One date drives almost everything else on your project calendar. Here's what it is, what it means if you're late, and when to actually start planning.
For both short-term projects and Erasmus accreditation, the main KA1 application round closes on 19 February at 12:00 (Brussels time), submitted to your own country's National Agency. Some National Agencies open a second round for short-term projects on 1 October — check with yours to confirm whether a second round is running that year.
Miss the date and there's no partial credit: the portal closes and your project waits for the next round. For a Round 1 short-term project, that typically means mobilities can start between 1 June and 31 December of the same year; a Round 2 project (where offered) covers 1 January to 31 May of the following year.
National Agencies want a credible project, not a placeholder. Budget more lead time than you think.
Define fields of study, likely student numbers and rough dates. Start talking to a host partner — a confirmed hosting capacity makes the application stronger, not just faster.
Draft the application: objectives, impact, quality plan. This is where most of the real work happens — leave time for a second read-through.
Submit before 12:00 Brussels time. National Agency portals do not accept late submissions, so don't plan to finish on the day.
Once results are out, placements, learning agreements and logistics need to be locked in well before the mobility start date.
Not every National Agency runs one, but where it exists, the 1 October date for short-term projects is a real second chance within the same cycle.
The single biggest reason schools miss the window is starting the internal conversation too late. If you're reading this after February, the most useful thing you can do is start now for next year — not in December.
We help schools shape the project early — placements, hosting confirmation and a realistic budget — so the application isn't a scramble in January.