European Universities

The Erasmus+ European Universities Call 2026 aims to grant funding specifically for existing deep institutional transnational cooperation alliances among higher education institutions. The call, designated as ERASMUS-EDU-2026-EUR-UNIV, has a total budget of €145.6 million allocated for transitional financial support over a two-year period, intended to sustain and enhance institutionalized cooperation within these alliances.

Eligible applicants must be higher education institutions participating in consortium alliances, with a requirement for multiple institutions to work collaboratively toward shared goals. The funding will be provided in the form of ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants, which simplifies financial management by offering fixed amounts rather than reimbursement-based funding.

Geographically, the call includes institutions from EU member states and associated countries, notably the Western Balkans, as potential beneficiaries. The target sector is higher education, focusing on quality enhancement, performance improvement, innovation in teaching methods, and international competitiveness.

The funding process is competitive, with applications subject to a single-stage submission process. The call was published on November 18, 2025, and the deadline for applications is March 4, 2026. Evaluation of applications will occur from March to July 2026, with successful proposals aiming to continue development of established alliances and facilitate deeper integration across European higher education.

Key objectives include promoting common European values and enhancing the European identity through collaborative academic efforts. The call supports initiatives that advance systemic, structural, and sustainable cooperation, aligning with the broader vision of creating a European Education Area.

The evaluation criteria and further details about application procedures are outlined in the call document, which should be consulted for full eligibility and submission requirements. The grant agreements are expected to be signed by October 2026. Additional resources and support can be accessed through the Funding & Tenders Portal and the designated contact emails for assistance.

The European Commission is offering a call for proposals under the Erasmus+ program, specifically targeting European Universities. The call, titled ERASMUS-EDU-2026-EUR-UNIV, aims to support the development of institutionalized cooperation among higher education institutions, making it systemic, structural, and sustainable. The goal is to enhance the quality, performance, and international competitiveness of these institutions, aligning with the vision of a European Education Area.

The primary objectives of the European Universities initiative are to promote common European values and strengthen European identity by fostering collaboration among a new generation of Europeans. This collaboration should transcend cultural, linguistic, geographical, sectoral, and disciplinary boundaries. The initiative also seeks to significantly improve the quality, attractiveness, and global competitiveness of European higher education, driving institutional transformation and contributing to the European knowledge economy. European Universities are intended to strengthen the links between higher education, research, innovation, society, and the economy.

This call is open to existing deep institutional transnational cooperation alliances of higher education institutions, including those selected under the 2022 Erasmus+ call for proposals. The Erasmus+ funding period for selected alliances will be two years.

The call was published on November 18, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is March 4, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period will take place from March to July 2026, with information for applicants expected in July 2026. The signature of the grant agreement is scheduled for October 2026.

The total budget allocated to this call is 145,600,000 EUR, and it will be implemented through ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants (ERASMUS-LS). The call follows a single-stage submission process.

Admissibility conditions require applicants to adhere to the proposal page limits and layout guidelines specified in the call document and Part B of the Application Form, which is available in the Submission System. The call document also outlines eligible countries and other eligibility conditions, as well as financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria.

The evaluation and award process, including submission procedures, evaluation criteria, scoring, and thresholds, are detailed in the call document. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also provided in the same document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is not applicable (n/a).

Applicants can find the call document and annexes, including application form templates (Standard application form (ERASMUS BB and LSII), Detailed budget table (ERASMUS LSII)), guidance (ERASMUS Programme Guide), and model grant agreements (ERASMUS MGA), on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Additional documents such as the ERASMUS+ Work Programme, ERASMUS Regulation 2021/817, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement are also available.

The Funding & Tenders Portal allows LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants to publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics. Any user with an active public Person profile can also publish partner requests.

To submit a proposal, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service via the submission button, selecting the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement. Existing draft proposals can be accessed by logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal and navigating to the My Proposals page.

Applicants are advised to carefully review all provisions before preparing their application. For assistance with the call, applicants can contact EACEA-EUROPEAN-UNIVERSITIES@ec.europa.eu. Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk for technical issues, and the Online Manual for step-by-step guidance.

In summary, this Erasmus+ call aims to foster deep and sustainable cooperation among European higher education institutions, enhancing their quality, competitiveness, and contribution to the European Education Area. It provides funding and support for existing alliances to further develop their institutional partnerships and achieve transformative goals in education, research, and innovation. The call encourages the creation of a new generation of Europeans capable of collaborating across borders and disciplines, promoting European values and identity.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are deep institutional transnational cooperation alliances of higher education institutions. This includes, but is not limited to, the European Universities alliances selected under the 2022 Erasmus+ call for proposals.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants, specifically deep institutional transnational cooperation alliances of higher education institutions. A single applicant is not eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is described in the call document, but it is implied to be within the Erasmus+ programme scope, which generally includes EU member states and associated countries. Further details should be checked in the call document.

Target Sector: The target sector is education, specifically higher education, with a focus on institutional cooperation, quality, performance, and international competitiveness of European higher education institutions.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on European higher education institutions, implying eligibility for institutions within the EU and associated countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme.

Project Stage: The project stage is for existing, deep institutional transnational cooperation alliances of higher education institutions. This suggests the alliances are already established and seeking further development and sustainability.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic ERASMUS-EDU-2026-EUR-UNIV - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants is EUR 145,600,000. The specific grant amounts per project are not detailed in the provided text but will likely vary depending on the project scope and activities.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission." The call is single-stage.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text, so the success rate cannot be determined from this information.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. This information would likely be detailed in the call document.

Summary:

This Erasmus+ call, ERASMUS-EDU-2026-EUR-UNIV, aims to support existing deep institutional transnational cooperation alliances of higher education institutions, including but not limited to the European Universities alliances selected under the 2022 Erasmus+ call for proposals. The objective is to further develop institutionalized cooperation, making it systemic, structural, and sustainable, and to increase the quality, performance, and international competitiveness of European higher education institutions. The call aligns with the vision for a European Education Area, promoting common European values and a strengthened European identity. It seeks to enhance the quality, attractiveness, and international competitiveness of higher education, contributing to the European knowledge economy, employment, creativity, culture, and welfare. The funding period for the alliances selected under this call will be of 2 years. The total budget allocated to this call is EUR 145,600,000. The call was published on November 18, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is March 4, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period is scheduled from March to July 2026, with information to applicants provided in July 2026, and the signature of the grant agreement in October 2026. The application process is single-stage, and submissions must be made electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants should carefully review the call document, application form templates, ERASMUS Programme Guide, and Model Grant Agreements for detailed information on eligibility criteria, evaluation processes, and legal and financial requirements. Support and guidance are available through the EACEA-EUROPEAN-UNIVERSITIES email address, the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk, and the Online Manual.