Ukrainian participants in Erasmus+: what is open

The commonest mistake in conversations about Erasmus+ is to carry over the logic of Horizon Europe. In Horizon Europe Ukraine is an associated country with access on a par with member states. In Erasmus+ the status is different: a third country not associated to the Programme, region 2 "Neighbourhood East".

What that means in practice

A Ukrainian institution applies in its own right in the centralised actions run by the EACEA: CBHE, Jean Monnet, Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters.

A Ukrainian institution takes part as a partner in decentralised actions run by a National Agency of a programme country: KA171 mobility and KA2 partnerships.

The difference is not formal: in the first case the money and the responsibility for the project are yours, in the second they belong to the European applicant.

A National Office, not a National Agency

Ukraine has a National Erasmus+ Office. It is an advisory body: it helps prepare applications, explains the conditions, collects participation statistics. It does not distribute grants and does not receive applications, unlike the National Agencies of programme countries.

Where an inexperienced institution should start

A realistic sequence looks like this. First grant: Jean Monnet – one institution, no consortium, a few weeks of preparation. Then partner participation in KA171 or a KA2 partnership, to build experience of working inside a European consortium. Only then CBHE, where the institution is expected to be capable of driving institutional change.

Starting straight at CBHE with no prior EU project is technically possible, but that is exactly the case Strand 1, the less demanding strand, exists for.