Version 2: Published 15 August 2014

Key Action 1 Erasmus+

Handbook

Operational Handbook for UK Higher

Education Institutions and Consortia Managing

Higher Education Mobility

British Council

2014

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Table of contents

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2

General ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Student mobility - study periods ...................................................................................................... 18

Student mobility - traineeships ........................................................................................................ 28

Staff mobility - teaching ................................................................................................................... 32

Staff mobility - training .................................................................................................................... 36

Financial control, audit and monitoring ............................................................................................ 40

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Introduction

Erasmus+ is the European Union’s (EU) funding programme for education and training, youth and

sport. The overall programme objectives are to:

Boost skills and employability

Modernise education, training and youth work

Improve opportunities for young people.

The UK National Agency (NA) for Erasmus+ is a partnership between the British Council and

Ecorys UK. Each organisation manages a different part of the programme, with the British Council

responsible for schools and higher education, Ecorys UK responsible for adult education and

vocational education and training, and both organisations managing different aspects of youth

funding.

This handbook has been produced by the British Council for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

managing Erasmus+ projects funded under the 2014 Call for Key Action 1: Learning Mobility of

Individuals.

This handbook should be read in conjunction with the full Grant Agreement between the HEI

and the NA and with the Erasmus+ Programme Guide. Where the contents of the Programme

Guide or the handbook differ from the Grant Agreement, the Grant Agreement will prevail.

The 2014 Programme Guide can be downloaded from the UK website at

www.erasmusplus.org.uk/sites/default/files/erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf.

HEIs must read their grant agreements and all annexes thoroughly before reading this

handbook.

Structure of the Handbook

The first section of this handbook covers general points, while later sections cover Key Action (KA)

103 Higher Education (HE) mobility activities, which are:

Student mobility for studies

Student mobility for traineeships

Teaching assignments including invited staff from organisations other than HEIs

Staff mobility for training

Organisational support (OS).

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General

Eligibility

Eligibility of Higher Education Institutions - Erasmus Charter for Higher Education

An HEI involved in any action of Erasmus+ must have an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education

(ECHE), which confirms the HEI’s status and consequent eligibility for participation; see

http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/higher-education/quality-framework_en.htm

The ECHE describes:

The HEI’s context

The HEI’s strategy for internationalisation and how participation in Erasmus+ will contribute

to this

How the HEI will support students before, during and after mobility

The outcomes expected of co-operation projects.

Adherence to the undertakings in the ECHE will be monitored by the National Agency and other

bodies, for example, during visits and formal audits. If monitoring reveals weaknesses, the HEI will

establish and implement an action plan within a timeframe specified by the NA or the European

Commission (EC). If remedial action has not been taken as agreed, the NA may recommend that

the EC suspends or withdraws the ECHE.

Higher Education Institutions and Mobility Consortia

An Erasmus+ National Mobility Consortium may consist of HEIs and partners from other sectors.

To be eligible to manage Erasmus+ mobility, a consortium must have accreditation.

The consortium can apply for accreditation at the same time as applying for a mobility grant under

KA1. The application for accreditation must be approved before the mobility application is assessed.

Please see the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for more information on Mobility Consortia.

The consortium applies for funding for KA1 activity by the same process as an individual HEI.

Mergers and Splits

If an HEI holding an EHCE, or any member of an accredited consortium, is involved in a merger or

split, or if their name changes, they should inform the NA as soon as details are known, specifying

the type of merger, split or new name.

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Countries

In 2014/15 the following programme countries are eligible for participation in Erasmus+:

EU Member States1: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,

Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,

Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,

Sweden, United Kingdom. This includes Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French

Guiana, Réunion, Azores, Madeira

EFTA EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway

Candidate countries: Turkey, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Switzerland is not an eligible Programme Country at the time of writing.

Countries and territories not listed are not eligible for mobility to or from the UK under the first

Erasmus+ call, January 2014.

No overseas campuses of UK universities are eligible. Campuses of European universities situated

in countries not listed are not eligible at the time of writing.

Invited staff from an organisation outside HE may travel to the UK and its overseas territories to

deliver teaching and training, and will be managed by the host UK HEI. Please contact the NA if in

doubt about eligibility of staff from organisations outside HE.

Partner countries

Student and staff mobility in higher education will be possible with partner countries from the rest of

the world from 2015/16. Partner country hosts do not need to hold an ECHE, so the principles of the

ECHE are incorporated into the inter-institutional agreement. By signing the international inter-

institutional agreement, partner countries commit themselves to respecting the principles. A

template Inter-institutional agreement can be downloaded from the UK NA website

www.erasmusplus.org.uk and more information can be found on the EC’s website

http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/higher-education/quality-framework_en.htm#inter-

institutional_agreements.

Grant awards

Erasmus+ grant awards are paid in euros and formalised through a Grant Agreement signed by the

head of the sending HEI or consortium, or a staff member with appropriate delegated authority, and

the British Council in its capacity as partner in the Erasmus+ NA. The Grant Agreement details the

payment arrangements as well as the bank account or sub account to which funds will be

transferred. Grant recipients may not benefit from any other EC funding for the same activity, even if

this is across years.

1 Plus overseas countries and territories: Greenland, New Caledonia and Dependencies, French Polynesia,

French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Mayotte, St Pierre and Miquelon, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles.

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The grant is intended to co-finance mobility activity. Under no circumstances may the grant give rise

to a profit during the period of the Grant Agreement.

In accordance with EU Regulations HEIs must return signed Grant Agreements by the dates

specified. These will vary according to the Action. Failure to return signed Agreements on

time may result in funds not being awarded for that year.

HEIs must follow their own guidelines on obtaining best value for money when purchasing goods or

services in relation to all Erasmus+ mobility activities.

The general conditions set out the arrangements and time limits for modification, suspension and

termination of the Grant Agreement. HEIs which fail to meet their obligations may have their

Agreements cancelled and/or be subject to financial penalties.

Amendments to Agreements take the form of a letter from the NA or a written amendment signed by

both parties. Amendments or additional contracts will not make changes which call into question the

decision to award the grant or be contrary to the equal treatment of applicants.

HEIs must submit on-line applications by the published deadline. Failure to do so will result

in funds not being awarded for that year.

Please note that if information contained in this handbook differs from that in the Grant Agreement,

the text of the Grant Agreement will prevail.

Appeals

An appeal is defined as a request for a review of a decision taken by the National Agency that the

HEI feels is incorrect or unfair and would like the NA to reconsider. To this end, there is an appeals

procedure for Erasmus+ applicants and beneficiaries to provide a means of redress. An HEI may

only appeal if they believe the UK NA has not followed the correct procedures set out in the relevant

EC Call for Proposals or in other published guidance.

Appeals may be considered in relation to the grant where, for example, the HEI believes the final

grant amount may have been calculated incorrectly. Please note that the NA can only reconsider

decisions regarding the grant in the event of an administrative error or where the special conditions

and annexes of the grant agreement have not been adhered to.

Appeals may be made in writing by downloading and completing the Erasmus+ appeals form

www.erasmusplus.org.uk/contact-us/how-to-make-an-appeal. The form should then be emailed to

the British Council, within the following timescales:

For appeals relating to an Erasmus+ application being rejected on the grounds that it is

ineligible – within 10 calendar days of the decision being communicated to the HEI.

For appeals relating to any other decisions made by the UK National Agency – within 30

calendar days of the decision being communicated to the HEI.

We aim to acknowledge your appeal in writing within one working day.

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We aim to reply fully to appeals in writing within 10 working days of the appeal decision. Appeals

that are more complex may take longer to deal with. In these cases we will keep the HEI updated

on the progress of the appeal.

Please see also the UK NA website www.erasmusplus.org.uk/contact-us/how-to-make-an-appeal.

Payment conditions

A first pre-financing payment of 70% of the HEI’s agreed grant will be made 30 days after the NA

has signed the Grant Agreement.

The NA requests an interim report in February/March (see page 14). Following this request, the

HEIs must update their data in the Mobility Tool. The NA downloads data from the Mobility Tool on

the date indicated, and this is regarded as a request for a second payment. Within 60 days of the

deadline for any reporting, a recovery order will be issued or second payment of funds will be made.

Payment following a report is subject to the following:

NA approval of the report, including the level of mobility requested

Evidence that 70% of the initial payment has been paid out by the HEI; the 70% includes all

grants to individuals and Organisational Support (OS)

Payment of any debts to the NA or agreement to offset debt

Overall UK budget available.

In the event of reduced mobility levels, the HEI may be invoiced for recovery of any unspent grant or

the NA may offset any debt against payments.

If less than 70% of the first payment has been spent, any subsequent payments will be

reduced by a sum corresponding to the difference between 70% of the first payment and the

amount that the HEI has paid out.

The HEI will be required to provide evidence that they have disbursed 70% of the initial

payment, for example, a copy of an extract from the HEI’s financial system, or other suitable

document agreed with the NA. The information submitted will be subject to audit. The NA will

allow as much time as possible, within parameters set by the EC, for submission of the evidence

that 70% of the initial payment has been disbursed.

If the HEI has an outstanding Erasmus+ debt, this may delay the signature of grant

agreements, and the NA may offset this against any new Erasmus+ payments due. The NA

will give advance notice of an intention to offset debt.

Bank accounts and currency

All payments from the NA to the HEI are in euros. The HEI must ensure that its designated bank

account can receive the grant funds in euros. The NA is not responsible for any delay caused as a

result of the bank account’s inability to receive any such payment(s).

