KA210 or KA220: which fits your partnership?
This guide covers applications to a National Agency in school education, vocational education and training (VET), adult education and youth. Sport partnerships, and KA220 applications from European NGOs, go to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) instead (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246). KA220 at National Agencies also covers higher education, which this guide does not cover, and the cap of 10 applications below does not apply to it (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 237–238).
| Item | KA210 Small-scale Partnership | KA220 Cooperation Partnership |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Widen access for small-scale actors, newcomers and less experienced organisations (p. 244) | Raise the quality and relevance of activities, networks and transnational capacity (p. 235) |
| Minimum partnership | 2 organisations from 2 different EU Member States or associated third countries (p. 245) | 3 organisations from 3 different EU Member States or associated third countries (p. 237) |
| Maximum partnership | No maximum (p. 245) | No maximum (p. 237) |
| Partners from non-associated third countries | Not eligible: organisations must be established in an EU Member State or associated third country (p. 245) | Allowed as partners, not applicants, from regions 1 to 3 except Belarus, if they bring essential added value and only on top of the minimum of 3 organisations from 3 EU Member States or associated third countries (p. 237) |
| Applicant's age | The KA210 eligibility criteria set no minimum (pp. 244–246) | Legally established at least 2 years before the deadline (p. 235) |
| Applications per OID per deadline | At most 5, as applicant or partner, all eligible fields together; apply only once as applicant (pp. 244–245) | At most 10, as applicant or partner, school, VET, adult and youth together (p. 237) |
| Same consortium | One application, to one Agency, per deadline (p. 246) | One application, to one Agency, per deadline (p. 238) |
| Duration | 6 to 24 months (p. 246) | 12 to 36 months (p. 238) |
| Deadlines | 2026: 5 March, 12:00 Brussels time, and 1 October, 12:00, if the National Agency opened a second round. Both have passed (p. 246) | 2026: 5 March, 12:00 Brussels time, and 1 October, 12:00, if the National Agency opened a second round. Both have passed (p. 238) |
| Lump sums | €30,000 or €60,000 (p. 249) | €120,000, €250,000 or €400,000 (p. 242) |
| Pass mark | 60 points out of 100, and at least half in each category (pp. 248–249) | 70 points out of 100, and at least half in each category (p. 242) |
| Work plan | List the activities and the share of the grant for each; the information required is "simple" (p. 250) | Work packages: one for management (at most 20% of the budget) and up to 4 implementation packages recommended (p. 243) |
How many partners does each action need?
A KA210 involves at least two organisations from two different EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme (Programme Guide 2026, p. 245). A KA220 involves at least three organisations from three such countries (Programme Guide 2026, p. 237). Neither action has a maximum, and all participating organisations must be identified when you apply (pp. 237, 245).
- In KA220, organisations from third countries not associated to the Programme (regions 1 to 3, except Belarus) can join as partners, never as applicants. Their participation must bring an essential added value, which means something the project needs and could not get otherwise, and they only count on top of the minimum of three organisations from three EU Member States or associated third countries (Programme Guide 2026, p. 237).
- In KA210, every participating organisation must be established in an EU Member State or an associated third country (Programme Guide 2026, p. 245).
- A higher education institution from an EU Member State or associated third country must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) to take part in either action (Programme Guide 2026, p. 236 footnote 240, p. 245 footnote 250).
- Informal groups of young people are not organisations for these actions and cannot take part (Programme Guide 2026, p. 236 footnote 239, p. 245 footnote 249).
KA220 can also involve associated partners. They are not project partners for eligibility, and they receive no funding from the project, but their role must be clearly described (Programme Guide 2026, p. 236).
How many applications can one organisation join per deadline?
Both actions cap the number of applications per organisation, counted by its OID. The caps apply to applications sent to National Agencies in school education, VET, adult education and youth (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 237, 245).
From the Programme Guide
“the same organisation (one OID) cannot be involved in more than 5 applications overall per deadline, either as applicant or partner”
From the Programme Guide
“the same organisation (one OID) cannot be involved in more than 10 applications overall per deadline, either as applicant or partner”
- KA210: the cap of 5 counts all small-scale partnership applications in all eligible fields (Programme Guide 2026, p. 245 footnote 251). An organisation can also apply only once per deadline as the applicant (p. 244).
- KA220: the cap of 10 counts all cooperation partnership applications to National Agencies in these fields together (Programme Guide 2026, p. 237 footnote 241).
- In both actions, the same consortium of partners can submit only one application, to one Agency, per deadline (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246).
How long does each project last, and when are the deadlines?
A KA210 lasts between 6 and 24 months (Programme Guide 2026, p. 246). A KA220 lasts between 12 and 36 months (Programme Guide 2026, p. 238). In both, you choose the duration when you apply (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246).
- Main round: 5 March at 12:00:00 Brussels time, for projects starting between 1 September and 31 December of the same year (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246).
- Possible second round: 1 October at 12:00:00 Brussels time, for projects starting between 1 January and 31 August of the following year, only if the National Agency organises it and announces it on its website (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246).
- For actions managed by National Agencies, the deadline is always 12:00:00 midday Brussels time, whatever the day (Programme Guide 2026, p. 434).
Both 2026 rounds have passed: 5 March, and 1 October where a National Agency opened a second round (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246).
How much funding does KA210 or KA220 give?
Both actions pay a pre-defined lump sum for the whole project. KA210 offers €30,000 or €60,000 (Programme Guide 2026, p. 249). KA220 offers €120,000, €250,000 or €400,000 (Programme Guide 2026, p. 242).
The applicant and the partners choose the amount together, from their estimate of the total cost. Projects are expected to be co-financed with other funding sources, so the Guide says the estimated overall cost "shall be higher" than the lump sum requested (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 242–243 for KA220, pp. 249–250 for KA210).
