How to spend your KA121 budget fully (and why it matters next year)
National Agencies set each KA121 grant from a basic grant, your requested activities, your past performance and their priorities. Many also look at how much of your last grant you actually used: in Sweden, an organisation that used less than half receives at most what it used plus 10%. Plan realistically, keep the Beneficiary Module up to date, use the 15-to-24-month extension, ask for redistribution early, and move activities rather than return money.
How your grant is calculated
Before the deadline, each National Agency publishes its budget allocation rules. The common inputs are the total national budget, the activities you request, a basic grant and a maximum grant, your qualitative performance and the NA’s policy priorities. You cannot receive more than the estimate calculated from unit costs.
| Example (2026 rules) | Basic grant | Maximum | Performance factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland, VET (Léargas) | 90 000 € | 650 000 € | Score of your last final report; bonus for participants with fewer opportunities |
| Sweden, school (UHR) | 20 000 € | 200 000 € (600 000 € consortia) | Used less than 50% of the last grant: at most what you used plus 10% |
What you can move during the project
- Accredited grants are managed as one budget. In general you can shift money between activities without an amendment.
- The exception: an amendment is needed if more than 15% of the funds for inclusion support for participants are transferred out of that category.
- Extra money for inclusion support or exceptional costs is only given if you cannot cover the cost from your existing grant.
Six habits of projects that use their full grant
- Plan with names, not numbers. Know who will travel in each term before you apply.
- Book fixed-date courses early. Courses with published dates are easier to plan than “on request” offers.
- Keep the Beneficiary Module current. NAs use it to judge progress and redistribution.
- Extend rather than return. Projects start with 15 months and can be extended to 24 if justified.
- Answer redistribution calls. When an NA reallocates unused money, active projects can ask for more.
- Have a plan B. If a mobility falls through, move the participant to another activity or week instead of losing the place.
The final report also affects money
The final report is scored out of 100, together with the participant reports. A score below 60 reduces your organisational support: by 10% at 50–59 points, rising to 100% below 15. Breaking the Erasmus Quality Standards can also lead to cuts in organisational support and course fees.
Questions coordinators ask us
Is pre-financing always 80%?
Often, but check the Data Sheet of your grant agreement. Further pre-financing can be requested once you have used 70% of the previous payment.
Can we carry unused mobilities into next year?
Activities that do not fit can be planned in your next KA121 application. The unused money of the current grant is not carried over.
Sources
- Programme Guide: mobility projects for VET (accredited projects, budget allocation)
- Léargas: VET budget allocation guidelines 2026
- UHR: rules of budget allocation for accredited applicants, school 2026
- KA121 grant agreement, Annex 5 specific rules (2026)
- OPH: accredited mobility projects KA121-ADU
Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