If the HEI pays flat rate grants in other currencies from funds paid to it in euros, it may choose which

exchange rate to use. The HEI does not need to inform the NA which exchange rate it has used.

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If the HEI keeps general accounts in euro, it should convert costs incurred in another currency into

euro according to its usual accounting practices.

If the HEI keeps general accounts in a currency other than euro, it should convert costs incurred in

another currency into euro at the average of the daily exchange rates published in the C series of

the Official Journal of the European Union, over the corresponding reporting period. If actual costs,

for special needs, are paid in sterling, the HEI must report them using these rates.

All reimbursements due to the NA from the beneficiary shall be paid in euros.

In the event of audit, the NA will wish to see evidence of the reality of activities covered by flat rate

grants, as specified in the Grant Agreement, II.16.2.3.

The NA shall not be liable for any exchange rate loss incurred by the beneficiary in converting grant

payments into and out of other currencies. The HEI should aim to avoid individual beneficiaries

incurring exchange rate losses.

Dissemination

In the Grant Agreement with the NA the HEI accepts that information may be published on the UK

NA Erasmus+ website https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/ regarding the name and address of the

HEI, the amount of grant awarded and the activities to which the grants relate.

The HEI also agrees to promote the programme and the mobility opportunities which it offers

students and staff. This should include:

Promotional talks by returning students at local schools, colleges, within the HEI etc;

Production and posting of promotional materials; and

Adherence to the requirements of the ECHE, including making the Erasmus policy easily

accessible via the HEI’s website.

In addition beneficiary HEIs will be expected to disseminate the results of Erasmus+ activities

widely. This includes making any products such as courses or teaching and learning materials

widely available.

HEIs must use the European Commission's Erasmus+ logo and associated wording for any project

outputs and promotional materials and publicly acknowledge the support received from the

European Union. The preferred option to communicate about EU funding is to write “Co-funded by

the European Union” as appropriate next to the EU emblem on the communication material where

the EU emblem is used. The positioning of the text in relation to the EU emblem is not prescribed in

any particular way but the text should not interfere with the emblem in any way.

The Erasmus+ logo is published on the website: www.erasmusplus.org.uk

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Special Needs Grant for Students and Staff

Additional grants are available for students and staff with special needs wishing to participate in

Erasmus+ and where participation would not be possible without extra financial support. The

allowances are offered when special needs lead to additional mobility costs which exceed the

maximum grant allocations allowed and which cannot be recovered from other sources. The grant

covers approved actual costs.

The special needs grant may be paid in addition to the grant for disadvantaged students

undertaking Erasmus study mobility (see page 25).

The HEI should ensure that staff and students considering participation in Erasmus+ and planning

their mobility are aware that they can apply for extra funding if they have special needs which will

incur extra costs.

Students or staff should apply for the allowance via their home HEI, before the start of the mobility.

Individuals risk funds not being available if they apply after they have started their mobility.

The sending HEI is responsible for ensuring that application forms are correctly completed, and for

providing evidence that the host knows of the special needs and arrangements are being made at

the host to meet the person’s needs.

The application must include a statement from a doctor or other authority confirming the special

needs, its severity, the impact on the Erasmus+ mobility, additional requirements and additional

costs to be met. A detailed estimate of costs is required.

The application should provide information on any other sources of financial support that the

student/staff member receives and why this is insufficient to cover extra costs.

If the application is approved the NA will specify a maximum supplementary allowance. On

completion of the Erasmus+ period a final report of expenditure will be required. If the expenditure is

less than the approved maximum a recovery order for the return of such funds will be raised and the

difference must be repaid to the NA.

Exceptions

If with good reason an HEI cannot comply with any EC or UK NA requirements, they should contact

the NA as soon as possible. For mobility which is of less than the specified minimum duration, the

HEI should contact the NA as early as possible with the reasons for the short duration (see page 13,

Interruption of a mobility period). In all exceptional cases, the NA reserves the right not to accept the

justification offered.

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Record keeping

HEIs must keep all applications and signed grant agreements, including all applications and mobility

agreements with students and staff, and documents concerning disbursement of grants, for

Erasmus+ mobility until five years after the closure of the applicable grant agreement with the NA

i.e. five years after the NA has approved the final report and any subsequent payment is made or

recovery order settled, or five years after any follow-up audits, appeals or other follow-up activities

are closed.

If the original document is digital, it may be stored in digital/electronic form. If it is paper based (for

example, a signed Grant Agreement) it must normally be stored in paper format. Please see Grant

Agreement Clause II.20.2.

Signatures

The original signed paper copy of the main mobility agreements between the NA and the beneficiary

HEI must be kept in hard copy.

Electronic signatures are acceptable on the following documents, and electronic (or scanned)

versions may be retained:

ECHE and annual grant applications (made on-line: you will need to print out the signature

page and then scan and upload onto the system)

Inter-institutional agreements

Learning Agreements between the sending and receiving HEIs and the individual students,

and staff teaching or training programmes.

An “electronic signature” may be a scanned signature and locked pdf signature or other form of

secure signature. It cannot be a typed signature.

Visas

As outlined in inter-institutional agreements and the ECHE, HEIs must provide assistance, when

required, in securing visas for incoming and outbound mobile participants. The HEI must post

information about visas and the time needed to obtain a visa on its website and provide

documentation to support visa applications in a timely fashion. The website should, if possible,

provide details of a contact person who can assist with visa-related issues, with a description of the

services offered and the support that can be provided, where possible.

HEIs are strongly advised to warn partner institutions that the UK visa process can be lengthy. This

also applies to incoming trainees, where the NA is the sponsor. In these cases, the process is

shortened if all documents are submitted to the UK NA with the visa application at least two months

before the date of travel, and in the correct format.

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In cases in which it is difficult to obtain visas (e.g. where diplomatic missions are not located in the

countries of residence or if postal applications are not accepted), institutions should attempt to help

by providing assistance in contacting diplomatic representations. However, the mobile participants

themselves remain responsible for the visa application.

Inter-institutional Agreements

Mobility between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

All Erasmus+ mobility between HEIs must take place as part of an inter-institutional agreement

between HEIs each of which holds a valid ECHE, except in the case of a traineeship at an HEI. The

Inter-institutional Agreement may cover cooperation between more than one HEI. The responsibility

for student study mobility lies with the sending and host HEI, as outlined in the ECHE, Inter-

institutional Agreements and the student Learning Agreement signed by the three parties.

All arrangements for the management of mobility under an Inter-institutional Agreement must be

reliable, transparent and easily managed. Such arrangements must also maximize the quality of

mobility and the number of mobilities achieved. See the Erasmus+ website

www.erasmusplus.org.uk for a template of an Inter-institutional Agreement. This cannot be altered,

although extra clauses may be added.

Mobility between HEIs and providers of traineeships

For student traineeships, there is no need for an Inter-institutional Agreement between the sending

HEI and the host organisation (which could be another HEI). They will be legally bound by the

individual student Training Agreement signed by the three parties involved and annexed to the

Agreement between the HEI and the student. The responsibility for traineeships therefore lies with

the sending and the host organisation.

Registration of the host organisation the EC’s Unique Registration Facility (the URF)

http://ec.europa.eu/education/participants/portal/desktop/en/home.html is optional. The HEI may

choose whether the host needs to register or not.

Period of Activity

The period covered by the Erasmus+ grant to the HEI is either 16 months or 24 months, as

specified in the HEI’s application form and grant agreement.

For 16 month agreements, the grant is awarded for mobility taking place during the period 1 June

2014 to 30 September 2015. For 24 month grant agreements, the grant is awarded for mobility

taking place between 1 June 2014 and 31 May 2016.

If the Grant Agreement has not been signed prior to activity taking place, the HEI takes full

responsibility for any risks that may arise from such activity, as with any activity that falls outside the

terms of the Agreement.

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Mobility periods funded from the 2014/15 grant must be completed and reported by the end

of the Grant Agreement between the HEI and the NA. Mobilities spanning two Agreements

should be reported as separate mobilities: in this case, if either mobility is of less than

minimum duration, the HEI should contact the NA, which will approve the short mobility in

such cases.

Setting of Grant Rates

Grant rates are established before the start of the year, within parameters decided by the EC. HEIs

are expected to pay all grants at the rates given in this handbook. See page 27 for information on

zero grants and partial grants.

Full details of grant rates are given in the relevant sections of this handbook, i.e.:

Student study (page 24)

Student traineeship (page 31)

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds (page 22)

Staff (page 32)

Students and staff with special needs leading to increased costs (page 8)

Organisational Support (page 38).

The HEI should also report mobilities which have received no grant – zero grant students. They

must also report all months of mobilities which have received funding for some months but not all-

partial grant students: see page 27, Zero grants. Zero grant months count towards the 12 months

maximum per cycle.

The HEI must be able to show that reported activity has actually taken place, but is not required to

show details of each item of expenditure. The Grant Agreement Part B details precisely what types

of documentation are acceptable. The exception to this is special needs grants, which are paid

against actual expenditure for which invoices are required, as in the Grant Agreement, II.16.4.1.

Allocation of Funds

The NA analyses applications carefully to ensure that allocation of funds is fair and transparent.

Grants may be awarded for less than the amount applied for, but not more. The grants budget is

allocated on the basis of:

Overall budget for grants.

Applications from individual HEIs, as assessed by the NA.

