Erasmus+ Youth Project Writing Challenge + Mentorship

What is the Erasmus+ writing challenge?

We have created an online challenge to help you develop a youth project, apply it for the Erasmus+ grant, get funding and make a change in the world! 

Daily videos: Based on years of personal experience in grant writing and European fundraising we split the project writing process into 14 steps. We'll post a short daily explanation video in the Erasmus+ Youth Academy FB community at 18.00 CET from the 1st to 14th of February 2022.

Home tasks: Every day, after each video, you will receive a small home task. You will need around 30 minutes to complete it, and at the end of the challenge, you'll have a fully developed project idea ready to be submitted for the next deadline.

Supportive community: You don't need to do it alone. In Erasmus+ Youth Academy you'll complete the challenge day-by-day with other participants (or your own team), as well as share your successes and ask questions to challenge facilitators.

Mentorship session and feedback: On completing the challenge, complimentary mentorship sessions will be available to get feedback on project applications.

Day-to-day programme: 

Day 0. Motivation and preparation: Why do you want to carry out KA1 mobility?  Organisation registration and OID. Drafting PIF both for your project and future partners. 

Day 1. Intro into Erasmus+ Youth KA1: Principles and priorities of Erasmus+ (2021-2027).
Project formats. Difference between youth exchanges and professional development activities. Tips on how to read the Guide.

Day 2. Finding the problem: How to find the problem and check its relevance to Erasmus+. Reasoning your choice in the application form. Statistics and European Strategy.

Day 3. Needs' analysis: Define the target audience of your project - future participants. What are their needs, fears and desires? Ways to conduct needs' analysis.

Day 4. Project concept development: Project development tool - Circle of creativity. Making a reality check and defining the vision, goal (6W) and objectives of your project. Relation to Erasmus+ and European Strategy.

Day 5. Participants' profile: What's the profile of your participants? (their background, age, life experiences, needs and issues, do they face fewer opportunities). How will they be included in the project? Participation ladder of Roger Hart.

Day 6. Team and Partners: Who is in your team and what are their strong sides? How to search for partners? First email and basic project info. Partners' agreements based on the project lifecycle and means of communication.

Day 7. Practical arrangements: Logistics & practicalities: whose responsibility is this? Timeline of project preparation, implementation and follow-up. Common mistakes.

Day 8. Preparation of participants and learning outcomes: Different types of preparation. Special preparation of participants with fewer opportunities. Introduction to Youthpass and key competencies.

Day 9. Activity program: Intro into informal and non-formal learning methods. How to develop a well-balanced program? Tips&Tricks on designing activity program.

Day 10. Project outcomes and their dissemination: Tangible and intangible results. Examples of good dissemination strategies. Dissemination of the outcomes and project visibility tips.

Day 11. Expected impact: Impact on direct and indirect beneficiaries, as well as local, national and European levels. Ways to measure impact. Checking coherence with Erasmus+ KA1 expected impact.

Day 12. Project monitoring and evaluation: Risk assessment: what can go wrong in the project and ways to predict and prevent risks. Developing a project monitoring plan. Designing criteria of project success.

Day 13. Final project check-up: How to quickly check project coherence and clarity. Common mistakes. 
Checklist based on project assessment criteria.

Day 14. Application form: How to fill in the electronic form: sections and questions. Budget and annexes. Checking all formal criteria and documents before submission.

Mentorship and feedback: from 15th to 22nd of February 2022.