This action aims to contribute to the development of sport organisations by supporting the learning mobility of their staff.

The participating organisations should actively promote inclusion and diversity, environmental sustainability, digital education as well as civic engagement and participation through their activities. They should do so by using the specific funding opportunities provided by the Programme for these purposes, by raising awareness among their participants, by sharing best practices, and by choosing appropriate design for their activities.

The general objective of this action is to give the opportunity to staff in sport organisations, primarily in grassroots sport, to improve their competences, qualifications and acquire new skills through learning mobility by spending a period of time abroad, thus contributing to the capacity-building and development of sport organisations.

This action supports the professional development of coaches, and other staff (both paid staff and volunteers) in grassroots sport. Staff in non-grassroots sport, including those engaged in dual sport and non-sport careers, can also enhance the learning impact and knowledge transfer for grassroots sport staff and organisations. Learning mobility opportunities for staff in non-grassroots sport may be supported where the participation of such staff can benefit grassroots sport.

The Action contributes to the objectives of the EU Work Plan for Sport 2024-2027.

Specifically, mobility projects in the field of sport aim to:

• focus on grassroots sport, taking into account the important role that sport play in promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle, interpersonal relations, social inclusion and equality
• develop the European dimension in sport and international cooperation in the field of learning mobility in sport
• build capacity of grassroots organisations
• improve the knowledge and know-how of sport staff
• promote common European values through sport, good governance and integrity in sport, sustainable development, as well as education, training and skills in and through sport
• promote active and environment-friendly lifestyle and active citizenship
• establish European networks of coaches and sport staff

Horizontal priorities

All mobility projects should integrate the following dimensions common to the whole Erasmus+ programme:

Inclusion and Diversity

The Erasmus+ Programme seeks to promote equal opportunities and access, inclusion and fairness across all its actions. Organisations that receive support from the Programme must ensure that they offer mobility opportunities in an inclusive and equitable way, to participants from all backgrounds. Selection of participants should ensure that benefits of their professional development are fully transferable within their sending organisation.

Throughout the preparation, implementation and follow-up of mobility activities, the sending and hosting organisations should involve the participants in key decisions to ensure maximum benefits and impact for each participant.

Environmental Sustainability

A project should promote environmentally sustainable and responsible behaviour among participants, raising the awareness about the importance of acting to reduce or compensate for the environmental footprint of mobility activities. It should be designed and implemented with environmental consciousness, e.g. by integrating sustainable practices, such as opting for reusable or eco-friendly materials, reducing waste and recycling. These principles should be reflected in the preparation and implementation of all Programme activities, especially by using specific funding support provided by the Programme to promote sustainable means of travel.

Digital transition

The Erasmus+ Programme supports all participating organisations in incorporating the use of digital tools and learning methods to complement their physical activities, to improve the cooperation between partner organisations, and to improve the quality of the activities.

Participation in democratic life

The programme aims to help the participants discover the benefits of active citizenship and participation in democratic life. Supported mobility activities should reinforce participatory skills in different spheres of civic society, as well as development of social and intercultural competences, critical thinking and media literacy. Wherever possible, projects should offer opportunities for participation in democratic life, social and civic engagement through formal or non-formal learning activities. They should also improve participants’ understanding of the European Union and the common European values, including respect for democratic principles, human dignity, unity and diversity, intercultural dialogue, as well as European social, cultural and historical heritage.

Setting up a project

The applicant organisation is the key actor in a Key Action 1 project. The applicant drafts and submits the application, signs the grant agreement with the Erasmus+ National Agency, implements the mobility activities, and reports to their Erasmus+ National Agency. Both types of supported activities are outgoing mobility activities. This means that the applicant organisation will act as a sending organisation: it will select participants and send them to a hosting organisation abroad. 

A project can include one or more activities. Activities may be combined, depending on the objectives of the project and the needs of the participating organisation(s) and participants themselves.  

A project consists of four stages: planning, preparation, implementation and follow-up.

• planning (define the needs, objectives, learning outcomes, activity formats, development of a structured work programme, schedule of learning activities, clear methodology, etc.)
• preparation (practical arrangements, selection of participants, linguistic/intercultural/learning- and task-related preparation of participants before departure, virtual preparatory meetings etc.); protection and safety of participants should be properly addressed and all necessary measures to prevent and reduce risks should be foreseen
• implementation of learning activities
• follow-up (evaluation of the activities, identification and documentation of the planned learning outcomes of participants, as well as dissemination and exploitation of the project's outcomes, virtual follow-up meetings)

Activities

The following activities are supported:

• Job shadowing and observation periods (2-14 days)
• Coaching or training assignments (7-45 days)

Job shadowing is when participants can spend a period of time (2-14 days) at a hosting organisation in another country with the aim of learning new practices and gathering new ideas through observation and interaction with peers, coaches, volunteers or other staff members in their daily work at the hosting organisation.