Grant rates established by the NA, within EC guidelines

Past performance: past data on numbers of different types of mobility overall and for each

HEI; and past patterns of dropout for each HEI.

A second allocation may be made after interim reporting, subject to numbers and duration of

mobilities reported and available budget at that point.

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Because past performance influences the allocation, HEIs should predict numbers and report at

interim and final report stages as accurately as possible. Increases in numbers which are not

realised will adversely affect subsequent years’ allocations.

Selection Procedures

Procedures for selection of individual staff and students receiving grants must be fully transparent,

fair, equitable, coherent and documented. They must be made available to all parties involved in

selecting students and staff for mobility grants.

Selection criteria might include, for example:

Academic performance

Previous mobility experience (see page 25 for regulations regarding multiple mobilities)

Language skills required in the receiving organisation

Motivation

No previous experience in the receiving country (e.g. not a return to country of origin).

HEIs are asked particularly to encourage students to participate in Erasmus+ who come from

groups which are under-represented in the programme.

The minimum selection criterion is the minimum level of the language of instruction set out in the

Inter-institutional Agreement.

The HEI must take measures to prevent any conflict of interest in selecting individual beneficiaries.

Agreements with Individuals

Before staff or student mobility has commenced, the HEI must ensure that each student or staff

member has signed a mobility grant agreement with their home HEI, formally accepting the grant

and acknowledging the obligations associated with its acceptance. Original signatures must be used

for signing the Agreement.

The agreement must be retained as a record of the mobility. Students should keep hard copies of

their agreements, while the HEIs may keep an electronic copy. If the HEI does not retain the signed

agreement, the NA may recover the grant at a future audit. Scanned copies of documents with

original signatures are acceptable for audit.

Standard agreements form Annex IV of the Grant Agreement. These templates are minimum

requirements and HEI must use the texts in full in agreements with students or staff. The HEI may

add to the standard texts if they wish.

In addition, the sending HEI and the host HEI or other organisation, and the mobile participant, will

need to sign the Learning Agreement for studies and traineeships or the staff teaching and training

agreement.

Amendments to the agreement must be agreed through a formal notification by both parties, either

by letter or electronically.

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Interruption of an Erasmus+ Period

In exceptional circumstances resulting in the interruption of activities affecting groups of students or

staff, for example, a natural disaster, the NA and the Commission will agree on the possible

recognition of the cause of interruption as force majeure2. The NA will issue guidance to HEIs on the

measures to be taken, such as acceptance of normally ineligible mobility durations and the possible

resumption of interrupted mobility periods.

Early Returners

If students or staff return to the UK before the planned end of their activity but meet minimum

duration requirements, they may be allowed to retain funding for the period they were away, at the

discretion of the HEI and subject to this being agreed in writing.

If students or staff return to the UK without fulfilling the minimum requirements for duration of their

mobility due to force majeure, or there are other extenuating circumstances agreed by the NA, the

NA may agree to the student or staff member retaining funding for the period of mobility. The HEI

will need to submit evidence of the need for the early return (e.g. a doctor’s note for illness, or an

explanation of the particular force majeure) if it wishes the NA to consider this. All decisions

regarding funding for short durations will be decided by the NA on a case by case basis. For

mobility which is of less than the specified minimum duration, the HEI should contact the NA as

early as possible with the reasons for the short duration if they wish the period to be considered for

funding (see Exceptions, page 8).

The mobility should be marked on the Mobility Tool as an early return, and a brief summary of the

reason provided in the comments section.

Individual Reports

When they return from their mobility, staff and students must complete the appropriate online report,

prompted by a message from the Mobility Tool.

HEIs are responsible for ensuring that individuals complete these reports. Submission of the reports

is an EC requirement for all Erasmus+ students and staff, so the HEI risks adverse audit findings if

the reports are not submitted, especially if this is a weakness of the HEI’s administration rather than

an occasional lapse by individual students or staff.

HEIs can download the reports using the Mobility Tool.

2 Force majeure here means any unforeseeable exceptional situation or event beyond the contracting parties'

control which prevents either of them from fulfilling any of their obligations under the Agreement, was not attributable to error or negligence on their part, and proves insurmountable in spite of all due diligence. Defects in equipment or material or delays in making them available (unless due to force majeure), labour disputes, strikes or financial difficulties cannot be invoked as force majeure by the defaulting party.

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Reporting from the HEI to the NA

Deadlines

The table below gives details of the dates by which HEIs must submit reports to the NA:

Type of report Period covered Date due

To be completed by HEI for 16 month and 24 month agreements

Interim Report – study

Interim Report – placement

Contracted period; to include all

confirmed and provisional

students/staff

13.02.2015

Interim Report – teaching

Interim Report – training

13.03.2015

To be completed by HEI for 16 month agreements

Final Report – study

Final Report – placement

Contracted period; to include all

confirmed student and staff mobility

30.09.2015

Final Report – teaching

Final Report – training

To be completed by HEI for 24 month agreements

Final Report – study

Final Report – placement

Contracted period; to include all

confirmed student and staff mobility

30.04.2016

Final Report – teaching

Final Report – training

To be completed by individual (see Annexes V.4, V.8, V.11 and V.14)

Student reports – study Erasmus+ period abroad At end of Erasmus+ period

but not later than 31.05.2016 Student reports – placement

Staff reports – teaching

Staff reports – training

Compliance with the ECHE will also be monitored during checks and audits. The NA will

communicate further details as soon as we have more information.

On-line reporting – the Mobility Tool

Reporting is completed using the Mobility Tool provided by the EC for interim and final reports.

Reports from individual staff and students can be downloaded from the Mobility Tool. The 2014

version of the Mobility Tool for HE is due to be launched in mid-September.

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For reporting data requirements and more on use of the Mobility Tool, see Mobility Tool Guide for

Beneficiaries and the data dictionaries; links will be provided once the 2014 versions are available.

All data fields must be completed for all mobility before deadlines for reporting.

Details of individuals should be input into the Mobility Tool before the end of the mobility, with end

dates given as accurately as possible. The Tool will send an email to individuals at the end of the

mobility to remind them to complete their individual reports. HEIs are then responsible for ensuring

that the individuals have completed their reports.

The NA strongly advises that HEIs download data for their own records at each reporting stage.

Interim Reports

Subject to budget being available, a second allocation may be made after interim reporting. Any

alteration in budgets at this stage will be confirmed via an amended Grant Agreement to be signed

by the NA and the HEI.

If no further budget is available to fund increased mobilities, but the number of mobilities has not

decreased since the first allocation, the NA will make any second payments agreed in the initial

Grant Agreement.

In order to qualify for any change in their allocation and a second payment, by the deadline

for interim reports HEIs must have input into the Mobility Tool all study periods,

traineeships, teaching and staff training visits that have taken place, or are expected to take

place in the contracted period. It will not be possible for HEIs to increase the overall grant

amount (by increasing the numbers or length of mobilities) after interim report. HEIs will not

receive Erasmus+ funding in addition to the 'total maximum amount' stated in the grant agreement

and any amendments.

It is important that HEIs report all mobilities as accurately as possible at interim report stage,

including destination countries and disadvantage, since accuracy of reporting will affect allocations

in subsequent years.

The interim report is regarded as a request for further payment. For further details of

payment conditions, please see page 6.

The NA strongly advises that HEIs download data for their own records before submitting it.

Approval of Reports and Follow-up

The NA will contact HEIs if anomalies are found in the data downloaded from the Mobility Tool at

report deadlines.

The NA will aim to approve reports within 30 working days of receipt, provided that any queries

raised have been resolved.

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Payments or recoveries will be made within 60 days of receipt of the staff report provided that

amended Grant Agreements are returned promptly.

Once reports have been approved, the NA will issue an amended Grant Agreement if there are

changes to approved funding. When the amendment has been signed by both parties the NA will

make further payments or raise an invoice as appropriate. Any part of the contracted funding

uncommitted must be repaid to the NA and an invoice for the return of such funds will be raised.

Final Reports

Reporting data requirements: students and staff

For 16 month projects, final reports must be submitted using the EC Mobility Tool by 30 September 2015.

For 24 month projects, final reports must be submitted using the EC Mobility Tool by 30 April 2016.

For further information on using the Mobility Tool, see page 14.

Validation of Reports

Final reports will be fully validated by the NA and a closure letter (statement of account) sent within

60 days of receipt of the report. HEIs will then have 30 days to appeal if they disagree with the final

grant in the closure letter.

Ineligible expenditure and unspent funds

If the validation of the final report indicates that any expenditure is ineligible it will be disallowed and

an invoice raised for the recovery of funds, or ineligible expenditure will be offset. If the validation

indicates that any of the contracted funding remains unspent, an invoice for the return of funds will

be raised and repayment must be made to the NA, or funds will be offset.

Virement

HEIs may vire between budget lines as follows:

Up to 50% of funds allocated to Organisational Support to student or staff mobility.

Up to 100% of funds allocated to student study mobility to student traineeships.

Up to 100% of funds allocated to student traineeships to student study mobility.

UP to 100% of funds allocated to staff mobility to student mobility.

Reimbursement of Unspent Grant

If there is no mobility, the NA will issue an invoice for reimbursement of the grant allocated.

If final student and staff mobility numbers or durations are lower than contracted numbers the NA

will issue an invoice for reimbursement of the difference in grant amount.

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If an HEI has an outstanding invoice for repayment of unspent grant, the NA may offset this against

any new Erasmus+ payments due. Please see page 6 for more on debt.

