The project beneficiaries of Erasmus+ can now benefit from a step-by-step guide accompanying them in their “communication journey”, from their planning phase until evaluation of their communication activities’ impact.

These guidelines aim to encourage programmes’ beneficiaries to share their stories and project results with their local communities, stakeholders and EU Institutions and give access to a wide range of tools and resources to maximise project’s promotion.

Communication Guidelines For Projects’ Beneficiaries

This guide aims to support beneficiaries of Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps and Creative Europe programmes in their communication activities.

These communication guidelines consist of five sections organised in chronological steps. Each step is explained according to the “what, why, how” methodology, which aims to show all the details of the actions you will perform.

Never Start Without Planning

EU-funded projects may have a long-term cycle, made up of different stages and different partners involved. That’s why it is important to plan your communication activities and agree upon tasks accordingly.

Create Your Visual Identity

A visual identity includes all visual elements (i.e.: logo, font, images) that can be associated with your project. It reflects your communication strategy, the context of the Programme and underpins all your communication activities.

Write Your Project’s Stories From The Beginning

Document your journey and turn your destination into a compelling read! Let your target audience know what you are up to: from your project goals and partners’ roles to activities or outputs, your project stories can inspire the public, policymakers and organisations that are active in your field.

Share Your Project Results

Communication goes beyond the activity itself, like writing news about your project or a post on social media. Communication happens when you effectively reach your target audiences and manage to engage with them. To do so, it is essential to share your stories and results through the right channels. This step is a key moment of your #CommsJourney and show how your project can make a difference!

Don’t Forget Evaluation

Evaluating your communication activities and understanding how effective they are is the last step of successful strategic communication

Download the Guidelines for your EU Projects Communications.

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Project Results: “Inner Bridge: From Self Awareness To Self Expression”

The Meaning of Solidarity in European Projects

L'articolo Communication Guidelines For Project Beneficiaries proviene da Youth Networks.

The Framework

Inclusion and diversity are part of the core values of the European Union. Diversity is indeed what features the European society, besides representing at the same time its strength. Taking that into consideration, the context is a good starting point to enhance cohesion and inclusiveness.

EU Programmes and Inclusion&Diversity

The European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus Plus are therefore key programmes to pursue the need of cohesion and inclusiveness. For this reason, the EU Programmes should provide opportunities that are accessible to all. The evidence tells that there are in fact many young people facing barriers when it comes to opportunities. Those are the people having fewer opportunities in education, training and youth work. People then to address by policy initiatives.

Inclusiveness is not new to the Erasmus Plus programme. But the way further is way still far to reach actual and effective inclusiveness, as evaluation and research point out.

The new Erasmus Plus Programme 2021 includes a chapter on inclusion, among other elements. It therefore requests the European Commission to establish a framework for inclusion measures outlining the main areas of work for the next seven years in this regard.

Recommendations

• Target groups: the main target groups of the Inclusion and Diversity strategy are people with fewer opportunities in life, which put them at a situation of disadvantage in comparison with their peers. This refers to both participating in the programmes and in education and training systems.

The exclusion factors that determine the situation of disadvantage may be one of the following:

• disabilities,
• health problems,
• cultural differences,
• social barriers,
• economic barriers,
• barrier linked to discrimination,
• geographical barriers.

• Inclusion and Diversity as priorities in the assessment process: inclusion and diversity are part of the criteria to select applications for funding and to allocate financial support. Quality projects that actively address inclusion and diversity and that involve participants with fewer opportunities, newcomer and grass-root organisations should get priority in the grant awarding process.
• Preparatory visits: when participants with fewer opportunities are part of mobility activities, the organisers should carry out planning visits to the hosting organisations, together with these participants, if relevant.
• Reinforcement in Mentorship: when dealing with people with fewer opportunities, it is important to keep particular attention to the mentorship process to support them.
• Dedicated financial support: the Erasmus Plus and ESC Programmes offer an additional financial support when including people with fewer opportunities.

• Smaller, easier-to-access actions: the Programmes provide smaller and more flexible grant amounts, simpler administrative and reporting requirements, as well as shorter project duration for organisations with smaller administrative capacity. This is the case of organisations supporting people with fewer opportunities.
• Step-by-step capacity building pathways
• Mobility duration: short-term and small-scale mobility can be a first experience for individuals with fewer opportunities who, due to their circumstances, cannot take part in or do not feel it for a standard mobility duration.
• Local European activities
• Online exchanges
• Language learning support

The full text of the Guidelines is available online in English.

