Erasmus Plus Hub

On this page we aim to collect accurate and up-to-date information and news about Erasmus Plus, the European Solidarity Corps and other related programmes, current UK Government policy towards these, and ongoing campaigns to restore UK young people’s rights to access the same range of international opportunity enjoyed by their peers in other countries.

If you do not find what you are looking for here, you want to contribute information or resources, or you have suggestions for other improvements, please contact us.

About Erasmus Plus… and more

Erasmus Plus, funded by EU member states and other associated countries, is the world’s biggest and best programme for education, training, youth and sport. It provides unparalleled opportunities for young people to travel, learn, volunteer and understand each other’s cultures, across Europe and further afield. It also enables professional links between schools, youth groups, further and higher education institutions, encouraging staff development, exchange of good practice and innovation.

Erasmus Plus explicitly targets and benefits young people with fewer opportunities. The thematic priorities of the programme are:

diversity and inclusion
environment and climate change
digital transformation
participation in democratic life

There are many other EU educational and youth programmes.

The European Solidarity Corps Provides fully-funded volunteering placements of up to 12 months for young people aged 18-30, as well as funding for small scale local or international social action projects.

eTwinning allows teachers and school staff to collaborate and develop national and international projects. It provides a secure platform for teachers and pupils to work together with schools across Europe, discuss in online groups, follow peer learning and professional development activities.

Discover EU gives 18-year-olds one month’s free travel on Europe’s railways.

A recent LinkedIn post by the European Commission highlights the wide range of opportunities currently available to young people across Europe.

There are so many misconceptions about Erasmus Plus, chief among which is that it is only a university programme. To counter this misinformation, we have produced a short “Mythbuster” document. Download here

Eurodesk works with over 3000 youth information points in 36 countries that inform young people about mobility opportunities and encourage them to become active citizens. Although Eurodesk was originally a UK (Scottish) initiative, these information services are not yet available again here. One of the aims of InterCom is to offer a temporary replacement.

UK Position and Policy

The UK and Erasmus+

The Erasmus+ programme divides the world into 14 regions. Region 1 is EU and other countries associated with the programme. Other regions have varying levels of access and participation. The UK is now in Region 14, together with Switzerland (which is currently negotiating entry to Erasmus+ from 2027-28) and the Faroe Islands (whose people have Danish citizenship). This means that the UK could soon be the only country in the world whose young people and institutions have absolutely no access to the programme.

Current Government Policy

The UK government has said it wishes to “reset” relations with the EU. The summit meeting on 19th May 2025 resulted in a declaration including the intention to negotiate the UK’s association with Erasmus+, as well as a “balanced youth experience scheme”.

As of December 2025, negotiations on Erasmus+ are ongoing. Little official information is available but sources suggest that the UK may re-enter the programme in 2026-27.

“The United Kingdom and the European Commission should work towards the association of the United Kingdom to the European Union Erasmus+ programme. The specific terms of this association, including mutually agreed financial terms, should be determined as part of that process in order to ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the United Kingdom. The association should be in accordance with the European Union Multiannual Financial Framework and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.”

“Common Understanding” declaration, 19 May 2025

Turing and Taith

Following the UK’s withdrawal from Erasmus Plus in 2021, the government launched the Turing scheme for universities, colleges and schools. This is not a replacement for Erasmus Plus, as it is much more limited in scope and benefits. Turing allows only outward mobilities and does not include youth, non-formal or lifelong learning projects, professional training or institutional partnerships. It is not yet known whether the Turing scheme will continue if the UK re-enters Erasmus+.

Wales and Scotland sought possible separate admission into Erasmus Plus, but the EU response was that access can only be granted to internationally recognised states. The Welsh government has subsequently established its own programme, Taith, which offers funding for a wide range of activities, including both outward and inward mobilities, across all areas of education.

The Scottish government declared its intention to create a similar scheme, but so far no policy or practical measures have been taken towards this.

The Irish government allows students from Northern Ireland to participate in Erasmus Plus if they are registered at a university in the Republic. There is no equivalent arrangement for non-university participation.

The National Campaign for Erasmus Plus

There is majority support across the country for the UK to join Erasmus Plus. The National Campaign was launched in November 2025 across the four UK nations, with the aim of raising awareness and appreciation of Erasmus+ among politicians, the media and the general public so as to ensure that the 19th May Summit declaration is fulfilled as soon as possible. Several organisations and groups have joined forces to lead and support the campaign, including:

The European Movement UK (EM) was founded by Winston Churchill in 1949 to promote European unity. For over 75 years, it has worked to build a closer relationship with our European neighbours, with whom the UK shares deeply held values and a common history. EM convenes the steering committee for the national campaign.

The Young European Movement (YEM) is the campaign body for students in higher, further and secondary education and as such plays a key role in the campaign as a whole. In 2024, YEM ran a public campaign “Embrace Erasmus”, which collected over 30,000 signatures. The campaign focused only on the university aspect of Erasmus Plus.

The European Movement in Scotland is similarly running an "Unlock Erasmus” campaign for the rights of young Scots to learn, live and work in Europe through Erasmus Plus. The campaign has also been lobbying the Scottish government to put in place its own scheme, similar to the Welsh Taith programme.

The Erasmus Plus Alliance (EPA) is an informal campaigning group of all ages from all parts of the UK. The team includes students, academics, teachers, educationalists, training-providers and youth workers. EPA is voluntary, non-party-political, and open to all who share the same values and goals. The website contains a wealth of background information, documentation and analysis.

The Centre for International Learning & Leadership (CILL) specialises in non-formal education. CILL is currently convening EuroPeers Plus, a group of people of all ages and backgrounds who can tell the human stories of the life-changing benefits of Erasmus+, with a particular focus on the youth and voluntary sector.

The Erasmus Student Network UK (ESN) fosters student mobility in Higher Education, and provides opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of Students Helping Students. Its “Erasmus+ Stories” campaign aims to highlight the incredible, less quantifiable, benefits of participation in Erasmus Plus.

Role of InterCom

InterCom supports all campaigns and lobbying for the UK to rejoin Erasmus Plus, the European Solidarity Corps and other youth programmes. However, we believe that these campaigns will only succeed if they are based on accurate information about the full range of opportunities that UK young people are being deprived of. Politicians on all sides, as well as the media and the public, remain exceedingly ill-informed about Erasmus Plus and related programmes. This includes those who support the cause. So we call on everyone who supports InterCom to join us in correcting the narrative, widening the audience and winning the argument by being better informed.

InterCom is the home base for EuroPeers Plus, and also the main contact point with Eurodesk Brussels.