If a student or staff member is unable to fulfil the requirements of their Erasmus+ period abroad or if

the period is less than the required minimum, the NA may ask for the funding to be reimbursed,

including the OS grant.

Forfeiture of Funding

Submission of reports is a contractual requirement. If the HEI does not submit the interim or final

report by the due date the NA reserves the right to reclaim all funding.

Quality

Quality is an important element of Erasmus+. Poorer quality implementation may result in a

reduction of the grant. This will be assessed on the basis of:

The final report

Individual staff and student reports

Information from any other relevant source, such as formal monitoring, evaluation and

audits.

The NA will monitor adherence to the commitments in the ECHE. If these commitments are not

respected, the NA will agree an action plan with the HEI. If the plan is not implemented as agreed,

the NA may recommend to the EC that the ECHE accreditation is withdrawn.

The OS grant may be reduced if monitoring and evaluation show that quality commitments have not

been met, see Annex III.B.

Incoming Erasmus+ Mobility

HEIs must make appropriate provision for the health, safety and security of incoming Erasmus+

students and staff in the same way as for any other visitor. This includes compliance with all

relevant legislation.

Incoming students are not subject to fees or other charges, apart from small charges which would

be made to local students; see the ECHE, During Mobility, for more information.

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Student Mobility – Study Periods

Erasmus+ grants for study may only be paid to students participating in an approved mobility

programme under the HEI’s ECHE and Inter-institutional Agreements with partners in other

participating countries.

Eligible Students

To be eligible, when making arrangements for their mobility, including signing mobility agreements,

students must be:

Formally registered at a UK HEI which holds an ECHE and undertaking higher education

studies leading to a recognised degree or other recognised tertiary level qualification, up to

and including the level of doctorate or

Enrolled in short-cycle higher vocational education3 (in the UK this includes Foundation

Degree and HND courses) at an HEI which holds an ECHE.

Students undertaking study mobility must be enrolled at least in the second year of higher

education.

Part time students are eligible to participate in Erasmus+ providing they study full time during their

mobility period.

Duration of Student Mobility

Erasmus+ mobility for study must be between a minimum of three months (or one academic term or

trimester) and a maximum of 12 months. The period of time between the start and the end date of

the mobility, without any rounding up or down, will be considered to be the duration of the mobility.

The duration should be based on full months (regardless of whether the months are of 28, 30 or 31

days), plus any remaining days. A year is seen as 360 days, on the basis that this is used in

financial markets throughout Europe.

For students, duration is calculated from the first day the student is required to be at their place of

study or traineeship, including induction days and so on. The end date is the last date they need to

be present, for exams, to complete assignments and so on,

We provide a tool for calculating duration here. This formula will be integrated into the 2014 release

of the Mobility Tool, due in September 2014.

3 Defined as post compulsory education but sub bachelor level courses which lead to the award of a ‘degree’

after 18 months/two years; vocationally oriented courses taken after completion of secondary education and leading to a degree on completion of two years (sometimes 1.5 years) study. This corresponds to the short cycle qualifications – approximately 120 ECTS – as described in the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area.

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You are not obliged to use this method but any method must produce the same results as the

Mobility Tool.

There must be documentary evidence of the duration of the mobility. These dates should be

provided in the transcript of records for study (See the Learning Agreement, After the Mobility) or

the traineeship certificate (see Learning Agreement for Traineeships, After the Mobility), or if the HEI

wishes, a Certificate of Attendance may be appended to the Transcript. These documents may be

supplemented by other supporting documents, e.g. where any additional time needs to be justified.

Flight-related documentation such as booking records or boarding passes will not count as sufficient

evidence. See also the Grant Agreement, Annex III, Clause 3, for more on duration of student

mobility.

Extension to original mobility period

An extension to the original mobility period may be agreed between the home HEI and the host as

long as the following conditions are met:

The agreement is made and arrangements completed in advance of the scheduled

completion date of the original Erasmus+ period.

The extension follows immediately after the current Erasmus+ period. There should be no

gaps (holidays and HEI closures are not considered gaps). If there is a gap, justification

needs to be made by the home HEI and approved by the NA. The extension is agreed by all

parties, in writing.

No student mobility period, including any extension granted, will be funded for more than 12

months.

Extension to original mobility period

An extension to the original mobility period may be agreed between the home HEI and the host as

long as the following conditions are met:

The agreement is made and arrangements completed in advance of the scheduled

completion date of the original Erasmus+ period.

The extension follows immediately after the current Erasmus+ period. There should be no

gaps (holidays and HEI closures are not considered gaps). If there is a gap, justification

needs to be made by the home HEI and approved by the NA. The extension is agreed by all

parties, in writing.

No student mobility period, including any extension granted, will be funded for more than 12

months.

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Academic Fees

No university fees (for tuition, registration, examinations, access to laboratory and library facilities,

etc.) may be paid at the host HEI. However, small fees may be charged for costs such as insurance,

student unions, the use of miscellaneous material such as the photocopying of academic material,

and use of laboratory products on the same basis as these are charged to local students.

HEIs may not request any payment or charges from outgoing students in connection with the

organisation or administration of the Erasmus+ mobility period.

HEIs must inform the NA of any cases where an HEI seeks payment of academic fees,

administrative or management charges from students on Erasmus+ mobility.

Tuition Fee Contribution (formerly the fee waiver)

For the 2014/15 academic year, new arrangements will apply to students starting courses at

institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on or after 1 September 2012 who are taking an

Erasmus+ study year or Erasmus+ traineeship for a complete academic year abroad. The definition

of a complete academic year for this purpose is at least 24 weeks (excluding weekends and the

usual holidays).

HEIs will be allowed to charge students eligible for the tuition fee contribution up to 15% of the

maximum tuition fee caps for 2014/15: £1,350 for students attending HEIs where the higher

(£9,000) tuition fee amount is permitted and £900 for students attending HEIs where the basic

(£6,000) amount is permitted. Eligible students will be able to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to

£1,350 under the Student Support Regulations to cover these costs. For more information see

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2013/cl142013/name,81913,en.html . For old fee regime

students, the arrangements which applied previously will remain in place i.e. a full fee waiver.

For Wales, HEFCW has confirmed that, as in previous years, for 2014-15 there will not be a specific

allocation for the Erasmus+ fee-waiver. The amount that has previously been allocated for the fee-

waiver will be absorbed into the new Public Investment Fund. It will then be for HEIs to decide

whether or not they wish to spend part of their overall allocation on encouraging and supporting

participation in Erasmus+.

For the Welsh Government approach, see

http://wales.gov.uk/publications/accessinfo/drnewhomepage/dr2013/janmar/addysg/la0157/?lang=e

n

In Scotland, in 2014-15 the Scottish Funding Council will compensate HEIs for outgoing Erasmus+ students from Scotland and the rest of the UK. For the most up-to-date guidance from the Funding Council, see http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Announcements_SFCAN092014_Feeanomaliesgrantforuniversities

inacade/SFCAN092014_Fee_anomalies_grant_for_universities_in_academic_year_2014-15.pdf .

The arrangements for Scotland are likely to change in 2015-16.

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Grant Status of Students and National Schemes

All students’ entitlements to national grants or loans for study at their home HEI must be maintained

during their Erasmus+ period abroad. Entitlement must not be discontinued, interrupted, or reduced

while they are studying in a participating country and receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant.

HEIs may not reduce the amount of Erasmus+ mobility grant paid to students who are eligible to

apply for national grants and/or loans. Students who do not qualify for national support may still

qualify for Erasmus+ support.

International students who receive grants or loans when studying in the UK should continue to do so

if they undertake an Erasmus+ period abroad.

Eligible Student Study Activity

Grants for study can be awarded only for full time undergraduate or postgraduate studies, including

thesis preparation (but excluding research activities not specifically forming part of a course of

studies), leading to a recognised diploma or degree, at a partner HEI in a programme country

holding an ECHE.

PhD students may receive an Erasmus+ grant for study provided that their work is in a partner HEI

with which their home institution has an inter-institutional agreement, and any research or other

activity contributes directly to the PhD.

Priority Subjects

HEIs should consider the promotion of mobility in the following subjects in particular when selecting

students: Education and Teacher Training; Medicine; Natural sciences; Mathematics and

Informatics; Engineering.

Full Recognition

Only periods of study which are part of the student's curriculum are eligible. The HEI must be

satisfied that the programme of study is integrated into the student’s current degree course and

must be clear how the study will be formally recognised as part of the degree.

Full recognition must be awarded, using ECTS credits. The means of recognition must be included

in the mobility agreement, for more information see http://ec.europa.eu/education/tools/ects_en.htm.

See also the EuroPass website: www.uknec.org.uk.

Upon satisfactory completion of the mobility period, the host HEI must provide the student with a

transcript completed in accordance with the Learning Agreement.

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Credit for, or recognition of, studies undertaken by the student at the host HEI may be withheld only

if the student fails to achieve the level of academic attainment required by the host HEI or otherwise

fails to satisfy the agreed conditions required by the participating HEIs for recognition. It is at the

HEI’s discretion whether to report a mobility (and allow the student to keep the grant) if a student

does not gain all the planned credits for the mobility.

Students from Disadvantaged Groups

For 2014, only for students undertaking study mobility, a supplementary grant for disadvantage

is paid to undergraduate and postgraduate students defined as disadvantaged by the relevant

authorities and who are eligible for full grants and loans. For example, in England, this is students

from households with annual incomes of £25,000 or less.