Coaching or training assignments are when participants can spend a period of time (7-45 days) coaching or providing training at a hosting organisation in another country, as a way to learn through completing their tasks and exchanging with peers. It contributes to capacity building of grassroots organisations.

Activities cannot have a profit making purpose.

In addition to physical mobility, all staff mobility activities can be blended with virtual learning activities. The minimum and maximum durations specified above apply to the physical mobility component.

For any activity, additional support can be provided for persons accompanying participants with fewer opportunities. Accompanying persons can be supported for whole or part of the activity’s duration.

Attending courses (paid or unpaid ones) is not an eligible activity for mobility of staff in the field of sport.

Preparatory visits

Preparatory visits aim to ensure high quality activities by facilitating and preparing administrative arrangements, building trust and understanding and setting-up a solid partnership between the organisations and people involved.

Organisations can set up a preparatory visit to their hosting partner before the mobility takes place. Preparatory visits are not a stand-alone activity, but a supporting arrangement for mobility of staff. Each preparatory visit must have a clear reasoning and must serve to improve the scope and quality of mobility activities. For example, preparatory visits can be organised to start working with a new partner organisation, or to prepare longer mobility activities. Preparatory visits can be organised for both types of staff mobility.

Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply?

A participating organisation can be:

• a public or private organisation active in the sport and physical activity field and organising sport and physical activities at grassroots level (eg, non-profit organisation, local public authority, sport club)
• a non-grassroot sport organisation if its staff participation benefits grassroot sports (e.g. international organisation, national sport federation)

Applicant organisations must be established in an EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme.

Where to apply?

Applications are submitted to the National Agency in the country where the applicant organisation is established.

When to apply?

Applicants must submit their grant applications by the following date:

12 February at 12:00:00 (midday Brussels time)

Possible additional round:

National Agencies may decide to open an additional round. National Agencies will inform the applicants about the opening of the additional round through their website.

If an additional round is organised, applicants must submit their applications by 1 October at 12:00:00 (midday Brussels time).

Project start dates

Projects will start between 1 June and 31 December of the same year.

If an optional round is opened, projects will start between 1 January and 31 May of the following year.

How to apply?

Please see part C of this Guide for details on how to apply.

Duration of the project

From 3 to 18 months

Number of applications

An organisation may submit only one application per selection round.

Organisations that receive a grant for a project under the first round of applications may not apply for the second round of the same call for proposals.

Duration of the activities

Job shadowing and observation periods: 2-14 consecutive days (excluding travel days).

Coaching and training assignments: 7-45 consecutive days (excluding travel days).

Eligible participants

• coaches and other sport staff in sports organisations at grassroots’ level
• staff in non-grassroots sport, including those engaged in dual careers and non-sport careers, where the participation of such staff can benefit grassroots sport
• volunteers (other than coaches) in sports organisations

Participants must be working in the sending organisation, or must be regularly working with the sending organisation to help implement the organisation’s core activities.

In all cases, the tasks that link the participant to the sending organisation must be documented in a way that allows the National Agency to verify this link (for example with a work or volunteer contract, task description, or a similar document).

Participants can not engage in mobility activity in a capacity of athletes.

Number of participants

Maximum 10 participants per project.

Participants in preparatory visits and people accompanying participants with fewer opportunities are not counted in this maximum of 10 participants.

Venue of the activities

Activities must take place abroad, in an EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme. Each activity must take place in one country.

Minimum requirements for Preparatory Visits

Venue of the activities

Preparatory Visits take place in the country of the receiving organisation before the start of the activity.

Eligible participants

Representatives of the participating organisations taking part in the main activity. Preparatory visits can be carried out by staff directly involved in the organisation of project or staff participating in mobility.

Award criteria

Submitted applications will be assessed by assigning points out of a total of 100, based on the below criteria and scores. To be considered for award, applications must pass the following thresholds:

• at least 60 out of the total 100 points, and
• at least half of the maximum points in each of the three award criteria below

Relevance and impact (maximum score 30 points)

The extent to which:

• the project proposal is relevant to the grassroots sport
• the project proposal is relevant for
  • the objectives of the action
  • the needs and development of the applicant organisation
  • the needs and development of the participating staff
• the project 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
• the extent to which the project is suitable for:
  • producing high-quality learning outcomes for participating staff
  • reinforcing or transforming the participating organisations’ work practices, increasing its quality, capacities and innovation
  • producing potential impact on participating organisations and staff during and after project lifetime
• the extent to which the project defines concrete learning outcomes
• the extent to which the project introduces newcomers and less experienced organisations to the action

Quality of the project design and implementation (maximum score 40 points)

The extent to which:

