Where to look, and what to check, before trusting a host organisation with your students.
Most schools find a KA1 mobility partner through one of three channels: the EPALE partner search platform run by the European Commission, their National Agency's own partner-search database, or a direct recommendation from another school that's already worked with a given host organisation. Word of mouth between Erasmus+ coordinators carries real weight — it's one of the few sources that reflects actual delivery, not just a listing.
A sending school evaluating potential host partners.
Vague answers about which companies students would actually work with, no clear process for monitoring placements once students arrive, or reluctance to share references from other schools are all worth treating as warning signs. A reliable partner should be able to describe, concretely, what a placement in your students' field of study would look like.
A partner physically based in the host city — not managing placements remotely from another country — is generally better positioned to vet companies, respond quickly if something needs adjusting, and support students directly during the mobility. DNA Europe works this way for schools sending students to Lisbon: based locally, coordinating placements, accommodation and support directly on the ground for partner schools in Romania, Italy and Poland.
A deeper look at the evaluation criteria that matter most.
Read more → Erasmus+ PartnershipsApplying this search specifically to Lisbon as a destination.
Read more → Erasmus+ PartnershipsTurning a shortlist into a final decision.
Read more →DNA Europe is a Lisbon-based host organisation for Erasmus+ KA1 VET mobility, coordinating placements, accommodation and documentation for partner schools.