For students from outside the UK, decisions on entitlement to this grant are made on the same

principles as the £25,000 threshold above. That is, if the student is entitled to extra payments based

on national or regional criteria for disadvantage, and can provide evidence of this, they may receive

the widening participation supplement. However, it is ultimately at the discretion of individual HEIs

how they use the payment for these students, referring to any measures already taken within the

HEI to ensure parity of treatment and provided that decisions are based on transparent processes.

HEIs must pay the grant to all students within the eligible group. It may be paid to students from

disadvantaged groups who are also receiving funding for special needs, see page 8.

The EC requires that HEIs report on payments made to individual students, including this

supplement. The EC and the NA respect HEI concerns about confidentiality and take appropriate

measures to ensure that data is secure (see the Grant Agreement, Article II.6.). Students should be

informed that this payment, and, in the event of an audit, the data on which it is based, will be

reported to the NA.

In the event of audit, HEIs would need to provide evidence that a student receiving the grant is

eligible under the rules outlined above, and that they have been chosen according to clear,

transparent processes supported by documentation.

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Selection criteria

HEIs may set selection criteria for student mobility so long as these are fair, transparent and applied

in a coherent and consistent manner (see page 11 for more details).

Agreements with Beneficiaries

Before student mobility has commenced, the home HEI must ensure that each student has a

mobility Grant Agreement for studies signed by the student and the home HEI, formally accepting

the grant and acknowledging the obligations associated with its acceptance. Original signatures

must be used to sign the Agreement.

The standard Agreement for study is Annex IV of the Grant Agreement. This text must be used in

full but the HEI may add to it if they wish.

Failure to sign and retain the agreement may result in the NA recovering the grant at a future audit.

Scanned copies of documents with original signatures are acceptable for audit.

In addition, the student, the home HEI and the host must sign the Learning Agreement. Whenever

possible, this should be signed before the mobility commences. However, the UK NA has a

Director’s Exception in place allowing the Learning Agreement to be signed up to one month after

the start of the mobility if it is impossible to complete this earlier. Learning Agreements may be

signed electronically, and if HEIs have an IT system in place to produce the Learning Agreement or

the Transcript of Records, they can continue using it.

All the information requested in the Learning Agreement templates must be provided, whatever

format is used. If the HEI wishes to incorporate the standard text into another document, that is

acceptable, provided the full text given is used. The first part of the Agreement “Before the mobility”

must be completed and signed by the student, their home and the host HEI before the start of the

mobility.

A Learning Agreement must be signed even if all details of the mobility have not been finalised. Any

subsequent changes to the Learning Agreement which become necessary must be formally agreed

by all three parties and documented promptly. Learning Agreements may be signed using electronic

signatures, see page 9.

The section “During the mobility” should be completed if there are changes after the student has

started their period abroad.

The section “After the mobility” should be completed by both HEIs unless this information is kept in

another format (with Erasmus+ documentation relating to the student).

Amendments to the agreement must be agreed through a formal notification by both parties, either

by letter or electronically.

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Erasmus+ Student Charter

The HEI must issue each student with an Erasmus+ Student Charter before the mobility period

commences, as an annex to the Learning Agreement (see Annex III Erasmus+ Student Charter).

Student Report

Upon return from the Erasmus+ period, the student must submit their individual electronic report via

the EU Survey. The data can be downloaded by the HEI using the Mobility Tool.

Student Mobility Grants

Student mobility grants are a flat rate grant calculated at a monthly rate. Grants are a contribution

towards the costs of the planned Erasmus+ mobility period. The grant rate is set at the beginning

of the year and will not change after interim reporting. All students should be paid at the

appropriate rate.

Within 30 days of signature of the student grant agreement by both parties and no later than receipt

of confirmation that the student has arrived at the host, the HEI must make a first payment of

between 70% and 100% of the grant specified in the agreement.

Eligible students will be awarded the grant as indicated below. Please note in the table below:

Country bands

Higher rates to be paid for traineeships

Monthly supplement for students from disadvantaged groups for Study only.

Country Student study mobility Student study mobility

Monthly grant Monthly supplement for

students from disadvantaged

backgrounds

Group 1 countries (high cost of living)

Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland,

Italy, Lichtenstein, Norway , Sweden, UK

€400 € 100

Group 2 countries (medium cost of living)

Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey

€350

Group 3 Countries (low cost of living)

Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,

Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

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Proof of payment

All payments may be subject to audit by the NA or other bodies. If there is an audit, the HEI will be

asked to provide proof that the grant has left the HEI’s bank account or received by the student.

Failure to do this may result in the NA recovering the grant.

Erasmus+ Language Support

The promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity is one of the objectives of Erasmus+.

Assessment of competence in the language of study or work before and after student

mobility will be mandatory for students undertaking mobilities of more than two months,

when the EC’s system is made available; except for students whose native language is the

language of study or work. In the meantime, HEIs may use other established tests. The results of

the language assessment test carried out by participants before their departure will not stop them

from taking part in the mobility activity, whatever the result, unless the receiving HEI has specified

the language level required in the inter-institutional agreement.

Linguistic support will be available for the language of study or work for students studying for more

than two months under KA1. In English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch, the EC will

make on-line support available. Students may take on-line language courses between the two

assessments of language level, if licences are available.

When the EC makes licences available, the NA will distribute licences to HEIs on the basis of

numbers of mobilities funded, and the HEIs will then decide which students have access to the

courses. The HEI should ensure that all licences are used by students needing language support. If

the licences are not used, the HEI should inform the NA, who will re-allocate them.

The use of the licences must be reported in the Mobility Tool.

Organisational Support (OS) funding may be used for training in languages for which the EC will not

provide on-line training.

Special Needs Grant for Students and Staff

Additional grants are available for students and staff with special needs wishing to participate in

Erasmus+ and where participation would not be possible without extra financial support. See page

8, Special needs grants for students and staff.

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Multiple Erasmus+ Periods

Students may undertake up to 12 months eligible mobility for each cycle of higher education:

undergraduate (including short cycle), masters, doctorate. This may be in any combination of study

and traineeship, provided that each mobility meets minimum requirements for duration and any

other applicable criteria.

Two or more mobilities (for example one of eight months and one of three months) in the same year

should be reported as separate mobilities.

Mobility under the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) is included in calculation of the 12 months

eligible mobility.

For degrees covering two cycles, for example a first degree leading to a master’s level qualification,

mobility periods up to a total duration of 24 months may be undertaken.

Interruption of a Mobility Period and Short Durations

If students return to the UK before the planned end of their activity but meet minimum duration

requirements, they may be allowed to retain funding for the period they were away, at the discretion

of the HEI.

If students return to the UK without fulfilling the minimum requirements for duration of their mobility

due to serious illness, or force majeure4, the NA may agree to the student or staff member retaining

funding for the period of mobility. The HEI will need to submit evidence of the need for the early

return (e.g. a doctor’s note for illness, or an explanation of the particular force majeure) if it wishes

the NA to consider this. All decisions regarding funding for short durations will be decided by the NA

on a case by case basis.

HEIs are asked to contact the NA with an explanation as soon as possible, if they wish periods of

less than minimum duration for staff or student mobility to be considered for funding. The NA’s

decision will be communicated to the HEI in writing.

Mobility periods interrupted due to force majeure are included in the total 12 months mobility

allowed per study cycle.

If a student fails to complete their formally agreed mobility period and it fulfils requirements for

minimum duration, they must return the grant for the relevant period. However, if the mobility has

been interrupted due to force majeure, the HEI may decide that the student can keep more than the

grant for the mobility period. There must be clear justification for this.

4 Force majeure is defined as “an unforeseeable exceptional situation or event beyond the participant's control

and not attributable to error or negligence on his/her part”

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Students on Erasmus+ Joint Master’s Degree Courses

European students are eligible to apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship to participate in one of its joint

programmes (at Master’s level).

Students enrolled in an Erasmus+ Joint Master’s Degree (JMD) programmes may apply for an

Erasmus+ study grant provided they:

Have not received an Erasmus+ JMD scholarship

Comply with all eligibility criteria, including for multiple mobilities.

When applying for an Erasmus+ grant as an Erasmus+ JMD student, all Erasmus+ rules must be

respected.

Under Erasmus+ JMD courses, Inter-institutional agreements are satisfactorily covered in the form

of the "Consortium Agreement" that must be signed by all participating universities and guarantee

the full recognition of the joint programme by each of the partners.

Reporting on Student Mobility for Study

See page 13 for details of Erasmus+ mobility reporting requirements.

Zero Grant Students

Zero grant students may undertake Erasmus+ study mobility, at the discretion of their HEI. These

students must fulfil all Erasmus+ criteria as outlined in this guidance and other documents, but

receive no Erasmus+ mobility grant. They are eligible for all other benefits of Erasmus+.

In addition, the HEI may choose not to fund part of a study mobility.

All months of the mobility should be reported in the Mobility Tool, with a note indicating zero grant

months.

Zero grant months count towards the maximum 12 months Erasmus mobility in any cycle.

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Student Mobility – Traineeships

Traineeships are periods of work and training undertaken in an enterprise or any other workplace

relevant to the student’s higher education. A wide variety of organisations may act as host, provided

that the traineeship contributes to the student’s course of study if the student is still enrolled at an

HEI. The traineeship may be arranged by the student or by the home HEI. Quality requirements are

agreed between the home HEI, the provider of the traineeship and the student in the Learning

Agreement for Traineeships.

