How to Actually Apply for Erasmus+ KA1 Funding: EU Login, OID and Deadlines Explained

Before a school can apply for KA1 funding at all, someone has to register the organisation and get a number the National Agency will recognise. Here’s what the Programme Guide actually says that involves.

Most of what gets written about Erasmus+ funding focuses on eligibility and budget. Less gets said about the literal mechanics — the accounts you need, the number your school is identified by, and the exact deadline the clock runs out on. This is what the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 specifies for short-term KA1 projects in school education (KA122-SCH).

Step 1: Register your organisation and get an OID

Before applying, the legal representative of your school needs to create an EU Login account, then register the organisation in the Organisation Registration system for Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps. Once that registration is processed, the school receives an Organisation ID (OID) — a unique number used for any grant or accreditation application handled by a National Agency.

This matters because it’s easy to confuse with the PIC (Participant Identification Code) used elsewhere in EU funding: the Guide is explicit that PIC applies only to actions managed directly by the Executive Agency in Brussels. For actions run through National Agencies — which is what school KA1 mobility is — the OID is what you need. Register once: the Guide notes that multiple OID registrations for the same organisation can be treated as misrepresentation under EU financial rules.

Step 2: Know the deadline

For short-term projects for mobility of pupils and staff in school education, the Guide sets a single main deadline that applies to all National Agencies:

• Round 1: 19 February, 12:00 (midday Brussels time)
• Round 2 (optional — opened at each National Agency’s discretion, not guaranteed): 1 October, 12:00 (midday Brussels time)

Round 1 projects can start any time between 1 June and 31 December of the same year; Round 2 projects, if that round is open, between 1 January and 31 May of the following year. Project duration runs from 6 to 18 months. An organisation may submit only one short-term school-education application per selection round — and if you’re awarded a grant in Round 1, the Guide specifies you can’t apply again in Round 2 of the same call.

Step 3: Submit to the right place

Applications go to the National Agency of the country where the applicant organisation is established — not to Brussels. The electronic application form is submitted through the “Opportunities” section of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps website. The Guide is explicit that applications sent by post, courier, fax or email are not accepted.

Since which National Agency handles your application depends entirely on your own country, the official directory covering all Programme Countries is the right place to confirm yours: National Agencies contact directory.

Step 4: What has to go in with the application

Every applicant has to submit a Declaration on Honour — a section of the application form itself, signed by the legal representative, confirming the organisation isn’t in an exclusion situation and has the financial capacity to run the project. As part of the earlier registration step, schools also upload an Identification Form and banking details to the Organisation Registration system.

For grants above €60,000 requested by organisations not otherwise exempt, the National Agency can additionally request financial documents such as a profit and loss account. The Guide notes that public legal entities and education organisations receiving over 50% of their revenue from public sources are generally treated as having the necessary financial capacity without further documentation — which covers most state schools.

If your school applies as part of a consortium, the coordinator submits a single application on behalf of all members. Each member still needs to provide its own Identification Form, but banking details are only required from the coordinator.

Where this fits with everything else

None of this changes what a training week looks like once your staff are here — it’s the administrative layer that has to be in place before that can happen. If you’re earlier in the process, our posts on what the Programme Guide actually asks for and how KA1 funding works cover the parts that come after registration — which type of project fits your school, and what the budget actually pays for.

Once your school’s application is in and a grant is in hand, our upcoming sessions are listed by city and date, and our registration form is short enough to attach directly to an internal file.