Application advicesession for schools:

KA2 StrategicPartnerships

What is Key Action 2?

Key Action 2 will focus on sharing, developing andtransferring innovative practices in education, training and youth provision between participating countries

How? Through Strategic Partnerships (SPs)

UK organisations can apply for funding to run collaborativeprojects which address:

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EU policy objectives and prioritiesChallenges (within school)Needs of one or more specific field of education

Summary of basic features

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Can last 2 or 3 yearsCan focus on oneeducation

specific field of education eg school

• Can promote cross-sectoral cooperation i.e. involvethan one field of educationGrant is not a simple lump sum for mobilities (as

more

•Comenius) but a mix of lump sum (unit costs) and realcosts

Who can apply/participate?

• Any organisation from the list of Programmecan apply

Countries

• Organisations from Partner Countries (wider world) can take part as project partners (not as applicants) and only if they add value to the project

Programme countries

Number and profile of partner organisations

• Minimum of two partner schools fromtwo programme countriesUp to a max. of ten partner organisations from funded programme countries can be involved per SP

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Acronyms galore: ECAS, URF, PIC• Before applying, all schools will need a Personal

Identification Code (PIC) …… to get a PIC, a school must use the UniqueRegistration Facility (URF) ……and to access the URF, a school must register with the European Commission Authentication Service (ECAS) ECAS URF PIC

Start athttp://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/onlineservices/pador/register_en.htm

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Selection and grant agreements

• One application per project, assessed by coordinatingNational AgencySchool to school only SPs = individual Grant Agreementsas per current Comenius partnershipsIf schools partner with other organisations (eg Local Authority), the applicant organisation holds the grant agreement with their National Agency and hence the funds for the whole partnership

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What happens when you apply?

• a formal check is made to verify against the eligibility andexclusion criteriaa quality assessment evaluates how well the participating organisations meet the selection criteria and the project meets the award criteriaNotification of result of application is within 4 months of the submission deadline (30 April 2014)

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Award Criteria-Each application is scored out of 100 points

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Relevance ofQuality of theQuality of the

the project (30)project design and implementationproject team and the cooperation

(20)

arrangements (20)Impact and dissemination (30)•

A project must score at least 60 to be considered AND score at least 50% in each category

Relevance of the project (30 points)

Relevance of the proposed project to:

• one of more of the EU policy priorities for education & training

• and/or the school education priorities

• developing basic and transversal skills, e.g. entrepreneurship, digital skills, multilingualism

• enhancing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) uptake in teaching and learning

Education and training priorities:

School priorities

• Improving the attainment ofthose at risk of early schoolImproving the attainment of

young people, particularlyleaving (ESL)young people with low basic•

skills in Maths, Science and LiteracyDeveloping high quality and accessible Early ChildhoodEducation and Care servicesRevising and strengthening the professional profile of theteaching professions

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The application eform

http://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/key-action-2/strategic-partnerships-for-schools

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Completed on-line only (no paper)You’ll need the most up-to-date version of Adobe ReaderTo submit and complete in full, you will need to beconnected to the internetIt must be saved to your desktop (not USB!) before starting

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Application process

1. Complete form2. Validate3. Print declaration4. Have it signed (by Headteacher)5. Attach the declaration (electronically)6. Attach the time table of activities (Gantt chart)7. Submit the application online

You must also upload the following documentsin the Participant Portal:

• the Legal Entity form as proof of legal status (this formcan be downloaded from the European Commission’swebsite at:http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contrac ts/legal_entities/legal_entities_en.cfm);the Financial Identification form. This form can be downloaded at:http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contrac ts/financial_id/financial_id_en.cfm)

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It should look like this

The application form content overview

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Context: backgroundParticipating organisations: basic informationDescription of the project: rationale for project andpartnership, objectives

• Preparation and project management: including m&e;• Project activities: details of all outputs and activities

The application form content overview

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Follow-up: dissemination, use of results, sustainabilityBudget: management and activitiesProject summaryFormal aspects: data protection, sign off

Context and participating organisations••••

Basic informationApplicant organisation cf. coordinator in ComeniusDetails fill in automatically when ‘PIC’ inputPartners – as above

Description of the project, objectives••

Rationale, issues and needs ie why this project?Innovative or complementary: how does it fit with other activity/ies?Partners: how chosen? skills, knowledge, experience?New partners? EU added valueCommunication and meetings, partners and stakeholdersRelevant Priorities - drop down Relevant Topics - drop down Results: outputs, products, changes