The regulations covering the following are the same for student study mobility and student

traineeships. Please refer to Student Study for further information, replacing the words “study

mobility” with traineeship(s) where appropriate:

Academic fees (page 20)

Grant status of students and national schemes (page 21)

Selection criteria (page 23)

Special needs grants for students and staff (page 8)

Agreements with beneficiaries (page 23)

Erasmus+ Student Charter (page 24)

Reporting requirements (page 24)

Multiple Erasmus+ periods (page 26)

Erasmus+ language support (page 26)

Interruption of a mobility period (page 26)

Zero grant students (page 27)

Eligibility

Erasmus+ grants for traineeships can be paid to students:

Registered in and studying at HEIs which hold an ECHE or

Who have been registered in HEIs which hold an ECHE, in the year after they graduate.

Students undertaking traineeships do not have to be in their second year; they may be in any year

of study.

The following types of organisation are not eligible as host organisations:

EU bodies including specialised agencies and EU HEIs, for a full list see:

www.ec.europa.eu/institutions/index_en.htm.

Organisations managing EU programmes (such as National Agencies) in order to avoid

possible conflict of interests and/or double funding.

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If the placement takes place in a representation or public institution of the home country of the

student (e.g. cultural institutes, schools) the HEI will need to indicate on the Learning Agreement the

additional transnational benefits the student will obtain as compared to a similar placement in the

country of his or her home institution.

An HEI may be the host for a traineeship if the student does not go for a study period but for work

experience. A valid inter-institutional agreement between participating HEIs is not required, and the

host HEI is not required to hold an ECHE.

Duration of Student Traineeships

Erasmus+ traineeships must be for a minimum of two months and a maximum of 12 months. A

month is reckoned as 30 days, all days are included in calculation of duration, and all days receive a

grant.

The period of placement may be interrupted by enterprise holidays, with the grant paid during this

period. The period does not count towards the minimum duration.

There must be documentary evidence of the duration of the mobility. These dates should be

provided on the traineeship certificate (see Learning Agreement for Traineeships, After the Mobility).

These documents may be supplemented by other supporting documents, e.g. where any additional

time needs to be justified. Flight-related documentation such as booking records or boarding passes

will not count as sufficient evidence. See also the Grant Agreement, Annex III, Clause 3, for more

on duration of student mobility. See more on duration at page 18.

Eligible Student Placement Activity

Grants for student placements can be awarded only for full time placements recognised as a part of

the student’s programme by the home HEI.

Students from Disadvantaged Groups

HEIs are asked particularly to encourage students to participate in Erasmus+ who come from

groups which are under-represented in the programme (see page 22).

However, disadvantaged students undertaking traineeships are NOT entitled to the

supplement for students from disadvantaged groups under Erasmus+. This is because they

already receive a higher monthly grant (see page 30).

Graduate Traineeships

Graduate traineeships must be agreed with home HEI and all arrangements finalised during the

final year before the student graduates. The home HEI remains responsible for the student’s grant,

and for ensuring paperwork is completed, including evidence of the duration of the mobility.

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The period of the traineeship counts in the maximum 12 months mobility in the cycle from which the

student is graduating.

Traineeships undertaken after the student graduates do not need to be recognised, the aim of these

being to improve the student’s employability.

Full Recognition

The home HEI must give full recognition for traineeships undertaken during a degree course. For

traineeships which are part of the student's curriculum, full recognition must be awarded wherever

possible by using ECTS credits, see

http://ec.europa.eu./education/programmes/socrates/ects/index_en.html.

In the case of a traineeship that is not part of the curriculum of the student, the HEI must provide

recognition at least by recording the traineeship in the Diploma Supplement.

Students must complete their placements to the standards of the host organisation in order for it to

be fully recognised.

If a student does not fulfil these requirements, the HEI may use discretion as to whether to count the

mobility and allow the student to keep the grant.

See also the EuroPass website: www.uknec.org.uk.

Student Report

Upon return from the Erasmus+ period, the student must submit their individual electronic report via

the EU Survey. This can be downloaded by the HEI via the Mobility Tool. See 24 for more details.

Student Mobility Grants for Traineeships

Student grants for traineeships are a flat rate grant calculated at a monthly rate. Grants are a

contribution towards the costs of the planned Erasmus+ mobility period. The grant rate is set at

the beginning of the year and will not change after interim reporting. All students should be

paid at the appropriate rate.

Eligible students will be awarded the grant as indicated below.

Please note in the table below:

Country bands

Higher rates to be paid for traineeships

Students from disadvantaged groups undertaking traineeships do not receive a supplement.

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Country Student traineeship

Monthly grant

Group 1 countries (high cost of living)

Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland,

Italy, Lichtenstein, Norway , Sweden, UK

€500

Group 2 countries (medium cost of living)

Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey

€450

Group 3 Countries (low cost of living)

Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,

Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

Proof of payment

All payments may be subject to audit by the NA or by other bodies. The HEI will be asked to provide

proof that the grant has left the HEI’s bank account or been received by the student. Failure to do

this may result in the NA recovering the grant.

British Council Language Assistants

Students carrying out a Language Assistantship may receive a grant for an Erasmus+ traineeship

providing they meet all Erasmus+ eligibility criteria and all Erasmus+ procedures are followed.

Documentary and reporting requirements for Language Assistants are the same as for all Erasmus+

students.

British Council Language Assistants are subject to the same rules as any Erasmus+ student with

regard to tuition fees and the tuition fee contribution.

Further information on British Council Language Assistants is available at

www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistants.htm.

Please note that the British Council Language Assistants scheme and Erasmus+ have separate

procedures, both of which must be followed.

IAESTE

Outgoing students who have a placement under IAESTE are eligible for an Erasmus+ grant

provided that the placement fulfils all criteria for an Erasmus+ placement. Documentary and

reporting requirements are the same as for all other Erasmus+ students.

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Staff Mobility

Erasmus+ staff mobility can be undertaken by both teaching and administrative staff. For more on

training mobility open to all staff see page 36.

Staff mobility is expected to contribute to the overall priorities of Erasmus+, the EU Agenda for

Modernisation of Higher Education and the individual HEI’s international strategy, as summarised in

the ECHE. Staff mobility is therefore not solely intended to be for the benefit or career development

of the individual member of staff.

Staff Mobility – teaching

Teaching staff employed by an HEI holding an ECHE may undertake Erasmus+ staff mobility for

teaching. The teaching period must be in a partner HEI, which must have an ECHE and an inter-

institutional agreement with the teacher’s home HEI.

Incoming staff from any public or private organisation active in the labour market or in the fields of

education, training and youth may be invited to teach in a UK HEI. The Host manages the mobility

and the grant.

Selection Criteria

The selection of staff for HE mobility must be fair, transparent, coherent and documented, and the

process available to all involved. The selection criteria (for example priority for staff going abroad for

the first time, any limits on the mobility activities per staff member) must be made public. To

encourage participation of the greatest possible number of teachers, you are advised to give priority

to teachers working abroad for the first time. The HEI must prevent any conflict of interest with

regard to persons involved in selecting individual beneficiaries.

Staff from another organisation coming to teach at a UK institution are invited by the host.

Duration of Teaching Period

Mobility for teaching may be from two days to two months, excluding travel time. The individual must

deliver at least eight hours of teaching per week or part of a week.

Staff Mobility Grants

Mobility grants for staff are provided as contributions towards subsistence and travel.

Staff subsistence and travel costs are paid as flat rates. Travel days are not included in the

calculation of minimum duration staff may be paid subsistence for one travel day before the

teaching period begins and one day after the period, at the discretion of the HEI and

provided that this is reasonable. The NA will pay grants for eligible staff mobility at the rates given

in the table below. Subsistence payments will be made by the NA on the basis of evidence. HEIs

may be asked to provide proof of travel and confirmation of the length of mobility and activities

undertaken.

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Country Code 1 Day 2 Days 3 Days 4 Days 5 Days 6 Days 7D/1wk 2 Weeks 3 Weeks 4 Weeks 2 Months

Austria AT 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Belgium BE 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Bulgaria BG 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Croatia HR 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00 700.00 1,400.00 2,100.00 2,800.00 6,000.00

Cyprus CY 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Czech Republic CZ 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Denmark DK 160.00 320.00 480.00 640.00 800.00 960.00 1,120.00 2,240.00 3,360.00 4,480.00 9,600.00

Estonia EE 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00 700.00 1,400.00 2,100.00 2,800.00 6,000.00

Finland FI 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

France FR 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Germany DE 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Greece GR 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Hungary HU 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Iceland IS 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Ireland IE 160.00 320.00 480.00 640.00 800.00 960.00 1,120.00 2,240.00 3,360.00 4,480.00 9,600.00

Italy IT 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Latvia LV 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Liechtenstein LI 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Lithuania LT 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00 700.00 1,400.00 2,100.00 2,800.00 6,000.00

Luxembourg LU 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Macedonia MK 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Malta MT 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Netherlands NL 160.00 320.00 480.00 640.00 800.00 960.00 1,120.00 2,240.00 3,360.00 4,480.00 9,600.00

Norway NO 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Poland PL 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Portugal PT 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Romania RO 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

Slovakia SK 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Slovenia SI 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00 700.00 1,400.00 2,100.00 2,800.00 6,000.00

Spain ES 120.00 240.00 360.00 480.00 600.00 720.00 840.00 1,680.00 2,520.00 3,360.00 7,200.00

Sweden SE 160.00 320.00 480.00 640.00 800.00 960.00 1,120.00 2,240.00 3,360.00 4,480.00 9,600.00

Turkey TR 140.00 280.00 420.00 560.00 700.00 840.00 980.00 1,960.00 2,940.00 3,920.00 8,400.00

UK UK 160.00 320.00 480.00 640.00 800.00 960.00 1,120.00 2,240.00 3,360.00 4,480.00 9,600.00

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HEIs choose how to pay staff subsistence and travel grants. For example, HEIs may choose to pay

against receipted expenditure, at rates to be decided by the HEI or at the rates given below, on

condition that the payment does not exceed the maximum defined in the table. The NA will audit the

reality of the activity, but not actual expenditure.

