply for in actions where Erasmus accreditation is a requirement. Newly accredited organisations may be put under observation if risk of low-quality implementation is identified during the operational capacity check.
⛔ Suspension: Suspended organisations may not apply for funding in actions where Erasmus accreditation is a requirement. The National Agency may also terminate some or all ongoing grant agreements awarded under the suspended accreditation.
The observation or suspension period will continue until the National Agency determines that the conditions and quality requirements set in the Call are once again fulfilled, and that the risk of low performance has been addressed by the accredited organisation. Organisations under suspension or observation may not apply for a new accreditation. In case of continued failure to comply with the National Agency's instructions and deadlines, very low performance, or in case of repeated or significant violations of the rules of the Programme, including in another action, the National Agency may terminate the accreditation. The accreditation can also be terminated at any time in case the organisation ceases to exist or by agreement of the National Agency and the accredited organisation. The National Agency or the accredited organisation may unilaterally terminate the accreditation if no applications for funding have been made under that accreditation during at least three consecutive years. Our guide on what National Agencies areexplains the body that takes each of these decisions.
How does an accredited project work?
The duration of an accredited project is between 12 and 24 months. After 12 months, all beneficiaries will have the possibility to prolong their project to a total duration of 24 months. Grant applications go to the National Agency of the country in which the applicant organisation is established. Applicants have to submit their grant applications by 12 February at 12:00:00, midday Brussels time, for projects starting on 1 June of the same year. An accredited organisation can apply only once per call (year) for an accredited project.
The awarded grant amount will depend on the total budget available for allocation to accredited applicants, the requested activities, the minimum and maximum grant, and the allocation criteria. The allocation criteria are financial performance, qualitative performance, policy priorities and thematic areas addressed by the activities applied for, and geographical balance if applied by the National Agency. Detailed rules on basic and maximum grant, scoring of the allocation criteria, weighting of each criterion, the allocation method, and the budget available for accredited projects will be published by the National Agency ahead of the call deadline. Budget allocation rules must respect the principles of fairness, transparency and equal treatment. Indicators and metrics used in budget allocation must be objective, verifiable and their values must be known to the applicants ahead of the call deadline.
Based on the applicable unit contributions and historical data, the National Agency will estimate the budget required to implement the activities requested by each applicant, and applicants cannot be awarded a grant higher than the resulting estimated budget. If an applicant is awarded the full estimated budget required to implement their requested activities, then the activities requested in the application will be included in the project grant agreement as targets for delivery. If the applicant is not awarded the full estimated budget, then the targets for delivery will be adjusted to stay proportional to the awarded grant. The National Agency can make limited modifications to the proportional adjustment to allow for a better fit between the awarded grant and target activities, to ensure coherence with the approved Erasmus Plan, to provide adequate support for priority activities, to maintain at least one participant in each activity type and category requested by the applicant, and to comply with the rules of the call. Budget for the cost categories 'Inclusion support for participants' and 'Exceptional costs' cannot be estimated in the same way as budget for cost categories applying unit contributions, and the National Agency will assess requests for these types of costs separately, based on provided description and justification. During project implementation, beneficiaries can make further requests for these types of costs when needed, and the National Agency will process such additional requests in order of reception, as long as funds remain available. Our guide on how lump sum funding works explains the unit contributions behind these estimates, and our guide on how to find partners for an Erasmus+ project covers building the partnership.
Frequently asked questions
Can an accredited organisation take part in a standard Youth Exchange?
An accredited organisation can take the role of a partner in those projects. Accredited youth organisations are not eligible for funding under the standard Youth Exchanges and Mobility projects for youth workers.
Can an accredited organisation apply more than once per call?
An accredited organisation can apply only once per call (year) for an accredited project.
How new can an organisation be at the application deadline?
Applicant organisations must have been legally established at least two years before the application deadline and have relevant experience implementing activities in the youth field.
Can an accreditation be transferred when an organisation merges?
The accreditation cannot be transferred between organisations. As an exception, in case of structural changes to an accredited organisation, for example split, merge, change of legal entity, statute or ownership, the National Agency may transfer the accreditation to one successor organisation based on a reasoned request.
Is the awarded grant amount guaranteed?
No, the awarded grant amount will depend on the total budget available for allocation to accredited applicants, the requested activities, the minimum and maximum grant, and the allocation criteria. Based on the applicable unit contributions and historical data, the National Agency will estimate the budget required to implement the activities requested by each applicant. Applicants cannot be awarded a grant higher than the resulting estimated budget.
Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or the European Solidarity Corps walks through the application steps.
Where should your organisation start?
Our guide on what Erasmus+ is sets out the wider programme, and our guide on what the ESC Quality Label is describes the parallel recognition in the European Solidarity Corps. The related pages below from Youth Works Hub cover each part of this guide in more detail.
Related pages: what Erasmus+ is · exchanges between groups of young people · mobility of youth workers · what National Agencies are · how to write a strong Erasmus+ application · what the ESC Quality Label is
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/category/erasmus-projects