Considering the above, applicant organisations should address inclusion and diversity in their projects.
They play indeed a key role in making inclusion real, especially in terms of organisational development (capacity building), and of outreach to and interaction with participants before, during and after the project.

Read also

Case Study: Youth Education in Post-COVID EU

New Features of European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027

L'articolo European Solidarity Corps (ESC): Inclusion and Diversity Strategy proviene da Youth Networks.

In these challenging times for the associations that work in the field of international mobility, a big effort is given to deal with what concerns Covid-19 and Erasmus+ Projects regulations. Therefore, the European Commission defined how to implement the approved projects adapting to the exceptional situation due to Covid-19.

In the note of June the 12th, addressed to all national agencies, the European Commission – Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture shared new guidelines on how to implement virtual and mixed mobility in the projects approved under Erasmus+ Youth in Action in the years 2017-2018-2019 and 2020. For instance, you will find how to manage organisational support, special needs and exceptional costs.

To have more details you can consult the following special addendum to the already existing Erasmus+ Programme Guide
Addendum Covid19_KA1
AddendumCovid19_KA2
AddendumCovid19_KA3

This way, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the directorate found solutions to deal with Covid-19 and Erasmus+ Projects. Most importantly, there is the possibility to request a change in the start and end date of the project period. Moreover, beneficiaries can carry out all or part of the activities in virtual or mixed mode.

Related Articles:
Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange – Live your intercultural learning experience from home!
Q&A concerning Erasmus+ and ESC activities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

L'articolo How to Deal with Covid-19 and Erasmus+ Projects proviene da Youth Networks.

The note responds to the numerous questions received by the Commission from all the National Agencies in reference to two main points:

• Practical aspects related to the application of the force majeure clause
• Possibility to extend the duration of the grant

APPLICATION OF THE FORCE MAJEURE CLAUSE

The definition of force majeure situation is as follows:

“Force majeure: any unforeseeable, exceptional situation or event beyond the control of the parties that prevents either of them from fulfilling any of their obligations under the Agreement, which is not attributable to error or negligence on their part or on the part of the subcontractors affiliated entities or third parties in receipt of financial support and which proves to be inevitable despite their exercising due diligence. The following cannot be invoked as force majeure: labor disputes, strikes, financial difficulties or any default of a service, defect in equipment or materials or delays in making them available, unless they stem directly from a relevant case of force majeure “.

It is up to the National Agencies to evaluate the situations in which the beneficiary is unable to fulfill their obligations under the agreement.

What about the costs incurred (including any additional costs)?

The National Agencies can accept additional costs of an extraordinary nature not foreseen in the initial project budget, where duly justified (for example, it was not possible to recover the cost under an insurance scheme, the event that generated the cost cannot be reprogrammed, etc.) and reported on the basis of real costs. To this end, beneficiaries will have to produce a signed declaration stating that costs cannot be recovered in other ways.

National Agencies will send detailed information to beneficiaries for reporting purposes.

Under no circumstances can an increase in the total funding be granted.

WILL IT BE POSSIBLE TO EXTEND THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT?

Where relevant, the National Agencies may decide to authorize beneficiaries to extend the duration of their projects to allow postponement of activities with up to 12 months per project.

In all Key Actions the maximum duration may not, in any case, exceed 36 months in total.

More details on the individual measures of the Program will be sent to the individual beneficiaries for reporting purposes.

L'articolo Official guidelines about Coronavirus for Erasmus+ National Agencies proviene da Youth Networks.

This guide provides participating organisations and individuals a comprehensive list of opportunities supported by the programme. No matter if you are an association thinking of developing projects, or an individual who would like to know more regarding this field, this guide is essential for understanding Erasmus+.

For most Actions, all the rules and conditions for receiving a grant from the Programme are specified in this Programme Guide. For some other Actions, which are only mentioned in this Programme Guide, stay tuned! In Youthnetworks we will post specific calls for proposals published by or on behalf of the European Commission, and the rules and conditions for receiving a grant.

Even if the core of the guide remains similar to 2019’s one, we recommend you to check details and potential changes before subbmitting your project!

If you want to know more, you can now download the 2020 guide HERE!

L'articolo New Erasmus+ Programme Guide! proviene da Youth Networks.