• the proposed project objectives address the needs of the applicant organisation and its staff in a clear and concrete way
• the quality of the practical arrangements, management and support modalities
• the project incorporates environmentally sustainable and responsible practices
• the project incorporates the use of digital tools and learning methods to complement their physical mobility activities, and to improve the cooperation with partner organisations
• the extent to which the activities are designed in an accessible and inclusive way and are open to participants with fewer opportunities
• the balanced representation of participants in terms of gender
• for staff from non-grassroot organisations, a clear explanation how participation of such staff will benefit grassroot sport

Quality of follow-up actions (maximum score 30 points)

The extent to which:

• the applicant has proposed concrete and logical steps to integrate the results of mobility activities in the organisation’s regular work
• the applicant has proposed concrete and effective steps to make the results of the project known within the applicant organisation, to share the results with other organisations and the public, and to publicly acknowledge the European Union funding

Funding rules

Budget category: Organisational support

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Costs directly linked to the implementation of mobility activities that are not covered by other cost categories.

For example, preparation, mentoring, monitoring and support of participants during mobility, services, tools and equipment needed for project implementation, virtual components in blended activities, sharing results and making the European Union funding visible to the public.

Organisational support covers the costs incurred by both sending and hosting organisations. The division of the received grant will be agreed between the two organisations.

Financing mechanism: contribution to unit costs.

Rule of allocation: based on the number of participants, excluding accompanying persons.

Amount

350 EUR per participant

Budget category: Travel

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Contribution to travel costs of participants, including accompanying persons, from their place of origin to the venue of the activity and return.

Below 500 km, participant will, as a general rule, travel with low-emissions means of transport.

Financing mechanism: contribution to unit costs.

Rule of allocation: based on the travel distance and number of persons.

The applicant must indicate the distance between the place of origin and the venue of the activity ¹ by using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission.

Amount

Budget category: Individual Support

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Costs of subsistence for participants and accompanying persons during the activity.

If necessary: subsistence costs are eligible for travel time before and after the activity, with a maximum of two travel days for participants and accompanying persons receiving non-green travel grant, and a maximum of six travel days in case of a green travel grant.

Financing mechanism: contribution to unit costs.

Rule of allocation: based on the duration of stay per participant and accompanying person and receiving country²

Amount

• Country group 1: 107 - 191 EUR
• Country group 2: 95 - 169 EUR
• Country group 3: 84 - 148 EUR

The above are base rates per day of activity. Each NA will decide on exact base rates within the allowed ranges.

The base rate is payable up to the 14th day of activity. From the 15th day of activity, the payable rate will be equal to 70% of the base rate. Payable rates will be rounded to the nearest whole Euro.

Budget category: Inclusion Support

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Inclusion support for organisations: Costs related to the organisation of mobility activities for participants with fewer opportunities.

Financing mechanism: contribution to unit costs.

Rule of allocation: based on the number of participants with fewer opportunities, excluding accompanying persons.

Amount

125 EUR per participant

Inclusion support for participants: Additional costs directly linked to participants with fewer opportunities and their accompanying persons (including justified costs related to travel and subsistence if a grant for these participants is not requested through budget categories "Travel" and "Individual support").

Financing mechanism: real costs.

Rule of allocation:  the request must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency.

Amount

100% of eligible costs

Budget category: Preparatory visit support

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Costs linked to the implementation of the preparatory visit including travel and subsistence.

Financing mechanism: contribution to unit costs.

Amount

680 EUR per participant, with a maximum of 2 participants per preparatory visit.

Budget category: Linguistic support

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Costs of providing language learning materials and training to participants who need to improve the knowledge of the language they will use to coach or train during their activity.

Linguistic support is eligible for participants the following types of activities: in job shadowing and observation periods and coaching and training assignments. Support is payable only if the participant cannot receive Online Language Support due to unavailability of the required language or level, or due to particular barriers faced by participants with fewer opportunities.

Financing mechanism: contribution to unit costs.

Rule of allocation: based on the number of participants.

Amount

150 EUR per participant

Budget category: Exceptional costs

Eligible costs and applicable rules

Costs for providing a financial guarantee, if the National Agency asks for it.

Expensive travel costs of participants and their accompanying persons that cannot be supported with the standard “Travel” grant due to geographical remoteness or other barriers. If awarded, the exceptional costs for expensive travel replace the travel support based on unit costs.

Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications.

Financing mechanism: real costs.

Rule of allocation: the request must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency. Expensive travel applies in cases where the travel support based on unit cost does not cover 70% of the travel costs of participants.

Amount

Financial guarantee: 80% of eligible costs

Expensive travel costs: 80% of eligible costs

Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications: 100% of eligible costs

Footnote

1. For example, if a person from Madrid (Spain) is taking part in an activity in Rome (Italy), the applicant will calculate the distance from Madrid to Rome (1365,28 km) and then select the applicable travel distance band (i.e. between 500 and 1999 km). ↩ back

2. Country group 1: Austria, Belgium, France, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden

   Country group 2: Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, , Greece, Latvia, Malta, , Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

   Country group 3: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, , Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia,  North Macedonia, Turkiye

   ↩ back