Staff travel grants are paid according to distance travelled, at the following rates:

For travel distances between 100 and 499 KM: 180 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 500 and 1999 KM: 275 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 2000 and 2999 KM: 360 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 3000 and 3999 KM: 530 EUR per participant

For travel distances between 4000 and 7999 KM: 820 EUR per participant

For travel distances of 8000 KM or more: 1100 EUR per participant.

To calculate distance, the HEI must use the online tool on the EC’s website:

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/tools/distance_en.htm . The distance to be

calculated is one way - from the location of the sending organisation to that of the receiving

organisation. The grant covers the outward and return journey.

Proof of payment

All payments may be subject to audit by the NA or other institutions. If there is an audit, the NA will

ask for evidence that the grant has left the HEI’s bank account. Failure to provide this may result in

the NA recovering the grant.

Special Needs Grants for Staff

See Page 8, Special needs grants for students and staff with special needs.

Agreements with Beneficiaries

Before staff mobility commences, the home HEI must ensure that the staff member has signed a

mobility grant agreement with the HEI, formally accepting the grant and acknowledging the

obligations associated with its acceptance. Electronic (digital) signatures are not acceptable. The

agreement must be retained as a record of the mobility. Failure to sign and retain the agreement

may result in the NA recovering the grant. If it is impossible to sign the agreement before

commencement of the mobility, the HEI must be able to provide adequate justification to the NA.

The standard staff agreement for teaching is at Annex IV. This text must be used in full and cannot

be altered, but the HEI may add to it if they wish. Please see page 10 for more on Agreements with

beneficiaries and page 42 for more on audit requirements.

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Staff Teaching Programme

Prior to departure, the home and host HEIs or host enterprise must formally agree the teaching

programme, using the Staff Mobility Agreement. This can be completed electronically. Any

amendments must also be agreed and retained.

Confirmation of Teaching Period

There must be documentary evidence of the duration of the mobility period signed by the host. At

the end of a teaching period abroad the host HEI must confirm the activity undertaken and start and

end date. Failure to provide this may result in recovery of the grant in the event of an audit.

Staff Report

Upon return from the teaching period, the teacher or staff member must complete their individual

electronic report via EU Survey. This is downloadable by the HEI using the Mobility Tool. See page

13 for more on individual reports.

Recognition of Staff Mobility

HEIs must recognise staff mobility assignments, as described in the ECHE and in the Agreement

with the staff member, for example through the HEI’s performance management system. The staff

member should disseminate learning to their colleagues at the appropriate level within the HEI

(department, faculty etc) in line with requirements for dissemination of outcomes of activity (see the

Programme Guide, pages 251 and 252).

Reimbursement of Unspent Grant

If a staff member is unable to fulfil the teaching requirements of their Erasmus+ period abroad the

HEI should inform the NA who will decide whether the grant can be retained. The NA may ask for

the funding to be reimbursed.

Reporting

See page 13 for full Erasmus+ mobility reporting requirements.

Invited staff from an organisation which is not an HEI

Incoming invited staff from an organisation may be involved in teaching or staff training within a UK

HEI. These staff sign the mobility agreement with the host UK HEI and may be paid a grant by the

host HEI. In the event of an audit, there must be evidence of the activity signed by the host, as with

staff mobility.

HEIs receive OS funding for invited staff from other types of organisation. To attract OS funding, the

HEI needs to be able to provide evidence that the invited staff have participated.

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Staff Mobility – training

Erasmus+ training periods support the professional development of HEI staff. Teaching and non-

teaching staff, including administrative and other staff, employed by an HEI holding an Erasmus+

ECHE may undertake Erasmus+ mobility for training. The training period may be in another HEI or

any other appropriate organisation. A host HEI for staff training does not need to have an inter-

institutional agreement with the home HEI.

Training events abroad may be in the form of job shadowing, observation, attendance at workshops

or courses and so on. This may be for transfer of knowledge and good practice, to learn from

shared experience, acquire practical skills or discover new ideas for teaching and learning,

In general, conferences are not funded under Erasmus+ KA1. Attendance at conferences may

occasionally be allowed if there is evidence that the purpose is to acquire new skills and

knowledge for the modernisation of the home HEI. Attendance at conferences is never allowed

solely to enhance the individual’s career within a single field of study.

The regulations covering the following are the same for Staff Teaching and Staff Training. Please

refer to Staff Mobility – Teaching for further information, replacing the words “Teaching” with

“Training” where appropriate:

Duration of training period

Staff mobility grants

Special needs grants for staff with confirmation of training period

Recognition of staff mobility

Reimbursement of unspent grant

Reporting.

See page 32 for general information on staff mobility.

Agreements with Beneficiaries

Before staff mobility commences, the home HEI must ensure that the staff member has signed an

agreement with the HEI, formally accepting the grant and acknowledging the obligations associated

with its acceptance. Electronic (digital) signatures are not acceptable. The agreement must be

retained as a record of the mobility. Failure to sign and retain the agreement may result in the NA

recovering the grant. If it is impossible to sign the agreement before commencement of the mobility,

the HEI must be able to provide adequate justification to the NA.

The standard staff agreement for training is at Annex IV of the Grant Agreement. This text must be

used in full and cannot be altered, but the HEI may add to it if they wish. Please see page 12 for

more on agreements with beneficiaries and pages 40 for more on audit requirements.

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Staff Training Programme

Prior to departure, the full training programme must be agreed formally by the home and host HEI or

enterprise, by exchange of letters or electronically. Minimum requirements for the training

programme are in the Staff Training Agreement, see Annex IV of the Grant Agreement. Evidence

must be kept that this has been agreed prior to departure, and any amendment must also be

formally agreed and retained. Changes may be made electronically.

Training Report

Upon return from the training period, the staff member must complete their individual electronic

report. Provided that the end date of the mobility has been entered correctly into the Mobility Tool,

the Tool will send them an email prompting them to do this. See page 13 for more on individual

reports.

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Organisational Support (OS)

All HEIs and consortia which have received grants for outgoing student and/or staff mobility and/or

incoming staff from enterprises or other organisations also receive a grant for Organisational

Support (OS). OS is based on the total number of mobilities, including staff, students and invited

staff from enterprises or other organisations, so the final amount an HEI receives will not be known

until the NA has approved the numbers entered on the Mobility Tool. The OS grant rates are:

€350 for up to 100 participants

€200 for any additional participants (above 100 participants).

OS funding is included in the 70% initial pre-financing grant payment, based on the numbers of

mobilities in the Grant Agreement.

The OS allocation will be adjusted to take into account any adjustments made after interim reporting

and included in amendments to the Grant Agreement.

If the final outgoing student and staff mobility is below the final contract mobility then the HEI may

be asked to refund part of the OS funding. A margin of 10% is allowed, so that if the number of

mobilities drops by up to 10%, OS will remain the same. However, OS will not exceed the maximum

in the Grant Agreement. If there is no outgoing mobility or incoming mobility from enterprise, the

final OS grant will be zero.

Zero grant students are included in the calculation of the OS grant.

Eligible OS activity

The HEI may decide how the OS grant is to be used, provided it is used on activities related to

Erasmus+ HE mobility and that the HEI observes the EC and NA’s rules as laid out in this manual,

the Grant Agreement with the NA and the Programme Guide.

It is a contribution to any cost incurred by the HEI in supporting student and staff mobility, both

incoming and outgoing, in order to comply with the quality commitments in the ECHE. For example:

Arrangements with partner institutions with an ECHE, including visits, to agree on the terms

of the inter-institutional agreements, and to keep these inter-institutional agreements

updated (this includes the former “preparatory visits” under the Lifelong Learning

Programme);

Providing updated course catalogues for international students;

Information and assistance to students and staff;

Selection of students and staff;

Preparation of learning agreements to ensure full recognition of the students’ educational

components;

Preparation and recognition of mobility agreements for staff;

Language and intercultural preparation provided to incoming and outgoing students and

staff. This includes language training in the languages for which the EC does not provide an

online course;

Integration of incoming mobile participants in the HEI;

Page | 39

Efficient mentoring and supervision arrangements of mobile participants;

Specific arrangements to ensure the quality of student traineeships in enterprises or other

organisations;

Recognition of the educational components and related credits, issuing transcript of records

and diploma supplements;

Re-integration of mobile participants and building on their acquired new competences for the

benefit of the HEI and peers.

The OS grant can be used to support students for whom there is insufficient mobility funding.

However Erasmus+ emphasises the quality of mobility, so this use of the OS grant must not be to

the detriment of quality.

