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Inclusion in Erasmus+

Support that opens doors

Part of Erasmus+

Barriers, needs and inclusion mechanisms

Inclusion and diversity are integral to Erasmus+. The programme offers different forms of support to those who face barriers to participation.

A cornerstone of Erasmus+

Inclusion and diversity are the cornerstone of Erasmus+. They are

  • recognised as one of the four horizontal priorities of the programme
  • integral to the preparation of project applications, the selection of projects for funding, the selection of participants, and the implementation of funded activities
  • expressed through dedicated financial support  

Importantly, inclusion and diversity are not just an afterthought. Instead, they are important considerations every step of the way in creating and running projects. 

Image: Adobe Stock / European Union, 2026

Barriers to inclusion

While everyone should be able to take part, not everyone has the same starting point. Many Erasmus+ participants face different barriers to joining the activities on offer. These barriers may include:

  • physical or mental disabilities
  • health problems
  • early school leaving, not being in education, employment or training
  • education and training system barriers resulting in lower skills as an adult
  • cultural differences, including migrant or refugee background
  • social barriers, such as family circumstances, social marginalisation, issues with social competences, anti-social or high-risk behaviours
  • economic barriers, including a low living standard, low income, dependence on the social welfare system, poverty or financial problems
  • barriers linked to discrimination, including based on gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or a combination of these factors
  • geographical barriers, including living in a remote or rural area with limited public transport, islands or outermost regions

Knowing what's available ...

Whether you are part of an organisation applying for an Erasmus+ grant or someone looking to join an activity funded by Erasmus+, it is important to understand what help is available.

... when applying for funding

You should consider

  • whether there are any barriers to taking part in your planned activities
  • how to make sure that they can be removed
  • how you will make sure to include people who might be facing barriers to access

Whichever programme action you apply for funding under, these considerations will be part of your application, and the award criteria that evaluators use to assess your application.

Image: ©️ European Union, 2026

Dedicated financial support

This comes on top of the regular financial support for activity preparation, participant accommodation, food and travel.

Inclusion support for participants

Your organisation can request additional funding to cover all extra costs linked to participation of participants with fewer opportunities.  

Inclusion support for participants covers 100% of eligible real costs directly linked to the needs of those participants and, if applicable, their accompanying persons, that go beyond what the standard travel and individual support already cover.  

To access this funding, your organisation needs to request and explain to the relevant national agency the reasons for these needs.  

Inclusion support for participants is available for projects funded under Key Action 1: Mobility for individuals.

Image: ©️ European Union, 2026

Inclusion support for organisations

Real inclusion may take more time and effort, but this should not be a reason to give up. On top of standard funding rates and inclusion support for participants, organisations can receive €125 per participant with fewer opportunities to make sure they have the space to organise mobility activities suitable for their participants' needs.  

To access this funding, your organisation will have to indicate the number of participants with fewer opportunities you aim to include in your activities at application stage.  

Inclusion support for organisations is available for projects funded under Key Action 1: Mobility for individuals.

Image: Vitaly Gariev on unsplash.com

Top-ups for students with fewer opportunities in higher education

Students and recent graduates in higher education often undertake long-term mobilities of several months or more, so might need more support to make the best of their experience. This is why the programme offers top-up amounts of €250 per month to the standard support for students and recent graduates.

To make sure this support corresponds as much as possible to needs in different countries, national agencies can define the criteria for top-ups on the national level.

Image by Clay Elliot on unsplash.com

Further reading

Find more information on the inclusion and diversity aspect of Erasmus+, the measures mentioned above, as well as other relevant measures such as reinforced mentoring, preparatory visits, language support and more.

Links