TL;DR: Pick the partnership type that suits your organisation and project idea.6 Cooperation Partnerships need at least three organisations, and Small-scale Partnerships need at least two.7
An Erasmus+ international partnership is a formal collaboration between educational organisations from different European countries working together on joint projects funded by the European Union (EU).1 Schools, universities and vocational institutions can all take part.1
Key Action 2 (KA2) of Erasmus+ brings organisations together to create something that did not exist before.3 That is the route this guide follows, in five steps.
Step 1: Pick the Right Partnership Type
KA2 has two actions: KA210 Small-Scale Partnerships (€30K or €60K) and KA220 Cooperation Partnerships (up to €400K).3
Assessment is proportional to the objectives of the cooperation and the nature of the organisations involved.6 Pick the type that best suits your organisation's profile and structure and your project ideas.6
Cooperation Partnerships aim to let organisations increase the quality and relevance of their activities.5 Write down the one change you want your partnership to make.
Step 2: Find Partners for Your International Partnership
Start with organisations you already know and trust. Cooperation Partnerships are also meant to help organisations develop and reinforce their networks of partners.5
If your network has gaps, try a partner-matching platform. On one such platform, you apply to relevant projects with a short message and connect with eligible organisations.11
When the search is done, a shared workspace opens where the partnership fills in the KA210 or KA220 form.11 Writing the form together is a useful early test of how the group works.
Before you commit to any candidate, ask four questions:
- What similar work has your organisation delivered?
- Which audience can you reach that we cannot?
- How many staff hours can you give?
- Which language will you use for day-to-day work?
Step 3: Make Every Partner Count
For KA210 and KA220 projects, your partnership is evaluated as a standalone criterion worth up to 20 points.12
Evaluators assess whether each partner genuinely contributes something the others cannot, so aim for complementary expertise.12 Before you invite anyone, list the skills your project needs.
Missing one skill? Check whether you can buy it in. Subcontracting is typically acceptable for specialised or technical tasks, such as external evaluation, translation and graphic design.4
Plan for results that others can use. Selected projects will be expected to share the results of their activities at local, regional, national and transnational level.5
Step 4: Agree Roles and Budget
Effective partnerships require careful planning, clear communication and mutual understanding of goals.1 Read the Erasmus+ Programme Guide before you draft your budget, because budget and other practical details are published there.7
Agree who writes each section, who handles the money and how often you will speak. Put the answers in writing and share them with the whole group.
Step 5: Launch and Manage the Project
Once your project is funded, a beginner toolkit offers a step-by-step guide to the preparatory work needed to launch a KA2 Partnership for Cooperation project.2 It also covers the compulsory steps after funding and provides instruments to monitor a funded project.2
Name one daily contact at each partner organisation. Set up a shared folder on day one for meeting notes, templates and evidence of your activities.
Mistakes to Avoid
Evaluation reports from the European Commission, the EU's executive body, show that 40% of KA2 applications fail to meet the minimum quality threshold, and weak needs analysis is one of the leading reasons.12
Prove why your project is needed before you describe what you will do. Finding the right partners is one of the essential skills for institutions looking to engage in European educational cooperation.1
Other Routes for Cooperation
Higher education has its own action. Capacity Building projects are based on multilateral partnerships (involving several partners) between organisations active in the higher education field in EU Member States.10
Under that action, the 2026 projects are funded by a budget allocation of €113 million.9
Quick Checklist Before You Submit
- Count your partners against the minimum for your chosen action.
- Give each partner one clear, distinct contribution.
- Name who leads, who manages the money and who talks to whom.
- Find budget and other practical details in the Programme Guide.7
- Plan to share your results at local, regional, national and transnational level.5
When the checklist is ticked, you can sign up to keep your project work in one place.