Most teachers who join a Sherlock Edu course in Berlin, Vienna, Helsinki or Budapest do not pay out of their own pocket. Their school applies for Erasmus+ funding under Key Action 1 (KA1), and the grant covers the course, the journey and the stay. This guide explains how that works, in plain language.
What is Erasmus+ KA1?
Erasmus+ is the European Union’s programme for education, training, youth and sport. Key Action 1 – Learning mobility of individuals funds people who go abroad to learn. For schools, vocational education and training (VET) and adult education, that includes staff mobility: teachers, trainers, school leaders and other staff attending structured courses, job shadowing or teaching assignments in another programme country.
The grant is not given to individual teachers. Your organisation — the school, VET provider or adult education institution — applies to its National Agency and then sends its staff.
Two ways your school can apply
- Short-term projects. A simpler, one-off application for a limited number of participants and activities. Ideal if your school is new to Erasmus+.
- Erasmus accreditation. A long-term “membership” for organisations with an Erasmus Plan. Accredited organisations then request funding each year with a much lighter application.
Schools can also join an existing mobility consortium, often coordinated by a regional education authority, and send staff through it.
What does the grant usually cover?
Erasmus+ uses fixed contributions (“unit costs”) set in the annual Erasmus+ Programme Guide. For staff attending a structured course, the budget typically includes:
- Course fees — a contribution per participant per day of the course, up to a ceiling per participant.
- Travel — a contribution based on the distance band between your city and the course city, with a higher rate for green travel.
- Individual support — a daily amount for accommodation, meals and local transport, which varies by the receiving country.
- Organisational support — paid to your organisation for preparation, follow-up and administration.
- Inclusion support — extra funding for participants with fewer opportunities or special needs.
Exact amounts change between call years, so always check the current Programme Guide and your National Agency’s website. Our five-day courses cost €400 per participant and include tuition, materials, coffee breaks, certificates and organisation, so they sit comfortably within the usual course-fee contribution.
A realistic timeline
- Autumn: identify your school’s training needs and connect them to your development plan. Shortlist courses and dates.
- Winter: write the application. Most National Agencies have a main KA1 deadline early in the year — often in February. Some offer a second round in autumn.
- Spring–summer: results are published and grant agreements signed.
- Project period: participants pre-register, travel, train and return. You then share what was learned with colleagues and report to the National Agency.
What makes an application convincing
- A clear need. Describe a concrete challenge — rising absenteeism, inclusion of newly arrived students, digital skills — and show how the course answers it.
- The right course for the right people. Explain who goes and why: a school leader to a well-being course, two subject teachers to an AI course.
- Impact after the trip. Plan workshops for colleagues, changes in lesson plans, and how you will measure them.
- Reliable partners. Give the course provider’s name, programme and OID (Organisation ID). Sherlock Edu GmbH’s OID is E10143856.
How we help before and after
When you pre-register, we send the course programme, dates and the details you need for your project file. After the course, every participant receives a Certificate of Attendance and a Europass document describing the training content and hours — useful evidence for your final report.
This article is general guidance, not an official interpretation of Erasmus+ rules. Your National Agency and the current Programme Guide are the binding sources.
