A lump sum is a grant that will reimburse a fixed amount that is not linked to costs. The fixed amount will be paid out if the project is implemented as set out in the grant agreement. Lump sum grants are simpler to implement than actual cost grants, since they require less administration and no cost reporting. The Handbook on the lump sum funding model is applicable only to actions under Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Partnerships for Cooperation funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme and managed by National Agencies. If there should be inconsistencies between the Handbook and the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, the Erasmus+ Programme Guide would prevail. Our guide on Cooperation Partnerships and our guide on Small-scale Partnerships explain the two project types that use the model.
Last updated: November 2026.
Which fixed amounts can a partnership choose?
Cooperation Partnerships can choose between three pre-defined lump sums (EUR 120 000, EUR 250 000 and EUR 400 000), and Small-scale Partnerships can choose between two pre-defined lump sums (EUR 30 000 and EUR 60 000). Applicants will choose between the pre-defined amounts according to the activities they want to undertake and the results they want to achieve. Our guide on Cooperation Partnerships and our guide on Small-scale Partnerships cover the rest of each format.
How do you choose the right amount?
The choice of the lump sum amount should be based on the applicant's estimate for the overall cost of the project. Based on this estimate, applicants must choose the lump sum amount that best suits their needs while ensuring an efficient use of the funds and the respect of the co-financing principle. The co-financing principle means the estimated overall cost of the project must be higher than the fixed lump sum amount requested. The applicant is not required to demonstrate the amount of co-financing with a detailed project budget. The evaluators must be convinced that the value of the planned activities is higher than the pre-defined EU lump sum. In case of doubts between two amounts, applicants can:
✂️ Reduce the cost: reduce the cost of their project, for instance by finding more cost-effective ways to achieve similar results or by adapting the number or scale of the project activities to the budget.
📈 Increase the scale: increase the scale of their project, for instance by aiming to reach more participants with their activities, increasing the number of activities, or producing additional project results.
Important elements of the quality assessment will be how adequate the number, scope and complexity of the proposed project activities are in relation to the amount requested and the project objectives. If the assessment of the proposal shows that the cost-effectiveness is not adequate, the proposal will not be downgraded or upgraded to a lower or higher lump sum amount, and the proposal will not be selected. The lump sum amount chosen at proposal stage cannot be modified during the project implementation phase. Our guide on how to write a strong Erasmus+ application goes through the award criteria.
How do you describe the project for a lump sum?
In Cooperation Partnerships, applicants describe their project proposal by splitting it into work packages, and a work package is defined as a set of activities contributing to the achievement of specific project objectives. Each project must include a dedicated work package for project management and a number of implementation work packages (a maximum of 4 implementation work packages per project are recommended). A maximum of 20% of the total project budget can be allocated to the project management work package. The higher the amount requested, the more the project methodology will be expected to be detailed and comprehensive.
In Small-scale Partnerships, the level of information required to apply for a grant will be simple. The proposal needs to include project objectives, proposed activities and expected results, which must be coherent and clearly linked to each other. The project proposal must list and describe the planned project activities, and indicate the portion of the grant allocated to each of them. Subcontracting of services is allowed as long as the subcontracting does not cover core activities on which the achievement of the objectives of the action directly depends. Our guide on Small-scale Partnerships explains the simpler format, and our guide on how to run an Erasmus+ project covers project management.
What can a lump sum pay for?
The pre-defined lump sum will be used to cover costs related to the implementation of eligible activities within the scope of Partnerships for Cooperation, such as:
🗂️ Project management: planning, finances, coordination and communication between partners, monitoring and supervision.
🎓 Learning, teaching and training: learning activities, and teaching and training activities.
🗓️ Meetings, events and deliverables: meetings and events, and project deliverables such as publications, materials, documents, tools and products.
📣 Impact and sharing: activities aimed at maximising the impact of project results, and activities aimed at sharing project results.
Typical costs linked to project activities can include travel and subsistence, equipment, costs for publication and editing of materials, IT development (such as creating a website), staff and human resources costs. If an application presents activities that are considered not relevant to achieving the objectives of the programme or are disproportionate in terms of costs, the project might be scored low during the selection phase or rejected. Our guide on how to run an Erasmus+ project covers the work that follows an award.
Can you change the plan after approval?
Yes: once a grant is awarded, beneficiaries (applicants whose grant agreement has been signed by both parties) have flexibility in the management of the lump sum as long as the activities are implemented as planned in the proposal and the expected results remain the same. If the beneficiaries would like to formalise a change in the breakdown of the lump sum shares, the change will require an amendment. If the beneficiary has to implement significant content changes in the project, the beneficiary needs to request an amendment of the grant agreement. Changes to planned activities through an amendment are possible on the condition that the changed activities are content equivalent and budget equivalent. The beneficiary can introduce changes to work packages or activities only if the work package or activity is not already completed. As specific cases can be very different from each other, it is recommended to always consult the National Agency to prevent the changes being rejected as ineligible. Our guide on National Agencies explains the role of the National Agency.
When is the full grant paid, and when is it cut?
