“Erasmus+ Project Writing: A Guide For Beginners,” titled article, will provide you what you need to do to write an Erasmus+ project in a step-by-step approach. Before reading this article, we suggest you browse through the Ad Scenario, the EU Youth Website, and Effective Promotional Strategies articles for writing projects and the preparations you need to make if you are new. Writing an Erasmus + Project is not that difficult. When you learn, you will understand better that it is not what you feared.

Content

First Steps

Playing list 1. Set up informal youth group 2, 3 and 4 – To have an ECAS account 5 – PIF 6 – Tools 7 – Salto-Youth 8 – Why set up an informal youth group

Time needed: 3 hours.

Things to do above all

  1. NO organization

    In this case, you need to set up an informal youth group to apply for a grant. It is pretty easy to do with the opportunities the EU provides for young people.
    Firstly, you can skip this step by setting a name for your group. You will not be asked for formalities. Thanks to the EU!

  2. NO ECAS account

    Secondly, we will get an ECAS account in the name of your organization. Thus, you can both propose projects and become partners in other’s people’s projects.

  3. Upload ECAS documents

    The documents are as follows; Identity, Legal Entity, Financial Identification.

  4. Upload your balance sheet to ECAS

    If you have an organization, you should do it.

  5. Partner Identification Form – PIF

    If you make this mandatory document available online as we do (https://learningforyouth.com/#PIF), you avoid unnecessary e-mails messing around. Before writing it, be sure to read the Effective Promotion article we have given above to craft a better PIF. Experts determine whether the partner is suitable for that project according to the PIFs applied while evaluating the project.

  6. Useful Tools

    Watch episode 6 of the video above. Some of the tools are a must; Canva.com. Grammarly.com.

  7. Networking activities

    So far, so good. Meanwhile, let us do some networking activities. Please, read the article here on how to do it. It is essential for your success.

  8. Why set up an informal youth group

    An international network, spiritual satisfaction, developing essential skills, solving local problems, making money, and most importantly, being a changemaker.

Erasmus+ Project Writing: Preparations

After taking the first steps above, we can move on to the preparation phase. When you decide your project’s name, activity days, and the partnership structure, prepare a poster in Canva and announce it on Otlas and EU Facebook groups. Due to the slow behavior of partners, you need to do it at the beginning. The partners will send you their PIFs. It takes time, too.

In the meantime, start preparing for project writing:
– Firstly, you need to identify the main problem you want to solve and prepare the Problem Tree.
– Secondly, you will create the Solution Tree from the Problem Tree.
– Thirdly, after doing the Strategy Analysis and Stakeholder Analysis, you will obtain the project structure by determining your project’s objectives, activities, and expected results.
– Then, when you will have Impact & Results, Success Indicators & Verification resources. They will help you to get the grant.
– Lastly, you need to prepare Activity Program into an Excel file.

Sign up for our course to better understand all of this! – Erasmus+ Grant Writing – A Complete Course for beginners

Proposing

You will fill in the questions of; the project’s context, participating organizations, project description, preparation, activities, follow-up, project summary, and annexes into the form. Thanks to previous studies during the preparation phase, we had already done most of the work. Now, it is time to put them together and present them. There is detailed information on how to fill out the application form in the course above.

Erasmus+ Project Writing: Implementation

Once you get the grant, you need to find the participants, trainers, facilitators and prepare your legal agreements with the organizations/participants/service providers you deal with. It is necessary to give you some information about the problems you will experience. It is nice to inform you of what will happen next during the implementation phase. This time, let’s use the name Frequently Encountered Problems (FEP) instead of FAQ. By facing these problems and finding solutions will give you valuable skills necessary for the labor market. Please don’t be sad when you encounter it! Everything is an experience. Let’s see what these issues are? 🙂

Frequently Encountered Problems (FEP)

Although everyone’s problems will differ, we have compiled similar situations experienced by our friends and us around. Sometimes surprises may occur! Therefore, for all probable issues, our suggestion is to sign legal agreements with partners, participants, service providers, educators!

Issues with the service providers

You will have a participant group of 35 – 40 young people (or youth workers) from different countries. It is your responsibility to ensure their comfort. Such as, they are hosted in acceptable conditions and provide them good food and activity place. Therefore, make sure to prepare a legal agreement that may have legal consequences. This agreement includes financial sanctions about the risk that the service provider will not prepare your place on the specified date.