The full grant is paid when all the activities are completed to the quality described in the application. Activities that are not done, or not done well, can lead to reductions at the final report (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 243, 250).
What do evaluators score about the partners?
Partners count in two places. Under Relevance, in both actions, evaluators look at whether "the profile, experience and activities of the participating organisations are relevant for the field of the application" (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 240, 248). And both actions have a category of its own for the partnership, worth up to 20 points.
| Category | KA210 (pp. 248–249) | KA220 (pp. 240–242) |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | 30 (15) | 25 (13) |
| Quality of the project design and implementation | 30 (15) | 30 (15) |
| Quality of the partnership and the cooperation arrangements | 20 (10) | 20 (10) |
| Impact | 20 (10) | 25 (13) |
| Total needed | 60 out of 100 | 70 out of 100 |
Under the partnership category, evaluators check (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 241–242, 249):
- an appropriate mix of participating organisations in terms of profile (KA220 adds grassroots organisations, past experience in the Programme and expertise);
- the involvement of newcomers and less experienced organisations to the Action;
- an allocation of tasks that shows the commitment and active contribution of all participating organisations;
- effective mechanisms for coordination and communication between the participating organisations (KA220 adds: and with other relevant stakeholders);
- in KA220, whether a partner from a non-associated third country brings an essential added value; if not, that partner is excluded from the proposal at assessment.
From the Programme Guide
“the proposed allocation of tasks demonstrates the commitment and active contribution of all participating organisations”
What is a newcomer or a less experienced organisation?
Both terms come from the glossary, and both are counted per type of action (Programme Guide 2026, p. 447).
From the Programme Guide
“Any participating organisation that has not previously received support in a given type of action supported by this Programme or its predecessor programme either as a coordinator or a partner.”
From the Programme Guide
“Any participating organisation that has not received support in a given type of action supported by this Programme or its predecessor programme more than twice in the last seven years. This category includes the category of “first-time applicants”, as defined above.”
KA210 is designed to reach these organisations and to act as a first step into cooperation at European level (Programme Guide 2026, p. 244). In both actions, involving them is one of the partnership criteria (pp. 241, 249).
What must the application show about the partners?
The applicant fills in the application form for the whole partnership. For applications to National Agencies, applicants show their operational capacity through the information in the form, for example (Programme Guide 2026, p. 424):
- a general presentation of the organisation or organisations;
- the profiles (qualifications and experience) of the staff who will manage and carry out the project;
- a description of the consortium composition, if applicable.
All applicants must provide a declaration on honour that certifies, among other things, their operational capacity (Programme Guide 2026, p. 424). The capacity check can also be extended to the partnership as a whole, because the quality of the work depends on all partners (p. 424). So the coordinator needs accurate information from each partner.
Some extra steps apply to grants over €60,000. In these two actions, that means KA220 only. For actions managed by National Agencies, applicants are recommended to send a list of the participating organisations' publications, if any. They are also recommended to send a full list of past and ongoing projects and activities connected to the policy field or to the action over the past four years, if available and relevant. For grants over €60,000, the Agency can also ask the applicant and the partners for more supporting documents to confirm their operational capacity (Programme Guide 2026, p. 424).
The Commission's page for the 2026 KA220-VET template says the template is for information only and that organisations apply through the application website. See the 2026 KA220-VET template page
Can a partner reuse the same text in several applications?
From the Programme Guide
“All applications for projects and accreditations must contain original content authored by the applicant or partner organisations or consortium members jointly applying for a grant.”
All proposals are screened automatically for double funding and plagiarism. If an application is similar to a project already funded or to be funded, a critical similarities report is generated. Without a justification from the applicant, the proposal may be rejected (Programme Guide 2026, p. 428). Almost identical or similar applications, from the same or different applicants, may all be rejected (p. 428). If the same applicant submits the same application more than once, to the same or different National Agencies, all of those applications are rejected (Programme Guide 2026, p. 427).
When do applicants hear back?
For Key Action 2 projects managed by National Agencies, which include KA210 and KA220, the award decision and the signature of the grant agreement take place about 5 months after the deadline. This timeline is indicative (Programme Guide 2026, p. 435).
Before the award, the Agency still makes legal checks. These include checking the organisation's legal details, its financial capacity and whether any reason to exclude it applies. An invitation to grant preparation is not a formal commitment to fund the project (Programme Guide 2026, p. 435).
Questions and answers
- Can a higher education institution join a KA210?
- Yes, if it is established in an EU Member State or associated third country and holds a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (Programme Guide 2026, p. 245, footnote 250).
- Is there an October round?
- In 2026, only where the National Agency opened one, with a deadline of 1 October at 12:00 Brussels time, announced on its website. That date has passed (Programme Guide 2026, pp. 238, 246).
- Can our organisation be in KA210 and KA220 applications at the same deadline?
- The Guide lets organisations take part in different proposals under the same call (Programme Guide 2026, p. 427). It sets a separate cap for each action: at most 5 KA210 and at most 10 KA220 applications per OID per deadline, and it does not say the two are combined (pp. 237, 245). In KA210, only one of those can be as the applicant (p. 244). Check with your National Agency if you are unsure.
Sources
- Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026, version 1 (12 November 2025)Pages used: 235–250, 424, 427, 428, 434, 435, 447. Opened 2026-10-13.
- 2026 template application form: Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training (KA220-VET)Template page, "for information only". Opened 2026-10-13.
Why we publish this: a PIF only helps you if it is right, and most mistakes come from rules that change.
MyPIF keeps your organisation's PIF, the facts about your organisation, behind one link that always opens the latest version: correct a field once and every coordinator sees it, and export a PDF when you need one. The project text is still written for each application.
MyPIF is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by the European Commission, EACEA or any National Agency.