The condition for the full payment of the grant is the completion of all the activities in line with the quality criteria described in the project application. In case one or more activities are not completed, partially completed or assessed as unsatisfactory in the quality assessment, appropriate reductions of the grant amount may be applied at final report stage. Reductions in cases of poor, partial or late implementation may be applied by not accepting single work packages or activities, or by reducing the overall amount by a flat-rate percentage. At the final report stage, ineligibility of activities or work packages will lead to rejection of the claimed amounts, while poor, partial or late implementation will lead to a grant reduction.
In Small-scale Partnerships, if the project score is below the threshold for poor, partial or late implementation defined in the grant agreement, the National Agency may apply a grant reduction calculated on the total amount of the grant according to the following scale:
🟢 Project score 60 to 100: 100% of the grant paid.
🟡 Project score 45 to 59: 90% of the grant paid.
🟠 Project score 30 to 44: 70% of the grant paid.
🔴 Project score 10 to 29: 30% of the grant paid.
⚫ Project score 0 to 9: 0% of the grant paid.
In Cooperation Partnerships, if the overall score of the project is below the threshold for poor, partial or late implementation defined in the grant agreement, the National Agency may apply a grant reduction calculated on the total grant amount of the project according to the following scale:
🟢 Project score 70 to 100: 100% of the grant paid.
🟡 Project score 55 to 69: 90% of the grant paid.
🟠 Project score 40 to 54: 60% of the grant paid.
🔴 Project score 10 to 39: 30% of the grant paid.
⚫ Project score 0 to 9: 0% of the grant paid.
In Cooperation Partnerships, if the overall project score is below 70 points, the budget reduction should be applied at the level of the overall project budget; if the overall project score is above 70 points, the budget reduction can only be applied at the level of individual work packages. Reductions can never be applied at both levels for the same project. In exceptional cases where a project activity cannot be carried out and the activity is not replaced by another equivalent activity in terms of both its contribution to the objectives and its budget, the National Agency shall reduce the grant by rejecting the amount allocated to that activity in the project proposal. The grant can also be reduced if the beneficiary commits substantial errors, irregularities or fraud or serious breach of other obligations. Our guide on how to run an Erasmus+ project covers final reports and payments.
Do you need receipts or invoices?
No: proof of incurred expenses is not required at final report stage. The beneficiary has to keep all relevant documentation to demonstrate that the activities for which the grant was awarded have actually been carried out. The National Agency may require the documentation when conducting a check during project implementation or after the completion of the project. A monitoring exercise is not an audit, and no financial documents will be checked by the National Agency. No financial checks of actual costs or spent resources will be performed during final report check or other checks and audits. The National Agency and other auditors may request to view the beneficiary's financial records or similar documentation as part of checking the reality of project implementation, fraud investigation, or similar procedures.
Documents proving the reality of project implementation can be recordings and analyses of impact indicators, meeting agendas and attendance lists, training materials, publications and other tangible project results, photos and videos taken during an event, recordings of online events and meetings. The European Commission, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), National Agencies and/or the European Court of Auditors, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) or a body mandated by them may check the use made of the grant at any time up to five years, or for up to three years for grants not exceeding EUR 60 000, after final payment. Beneficiaries must keep records, original supporting documents, statistical records and other documents connected with the grant during that period. In the context of a specific exercise for periodical revision of the system of lump sums, auditors can request documentation proving the real costs incurred for some of the project activities. Any findings reported in such audits (except for cases of fraud) will only have the purpose to assess the effectiveness of the funding model, without financial consequences for the beneficiary. Our guide on how to run an Erasmus+ project covers checks and audits.
Frequently asked questions
Can we pick an amount between the fixed ones?
No: the lump sum amounts are pre-defined, and applicants will choose between the pre-defined amounts. Our guide on Cooperation Partnerships and our guide on Small-scale Partnerships cover the rest of each format.
Can a lump sum be increased later?
No: the lump sum amount chosen at proposal stage cannot be modified during the project implementation phase. The grant amount in the agreement is a maximum which cannot be increased, even if the beneficiary requests a higher amount. Our guide on how to run an Erasmus+ project covers the work that follows an award.
Do we return money we did not spend?
No: if the project is fully implemented but has funds remaining after project end, the beneficiary will not be required to return the unspent funds, as long as all the approved work packages are completed and the results are achieved. Our guide on how to run an Erasmus+ project covers final reports and payments.
Can the grant be cut because costs were lower than the lump sum?
No: grant reduction cannot take place solely based on a reconciliation of exact costs of implementation with the granted lump sum. A grant reduction may be based on identified irregularities, fraud, or breach of other obligations under the grant agreement. Our guide on how to write a strong Erasmus+ application covers the assessment of the amount.
What matters most under a lump sum?
The condition for the full payment of the grant is the completion of all the activities in line with the quality criteria described in the project application. Organisations can open a page on Youth Works Hub to publish opportunities and posts. Youth Works Hub checks what organisations publish from their own pages, but the content organisations share from their own profiles is entirely the responsibility of those organisations. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: Cooperation Partnerships · Small-scale Partnerships · how to run an Erasmus+ project · how to write a strong Erasmus+ application · National Agencies explained
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