OS and insurance

Insurance costs for students cannot be covered by OS. Students can cover insurance from their

Erasmus+ grant if not covered otherwise. The sending HEI must verify that outgoing students are

informed in advance about the situation in the host country in terms of insurance and have sufficient

insurance coverage for their entire Erasmus+ period.

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Financial control, audit and monitoring

The NA is required under its contract with the European Commission to undertake checks of the

systems of financial control and eligibility of mobilities undertaken under grant agreement with HEIs,

as well as qualitative monitoring of the mobility activity.

Monitoring includes checking the evidence that grants have been used in accordance with the rules

and requirements of the grant and mobility agreements.

Types of Audit and Monitoring Controls

Final report checks

The NA checks all final reports to make sure that the data complies with requirements, through a

detailed validation of the data downloaded from the Mobility Tool. Any non-compliance will lead to a

recovery of any unused grant or funding granted for mobilities found to be ineligible.

Desk checks

The NA will carry out desk checks on a percentage of mobility contracts each year, based on a

random sample and an assessment of risk.

Desk checks are checks of documentation relating to staff and student mobilities. An HEI selected

for a desk check will be asked to send scanned copies of the evidence to the NA. HEIs selected for

a desk check will be notified after they have submitted their final report.

Visits

The NA is also required by the European Commission to undertake audit and monitoring visits to a

representative sample of HEIs each year to ensure that their management of the Erasmus+

Programme is satisfactory and within the terms of the ECHE.

There are three types of visit which can be undertaken by the NA or other agencies:

On the Spot Checks (NA only)

Systems Checks (NA only)

Ad hoc Audit Visits (NA or other agencies).

On the Spot Checks

On the spot checks verify check that the amounts claimed for individual mobilities in relation to the

agreement for that year are supported adequately by the documentation held by the HEI.

The HEIs subject to on the spot checks are chosen at random or based on a risk assessment using

a methodology specified by the EC. Typically, on the spot checks last one day and require the time

of the Erasmus+ Coordinator and their staff.

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Systems Checks

Systems checks cover the financial and quality commitments of the ECHE, and the effectiveness

and impact of the programme as well as the financial aspects. The exact nature of the checks is to

be confirmed.

Ad hoc Audit Visits

Ad hoc audit visits may be undertaken by the European Commission, the European Court of

Auditors, the UK National Audit Office, the NA’s own Internal Audit and/or Compliance Teams, and

other relevant bodies.

The European Commission, the European Court of Auditors and the National Audit Office operate

on a short timescale and may request a visit at very short notice. The NA has more flexibility in

arranging ad hoc visits.

The European Commission, the European Court of Auditors and the National Audit Office have their

own method of planning visits and the NA is only informed of the HEIs they intend to visit when they

announce a visit.

The NA will identify HEIs for ad hoc visits on the basis of the amounts of funding awarded, issues

arising from previous reports or other information received from the HEI.

Additional quality checks covering the commitments in the ECHE will be undertaken. These will

include review of feedback reports from individual students and staff.

Documentary Evidence

Please see your Grant Agreement, Annex II.16.2.3 and Annex III. IV for requirements regarding

documentary evidence of mobility.

This states:

II.16.2.3 Key Action 1 – Higher education

Staff mobility

A. Travel

(a) Calculation of the grant amount: the grant amount is calculated by multiplying the number of

participating staff per distance band with the unit contribution applicable to the distance band

concerned, as specified in Annex III of the Agreement. The unit contribution per distance

band represents the grant amount for a return travel between the place of departure and the

place of arrival.

(b) Triggering event: the event that conditions the entitlement to the grant is that the participant

has actually undertaken the reported travel.

(c) Supporting documents:

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- For travel taking place between the sending organisation and the receiving organisation:

proof of attendance of the activity abroad in the form of a declaration signed by the receiving

organisation specifying the name of the participant, the purpose of the activity abroad, as

well as its starting and end date;

- In case of travel from a place different than that where the sending organisation is located

and/or travel to a place different than that where the receiving organisation is located, the

actual travel itinerary shall be supported with travel tickets or other invoices specifying the

place of departure and the place of arrival.

B. Individual support

(a) Calculation of the grant amount: the grant amount is calculated by multiplying the number of

days per participant with the unit contribution applicable per day for the receiving country

concerned as specified in Annex III of the Agreement.

(b) Triggering event: the event that conditions the entitlement to the grant is that the participant

has actually undertaken the activity abroad.

(c) Supporting documents: proof of attendance of the activity abroad in the form of a declaration

signed by the receiving organisation specifying the name of the participant, the purpose of

the activity abroad, as well as its start and end date;

Student mobility

A. Travel

Unit contributions for travel are applicable for sending institutions from outermost Programme

countries and regions (outermost regions, Cyprus, Malta, and Overseas Countries and Territories).

(a) Calculation of the grant amount: the grant amount is calculated by multiplying the number of

outbound students per distance band with the unit contribution applicable to the distance

band concerned, as specified in Annex III of the Agreement. The unit contribution per

distance band represents the grant amount for a return travel between the place of departure

and the place of arrival.

(b) Triggering event: the event that conditions the entitlement to the grant is that the student has

actually undertaken the reported travel.

(c) Supporting documents:

- Documentary evidence issued by the receiving organisation and specifying:

- the name of the student,

- the start and end date of the mobility activity abroad in the following format:

(i) Transcript of Records (or statement attached to it) in the case of mobility for

studies

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(ii) Traineeship Certificate (or statement attached to it) in the case of mobility for

traineeships

- In case of travel from a place different than that where the sending organisation is located

and/or travel to a place different than that where the receiving organisation is located, the

actual travel itinerary shall be supported with travel tickets or other invoices specifying the

place of departure and the place of arrival.

B. Individual support

(a) Calculation of the grant amount: the grant amount is calculated by multiplying the number of

months per student with the unit contribution applicable per month for the receiving country

concerned as specified in Annex III of the Agreement. In the case of incomplete months, the

grant amount is calculated by multiplying the number of days in the incomplete month with

1/30 of the unit contribution per month.

(b) Triggering event: the event that conditions the entitlement to the grant is that the student has

actually undertaken the activity abroad.

(c) Supporting documents:

- Documentary evidence issued by the receiving organisation and specifying:

The name of the student,

The start and end date of the mobility activity abroad in the following format:

(i) Transcript of Records (or statement attached to it) in the case of mobility for

studies

(ii) Traineeship Certificate (or statement attached to it) in the case of mobility for

traineeships

Staff and student mobility

C. Organisational support

(a) Calculation of the grant amount: the grant amount is calculated by multiplying the total

number of participations in mobility activities with the unit contribution applicable as specified

in Annex III of the Agreement. The total numbers of participations considered for the

calculation of organisational support includes all students and staff undertaking outbound

mobility, including those with a zero-grant from EU funds, as well as invited staff from

enterprises undertaking inbound mobility.

(b) Triggering event: the event that conditions the entitlement to the grant is that the participant

has actually undertaken the activity abroad.

(c) Supporting documents: proof of attendance of the activity abroad as specified for "individual

support" above.

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Reasons for Recoveries

The NA will recover grant funds if any of the following is found during an audit:

Missing bi-lateral/inter-institutional agreements

Student or staff member ineligible for mobility

Missing mobility agreement or one which is unsigned, signed after student has started the

mobility or signed after payment received

Missing student learning agreement or one which is unsigned or signed more than one

month after he student commenced the mobility

Missing mobility agreement for staff mobility

No teaching or training agreement for staff mobilities

No proof that material changes to mobilities were agreed

No independently produced proof of attendance from the host institution or organisation

confirming the student or staff member’s period of mobility

No evidence that the student or staff member was paid their grant for the mobility period

No final record of academic achievement is in place

Missing individual report.

If a student mobility agreement was not signed before the start of the mobility, but there is evidence

that the HEI took action to persuade the student to sign the agreement, and the student was unable

to do so for good reasons, the NA may allow this as an exception and not recover the funds.

Evidence would include emails to the student reminding them that they must sign and return the

agreement. In most cases however the NA would expect the mobility agreement and learning

agreement to be in place before the mobility commences.

Recoveries on student mobilities and staff mobilities will be based on the amount deemed ineligible

for the mobility.

Feedback from Audit Visits Carried Out by the NA

At the end of a visit the HEI will receive informal feedback and the opportunity to provide missing

information.

The NA will give formal feedback in the form of a draft visit report, taking into account any initial

comments from the HEI, within 30 days of the visit.

The HEI will have 30 days to respond to the draft report during which time the NA will accept

missing information or other explanations as necessary.

Repayment of Grant Monies

Following validation of the final report data, and adverse audit findings, the NA will request

reimbursement of any funds overpaid or incorrectly reported. The NA will not enter into an

agreement for future years with the institution until any outstanding amounts identified are repaid.

Page | 45

Practicalities for Audit Visits Carried Out by the NA

The Erasmus+ co-ordinators at HEIs selected for visits will be contacted in advance to agree a date

and will be advised of areas to be covered. A sample list of mobilities to be examined will normally

be given in advance of the visit. To aid the process the HEI should prepare copies of the

documentation described in this section as evidence of activity.

Appeals

An appeal is defined as a request for a review of a decision taken by the National Agency the HEI

feels is incorrect or unfair and would like reconsidered. There is an appeals procedure for Erasmus+

applicants and beneficiaries. Appeals may be made in writing by downloading and completing the

Erasmus+ appeals form at www.erasmusplus.org.uk/contact-us/how-to-make-an-appeal.

Please see page 5 for more information.