written by Toni P. Lyubenova
What the 2028–2034 programme means for organisations working in the Youth sector
The European Commission has published its proposal for the next Erasmus+ programme, covering 2028 to 2034. With a proposed budget of €40.8 billion – up from €26.2 billion in the current cycle and significant structural changes on the horizon, this is not a moment for NGOs to sit back and wait.
The window between now and 2028 is exactly the kind of planning that separates organisations that lead successful project portfolios from those scrambling to catch up. Here’s what you need to know, and what you can start doing today.
The big picture: what’s changing
A bigger, broader programme
The headline figure is a proposed 55% budget increase. That sounds transformative – but context matters. The new programme will absorb the European Solidarity Corps (which previously had a separate budget), and when inflation and rising mobility costs are factored in, experts suggest €45–46 billion would be needed just to maintain current activity levels. Stakeholder coalitions like EUA and ESN are pushing for an even more ambitious €60 billion target.
For NGOs, the practical takeaway is this: more money is coming, but competition will be stronger too. Now is the time to build the partnerships and project portfolio that make your organisation stand out.
A new structure – simpler on paper, different in practice
The familiar Key Action categories (KA1, KA2, KA3) are being replaced. All mobility actions will be grouped under a single heading, and Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps will merge into one programme. Mini-grants and simplified reporting are promised for new applicants. We still don’t know how these would look like, but they might be supportive for new organisations that are just starting out.
This restructuring is designed to reduce complexity – but any structural change creates a learning curve. Organisations that invest time now in understanding the new framework will have a real advantage when the first calls open.
New priorities for NGOs
The 2028–2034 programme introduces or deepens several thematic priorities that play directly to what creative and civic NGOs do best:
- Democratic participation and civic education – active citizenship is no longer a side note; it’s a stated programme priority. With everything that’s happening in Europe right now, this make sense. For inspiration on such projects, check out an innovative project focused on legislative theater that I built with Creatosphere here.
- Resilience and crisis preparedness – linking youth work and non-formal education to the EU’s broader societal agenda – this is a new priority, and projects on this topic are still underdeveloped.
- Green and digital transitions – sustainable travel, digital skills, and environmental literacy are still a priority
- Inclusion – a strong and specific focus on participants with fewer opportunities, with dedicated support structures. For inspiration of such projects, check out what I’ve done with Creatosphere in a youth exchange here.
If your organisation works in any of these areas, you are not on the margins of this programme. You are central to it.
What this means for your work specifically
Project design
The shift toward a “Union of Skills” framing – with emphasis on skills validation – changes the language you’ll need to use in proposals. Funders will increasingly want to see how your projects connect to tangible learning outcomes and labour market relevance – concrete numbers, tied to concrete needs.
What is this “Union of Skills”?
The “Union of Skills” is a European Commission policy initiative – essentially a strategic framework for how the EU wants to approach talent, learning, and workforce development across member states. It’s broader than Erasmus+ alone.
The core idea is that Europe needs a more coordinated approach to skills – making sure that qualifications are recognised across borders, that learning (including non-formal learning) is validated, and that education systems are more responsive to labour market needs.
In practical terms it involves things like:
- Microcredentials – short, stackable certificates for specific skills, sitting alongside or underneath full degree
- Skills validation – formal recognition of things people have learned outside traditional education (youth work, volunteering, community projects)
- European Degree pathways – joint degrees awarded by institutions in multiple countries that are automatically recognised everywhere
- Cross-border qualification recognition —- reducing the friction when someone trained in Bulgaria wants to work in Portugal
For NGOs and youth organisations, it’s both an opportunity and a tension. The opportunity is that work you’ve always done – building intercultural competence, civic skills, creative confidence, digital literacy through non-formal means – could finally get formal recognition in this framework. That makes your projects easier to justify to funders and more valuable to participants.
This doesn’t mean abandoning your organisation’s mission. It means framing it more deliberately. A youth theatre project is also a project about communication skills, intercultural competence, and active citizenship. A documentary workshop is also a media literacy and digital skills initiative. Start practising that translation now.
Watch also for the Administrative Simplification agenda. Simplified reporting and mini-grants could open doors for smaller organisations that have historically found Erasmus+ bureaucracy prohibitive, or because of competition with bigger organisations, have never won a project.
How will the Youth sector look like?
The existing Key Actions structure (KA1, KA2, KA3) is being replaced by two pillars: “Learning Opportunities for All” covering mobility and exchanges, and “Capacity Building Support” covering cooperation projects, networks, and policy activities. The idea is that rather than navigating three action types with overlapping logic, applicants will find it clearer which pillar their project belongs to from the beginning.
Lump sums and simplified grant models are being extended
This is arguably the most concrete and practical change. Building on lessons from the current programme, the 2028–2034 proposal extends the use of lump sums, simplified unit costs, and digital tools to improve user-friendliness, particularly for newcomers, NGOs, and grassroots organisations. Lump sums mean less time tracking and evidencing every individual expenditure – you agree on a fixed amount for an activity and report on delivery rather than receipts.
Mini-grants and simplified reporting for smaller applicants
Simplified application procedures for small organisations are explicitly promised, with mini-grants designed to reduce the barrier to entry for organisations that have historically found the full application process difficult.