For instance, sometimes, the providers may not fulfill their promises. By considering these situations, consulting a lawyer friend, make a legal agreement. This agreement must include information such as the name of the project, reference number, participating organizations, mobility date, and the number of participants. Accommodation and food are essential expense items. After your project receives a national agency grant, you will receive a VAT exemption certificate. And have the right to get an invoice without paying VAT. It saves a lot of money. Make sure to include it in the final agreement by dealing with a price including VAT first. And then mention the situation.

Issues with the partners

Partners may not find participants, particularly in Germany, Netherlands, and some other countries. Moreover, they are providing young people with many opportunities. Therefore, the interest in Erasmus+ projects is not as much as in other countries. Shortly speaking, while choosing the organization, make sure that they will guarantee the participants. If you do the project with the missing participants, the money you receive will be deducted from the grant you received. Also, ensure to make internal agreements with partners. Thus, you will not suffer a significant financial loss. It is not few euros. You will not be happy with the cut 🙂

Another most common problem is that the partners keep their flight tickets until the last minute. Even though they find the participants already, the cheaper the ticket means, the more money you will have from the transportation budget that will be your profit. Best of all, once you find the participants, get in touch with them directly and encourage them to buy their tickets earlier and more conveniently. Our experiences are that you choose partners on advice. Get advice from your friends who are doing projects. When you have a partner that you are happy with, do not let them go. Invite them to your other projects. Of course, they should invite you to their projects. Mutual partnership. It is the best.

Issues with the participants

Participants are required to participate in all activities. You should know that Erasmus + projects are not a touristic trip. It is a waste of EU money if your participant does not learn from your project. Please do not allow it to happen. Projects are not a touristic activity for free. The EU against it. It is wasting of the EU money. And wasting of your time. Isn’t it selfish? Or annoying for you? When it happened to us, we got angry.

Moreover, when there are young people who attend to learn and are seriously interested in the project. It is a usurping of their right. We strongly recommend that you make a participant agreement too. Also, make clear that it is not possible to arrive late and go early. Because you will lose 32 Euros for Youth Exchange per participant for each day of absence, 54 Euros for youth workers’ mobility. In line with EU values, participants should know that they cannot discriminate against anyone during your project, nor can they make hate speech because of their ethnic origin, color, gender, sexual orientation. These grants are given to you for your commitment to the projects in line with EU values. It is a moral obligation to keep your word. Keep your promises.

One last issue is to require insurance for foreign participants. The EU’s ask for it too. If you want, you can provide the insurance expense of up to 10 Euros. Or the participants pay it. In case of any accident or illness, a young person with a limited budget cannot afford it. And it is a headache for you still. The best thing you can do is pay that money and stay comfortable during the project.

Erasmus+ Project Writing: Issues with the educators

Ensure you have a backup instructor, especially if you are doing projects on topics that require a lot of expertise. It will be a complete disgrace if you do not have an educator. Everyone is on the project, but there are no educators. If you learn the subject of the project to facilitate is the best option as a spare one. You or someone on your team can replace the missing one. Make sure to sign a legal agreement with the trainers and bring criminal obligations to avoid such a situation.

Problems caused by the habits of some youth organizations

NEVER give any money to anyone to participate in an Erasmus + project. Also, never ask for money from your participants too. Do not neglect to include this clause in your agreement with partners. The main reason for the projects is to provide experiences to young people with fewer opportunities. Excluding them is not fair. Having them is crucial for the EU too. And, fair!

Those who write exciting topics such as “How to travel abroad for free” presenting the EU’s opportunities to young people as a touristic trip. It creates problems for organizations working according to EU criteria. Young people who attend the projects, thinking that he/she will have a free touristic trip. It is trouble for the coordinator. If they have read the Program Guide, they will know that it has been stated explicitly that this is not possible. Isn’t it easy to do?

Of course, an immense responsibility in these two issues is the youth workers who should protect their sector.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is not possible to make everyone happy. Focus on choosing the young people who are serious about learning from your project. You do not need to be sensitive to those who take someone else’s rights by using your organization for their benefit. You are accountable for spending the budget for the right people. We hope you will not be afraid of Erasmus+ project writing after the information you have from this article. It is easy when you know what to do.

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Pic: Pixebay – Geralt