ERASMUS+: The new European Union’s Programme for education, youth and sport
Knowledge Alliances
The Erasmus+ Programme offers cooperation opportunities to higher education, research,
enterprises, trade associations and unions, and local/regional/national public bodies with the aim of
strengthening Europe’s innovation capacity and promoting innovation in universities, enterprises
and socio-economic environment in a broad sense.
What you can do
The Action finances projects that:
 Develop new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches;
 Stimulate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial competences both in higher education and
in enterprise;
 Facilitate the exchange as well as the flow and joint creation of knowledge.
These projects will include sets of activities that are closely interrelated, flexible and adaptable to
different present and future contexts.
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Some examples of projects that can be implemented under the Knowledge Alliances Action
include:
Topics
Examples
Boosting innovation in higher education,  Joint development and implementation of
business and in the broader socio-economic
new teaching and learning methods
environment
 Organisation
of
continuous
training
programmes and other activities in
cooperation with and within companies
 Joint development of solutions to common
challenges as well as of innovative products
and processes, by fostering the cooperation
between
students,
professors
and
practitioners
Developing entrepreneurship mind-set and  Definition of cross competences schemes
skills
and application throughout higher education
programmes developed in cooperation with
enterprises
 Introduction of entrepreneurship concepts in
all disciplines
 Introduction of new learning opportunities,
by applying entrepreneurship capacities that
can involve or lead to the commercialisation
of new services, products and prototypes,
as well as to the creation of start-ups and
spin-offs
Stimulating the flow and exchange of  Study field related activities in enterprises
knowledge between higher education and
which are fully embedded in the curriculum,
enterprise
recognised and credited
 Trial and test of innovative measures
 Exchange
of
students,
researchers,
teaching staff and company staff for a
limited period
 Involvement of company staff in teaching
and research
Mobility activities for students, researchers and staff can also be financed, as long as they are
needed to complete the set of activities and bring added value to the project.
The project duration is 2-3 years.
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Useful information for applicants
The following organisations can apply:
 Public and private organisations with headquarters either in a Programme Country or in a
Partner Country.
Knowledge Alliances will include at least 6 organisations from at least 3 Programme Countries.
Among them:
a. At least 2 are higher education organisations
b. At least 2 are enterprises
The eligible area for this action includes: all EU Member States, the Swiss Confederation, the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey. In addition,
some Partner Countries can participate (an exhaustive list of the Partner Countries is available in
the Programme Guide).
The deadline for the submission of applications is 3rd April 2014, at 12:00 a.m. (Brussels time).
The application is submitted to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (ECEA)
by one organisation with headquarters in one of the Programme Countries in representation of the
whole partnership.
Financial information
 Max. contribution for 2-years long projects: 700,000 €
 Max. contribution for 3-years long projects: 1,000,000 €
 The Knowledge Alliances action finances 100% of eligible costs, which are calculated
according to the unit costs indicated in the Programme Guide.
To submit an application, please read carefully the Programme Guide available on the website
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm.
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