The honest caveat
The simplification agenda is largely untested at this stage – the proposal is still going through the legislative process. Whether the bureaucratic simplifications will be perceived as such by those working on the ground remains an open question. The shift to two pillars may feel simpler on paper but creates its own learning curve, and while the two-pillar structure may provide simplification, small sectors risk losing visibility without dedicated budget lines.
Youth participation moves from nice-to-have to priority
The new programme explicitly strengthens support for youth-led organisations and frames active citizenship and democratic participation as core programme goals, not just eligible activities. This is a shift in emphasis. Youth work is being positioned as part of the EU’s response to societal challenges like democratic backsliding, climate anxiety, and digital disruption, rather than simply a mobility opportunity.
Inclusion gets more teeth
There’s a strong and specific focus on young people with fewer opportunities, including clearer definitions and dedicated support structures. This is relevant for organisations working with marginalised youth, those from rural areas, young people with disabilities, or those not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
The Solidarity Corps merger
Folding the European Solidarity Corps into Erasmus+ is the structural change with the most direct impact on the youth sector. Volunteering, traineeships, and solidarity projects will sit under the same umbrella as learning mobility. Whether this simplifies access or dilutes the youth volunteering identity of the Solidarity Corps is a live debate worth watching.
Non-formal education gets recognised more explicitly
The Union of Skills framing – with microcredentials and skills validation – could finally give non-formal youth work more formal recognition. That’s an opportunity, but it also carries a risk: youth work that gets instrumentalised purely for labour market outcomes loses something important. The sector will need to engage actively in shaping how “skills” are defined and measured.
The short version: the youth sector is more central to this programme than it has ever been – but that visibility comes with higher expectations around impact evidence, strategic coherence, and engagement with broader EU policy agendas. Organisations that lean into that will be well positioned; those that treat Erasmus+ purely as a funding mechanism may find the new environment harder to navigate.
The European Universities Alliances – now working across learning, research, and governance – are becoming increasingly interested in non-academic partners who can bring communities, creative processes, and lived experience into the equation. If you haven’t explored partnerships with higher education institutions, this programme cycle may be the right time.
Filmmaking and media production
Documentaries, short films, and participatory video are powerful tools for the programme’s stated goals: building European identity, promoting democratic values, and reaching communities with fewer opportunities. The expansion of digital tools and the “Erasmus Without Paper” initiative signals a programme environment that takes digital outputs seriously.
Consider how film and media work can be positioned as both a methodology and an outcome – not just a product, but a process that involves young people, builds skills, and crosses borders. Co-productions with partners in other countries could be particularly well-timed given the programme’s renewed focus on neighbourhood cooperation. Luckily, Axolotl is a film producer, so if you’re looking to expand into these outputs, reach out!
Facilitation and training
Non-formal education and training are the backbone of much of what Erasmus+ funds – and the new programme doubles down on this. The emphasis on inclusion, resilience, and democratic participation all require skilled facilitators who can work across cultures, languages, and contexts.
If your organisation trains trainers, designs learning experiences, or facilitates intercultural exchange, document it rigorously. Evaluation frameworks are being strengthened in the new programme, and impact evidence will matter more than ever. Start building your evidence base now.
What still needs to be watched
Not everything in the proposal is settled, and some open questions are directly relevant to NGOs:
Funding gaps for European Universities Alliances. The alliances now span education, research, HR, and governance – but Erasmus+ only covers the education dimension. The rest depends on Horizon Europe and national funding that is often fragmented or temporary. If you’re building partnerships with alliances, understand which pillar your collaboration falls under and plan accordingly.
Visa and access barriers for non-EU partners. The programme aspires to be global, particularly in the Western Balkans, Southern Mediterranean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. But visa barriers and unequal funding access remain real obstacles. If your work involves international partners from outside the EU, factor this into your project design and build in flexibility.
The European Degree label. Progress is being made on automatic recognition and joint accreditation, but legal and financial frameworks are not yet aligned. For organisations involved in accredited learning or professional development, keep an eye on how this develops.
Three things to do before 2028
1. Map your portfolio against the new priorities. Go through your recent projects and ask honestly: where do they connect to democratic values, inclusion, green transition, digital skills, and societal resilience? Where are the gaps? This mapping exercise will shape your project development strategy for the next two years.
2. Build or strengthen your European partnerships now. Erasmus+ rewards established consortia. If you don’t yet have reliable partners in other European countries – particularly in candidate countries and underrepresented regions – start those conversations before the calls open. Partnerships built under pressure rarely produce the best projects.
3. Invest in your evidence and documentation systems. The new programme places greater emphasis on performance and impact evaluation. If you’re still relying on anecdotal feedback and end-of-project reports, now is the time to develop more robust monitoring approaches. Not because auditors demand it, but because the organisations that can clearly demonstrate their impact will be in a far stronger position when writing proposals.
The bottom line
Erasmus+ 2028–2034 is not a radical departure from what came before – it’s an evolution, and a broadly positive one. The priorities align well with the work that NGOs in creative, civic, and educational sectors are already doing. The budget is growing. The inclusion agenda is strengthening.
But the programme is also becoming more complex, more competitive, and more demanding in terms of evidence and strategic coherence. The organisations that will thrive are the ones preparing now – not waiting for the programme guide to drop in 2027.
The ambition is there. The question is whether your organisation will be ready to meet it.
This article draws on the European Commission’s proposal for Erasmus+ 2028–2034 and published analysis from the European University Association (EUA), the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), and the European Youth Forum.