Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps guides


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Relevant for call year 2017 and forward. For KA2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, except KA229 - School Exchange Partnerships. 

COVID-19 Measures

In light of the exceptional circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Erasmus+ programme is implementing a series of measures for the duration of the exceptional period.

These changes concern Multiplier Events and Learning, Teaching and Training Activities and impact all active projects starting from call year 2017, except KA229.

Beneficiaries will be allowed to organise these activities virtually. Where relevant, it is encouraged to take a blended activity approach, i.e. to start with a virtual activity, and later combine it with a physical activity abroad with the same organisation, while all complying with the specific rules and budget calculations. 

By default all multiplier events and Learning, Teaching and Training Activities recorded in Mobility Tool+ before Release 6.3 (September 2020) are marked as physical activities and can be changed. 

The current page explains the basics of virtual and blended activities for KA2 except KA229 - School Exchange Partnerships.

1. Virtual and Blended Multiplier Events

Multiplier events can be recorded in Mobility Tool+ as either only physical or only virtual. This is due to technical constraints, therefore the two types of activities cannot be blended in a single event. 

If an event is carried out only through online meetings, it is recorded in Mobility Tool+ as a Virtual event. 

Blended events (where both physical and virtual activities are carried out) should be recorded by creating two events, one physical and one virtual, linked together by name, and recording the specific activities accordingly.

1.1. Specifics of Virtual Multiplier Events

  • For virtual multiplier events all the participants must be registered as local, and not depending on their location or organisation.
  • Virtual events receive 15% of the grant for local participants and no funding for international participants. 
  • The total budget allocated for virtual multiplier events carried out within the same project cannot exceed EUR 5000, and the global budget for all multiplier events at project level cannot exceed EUR 30 000.
  • If a virtual multiplier event is also flagged as Force Majeure, the grants for local and international participants cannot be changed manually, contrary to the classic force majeure scenarios.

1.2. Example

The following graphic shows the changes that occur in a KA205 multiplier event when it is flagged as Virtual:

  1. The number of local participants is maintained but the grant is reduced as described above
  2. All fields related to the international participants are set to zero and
  3. The Total (Calculated) grant is updated accordingly

Specifics of Virtual Multiplier Events

2. Learning, Teaching and Training Activities

Learning, Teaching and Training Activities can be either physical, virtual or blended.

Virtual activities are carried out exclusively online, without the physical presence of the participants, while blended activities combine a period of online activity with a period of physical activity.

The specific character of the activity is recorded in the Participant details screen of the given activity.

Important

Do not confuse the blended Learning, Teaching and Training Activities with the Blended mobility activity types as defined in the Erasmus Programme Guide. For example, in KA204 - Strategic Partnerships for adult education projects, an activity of type Blended mobility of adult learners can be carried out exclusively online, due to exceptional circumstances, and will be recorded in Mobility Tool as Virtual. If it combines a physical activity with a virtual activity, it is recorded in Mobility Tool as Blended.


2.1. Virtual Learning, Teaching and Training Activities 

A virtual Learning, Teaching and Training Activity is an activity that takes place exclusively online, without the physical presence of the participant. It is indicated in Mobility Tool+ as Virtual and recorded similarly to a physical learning, teaching and training activity, but without the costs that would normally apply to a physical activity.

If a virtual activity is to be combined with a physical activity it should be recorded as a blended activity. 

Important

By virtual activity is meant an online activity taking place in the home country. The virtual activities where the student is physically present in the destination country must be registered as physical. 

All virtual activities are automatically flagged as force majeure and the flag cannot be manually removed. 

3. Specifics of virtual Learning, Teaching and Training Activities

3.1. Duration

  • The minimum duration that can be recorded for the virtual activity in Mobility Tool+ is of 1 day.
  • The maximum duration of a virtual activity is the one applicable to physical activities, as defined in the Programme guide.
  • When an activity is recorded as virtual, the physical duration is disabled, as it is not applicable.
  • Any duration-related budget items are not funded for virtual activities, except for Individual Support (see Grants below).

3.2. Grants

  • It is possible to request the following grants:
    1. Linguistic Support Grant
    2. Individual Support: 15% of the Individual Support normally applicable to only-physical activities.

3.3. Example

The following graphic shows the changes that occur in a KA204 activity of type SP-SCHOOL-PUPIL: Long-term study mobility of pupils when it is flagged as Virtual.

  1. The Force Majeure field is checked and the Force Majeure Field Explanations are required.
  2. The physical duration dates are disabled.
  3. The Virtual Activity Start Date and End Date are required. Once these dates are filled in, the Funded Duration (days) and grant fields will be updated accordingly, as explained above.

Sample virtual Learning, Teaching and Training Activities


4. Blended Learning, Teaching and Training Activities 

A blended Learning, Teaching and Training Activity combines a period of virtual activity and a period of physical activity. It is indicated in Mobility Tool+ as Blended and it includes duration and budget details for both the virtual part and the physical part of the activity.

Blended activities are not flagged as Force Majeure by default.

Take note

For an activity where some participants meeting physically whereas others could only join virtually, mark the activity blended and then, at the level of the group, you have different fields for entering the number of days for the participants, physical and virtual. Any mix is allowed.


5. Specifics of blended Learning, Teaching and Training Activities 

5.1. Duration and Timing

  • The virtual and physical activities can be carried out in any order but cannot overlap.
  • There can be a time gap between the two activities.
  • The blended activity total duration is the sum of the virtual activity duration and the physical activity duration. 
  • The minimum and maximum limits of the blended duration are the same as those applicable to physical activities as defined in the Programme Guide.
  • For the physical part of the blended activity,, the same rules apply as defined before Release 6.3 for physical activities.
  • Any duration-related budget items are not funded for virtual activities, except for Individual Support (see Grants below):
    1. The virtual duration must be adjusted so that the maximum allowed duration of the blended activity is not exceeded. Otherwise, the blended activity should be flagged as Force Majeure. 
    2. If the maximum duration of the blended activity is reached and the physical duration is too short, the blended activity should be flagged as Force Majeure.

5.2. Grant

  • For the physical part of the blended activity, the same rules apply as defined before Release 6.3 for only-physical activities.

  • All grant calculations for the blended activity are based purely on the physical part of the blended activity.
    Exception - Individual support:

    1. For the entire physical activity duration, 100% of the individual support is allocated per participant and per day.

    2. For the entire virtual activity duration, 15% of the individual support grant is also allocated per participant and per day.


5.3. Example

The following graphic shows the changes that occur in a KA204 activity of type SP-SCHOOL-PUPIL : Long-term study mobility of pupils when it is flagged as Blended.

  1. The physical activity dates and the Funded duration (days) remain unchanged, but they can be modified.
  2. The Virtual Activity Start Date and End Date are required.
  3. Once these dates are filled in, the Virtual Activity Duration (days) and Blended Activity Duration are also updated. The grant fields will be updated accordingly, as explained above.
    Note: In this example the physical activity dates have also been changed, therefore the related duration fields have been updated automatically.

Example

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