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Preparation and project management• Preparation: analyses, planning, building engagement,

possibly before funding starts;• Budget and timelines: management and monitoring

budget between partners, monitoring timelines, rectifying• Quality of activities: monitoring quality of delivery;

how, when?who,

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Risks: internal and external, how monitored and mitigatedAssessing achievement: qualitative and quantitativeindicators and activities (outputs, results, objectives)

Implementation• Organisation of activities:

coordinated, timings?who, what, where, how

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Target groups: who? cf. “needs”, aboveParticipants with fewer opportunities: number; proportionparticipants support for themwhy is participation difficult?

of

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Project activities (and outputs)• Menu caters for a range

scaleDivided into types:

of projects in terms of in type and

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Intellectual outputsMultiplier eventsLearning/Teaching/Training Activities

Mobilities1. Transnational Project Meetings – no minimum stay;

2. Learning, Teaching and Training Activities:

• Short term staff training events (5 days – 2 months)• Short term pupil visits (5 days – 2 months)

Both must clearly contribute to overall objectives of project

Follow up - impact• Impact (effects, results, changes) on participating

individuals and organisations, systems and practices and other stakeholdersImpact beyond the project; local, regional, national, EuropeanMeasurement – who, what, how?

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Follow up – dissemination & sustainability• Important in Erasmus+ - added value of EU funding, wider

reach and impact• Communicating successes and results widely: for use

intobytheothers including other sectors; to influence

futureMeasureable, realistic objectives (timetable)Resource planningInvolvement of target groups if possible

policy;

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Budget• Menu of different cost items: different funding levels and

structures•••

Most payments conditional on justificationUnit costs/flat rates (with maximums)Two cost items are common to any project:

in application

1. Project management and implementation2. Transnational project meetings

Project management and implementation

• 500 EUR per month to the coordinator, and 250EUR per month to each other partnerproject management e.g. contribution to tasks such as planning, managing finances, coordination, communication, promotion and disseminationVirtual cooperation and local activitiesInformation/promo/dissemination (e.g. productionand dissemination of brochures, web info…)

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Transnational project meetings

• Travel and subsistence costs for project meetingsbetween partners, hosted by one of the participating organisationsDistance bands as crow flies, - use European•Commission

100km –2,000km

distance calculator1,999km = 575 EUR per participantand above = 760 EUR per participant

• Maximum 23,000 EUR per year in total (for allpartners)

Optional cost items linked to activities

Transnational learning/teaching/training activities:

• Travel by distance (275 EUR/360 EUR) • Subsistence per pupil (55 EUR) and staff (100

EUR) per day for first 14 days

Special needs (optional)

• Additional actual costs incurred to supportparticipants with special needs.Please enter actual costs as far as you know

•them, itfunding has not request

may not be possible to provide extrafor participants with special needs which been included in your original budget

Exceptional costs (optional)

• 75% actuals , subcontracted goods and serviceswhich partners cannot provideOffice equipment or other equipment normallyused by partners will not be funded

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Project Summary• Synopsis: to be used for publicity, uploaded to EC

disseminationContext Objectives Participants ActivitiesMethodology

platform•••••••

Results, impact, longer term benefitsSummary of participating organisations and budget

Example of a Strategic Partnershipbetween schools••

Three schools in 3 programme countriesdeveloping learning materials togetherinterest pupils in the subjects of Mathscreative and appealing way.

on how toand Science

in a

• The expected output is the creation of a number oflearning materials to be used in Maths and ScienceclassesThe activities would involve the direct cooperation of pupils in those classes both virtually (e.g. using eTwinning) and live for a project week.

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For a two-year project the schools wouldapply for a grant covering:• Project management and implementation: a unit cost/flat

rate grant perTransnationalmobilitiesTransnational

schoolproject meetings: 4 meetings including 24•

• learning/training activity: a joint projectweek for which a group of 15 pupils each from two of theschools would travel totogether during a week exhibition open to local of the hosting school.

the third school and workwith the materials, closed by anschools and the local community

Finding out more• www.erasmusplus.org.uk

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Application guidance,Forms, Deadline (11am UK time on 30th April),Programme guide,Links and guidance for ECAS and PIC,Everything else to do with Erasmus+

•erasmusplus.enquiries@britishcouncil.org0161 957 7755