FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ERASMUS INTENSIVE PROGRAMMES (IP) LLP 2007-2013

Please note that the reference documents for IP are identified at the end of this document and should be consulted in all cases.

I.

Definition and characteristics of an Erasmus Intensive Programme

1. What is an IP? Check Fiche IP 2012

2. What is the aim of an IP? Check Fiche IP 2012

3. What are the specific features of IP which should be aimed for?

Check Fiche IP 2012

4. What is not an IP? An IP may not be a research activity or a conference. An IP does not mean a routine event with no innovative aspects. The intensive programme should provide something new in terms of learning opportunities, skills development, access to information, etc. for the participating teachers and students (innovative principle). The IP must have an added value, compared to existing

courses at the level of the participating institutions.

5. Which institutions can apply for support for organising an IP? Higher education institutions holding an Erasmus University Charter (EUC) can apply. The applicant and all the partners must be holders of an EUC. 6. Who can benefit? How to calculate costs for beneficiaries? Students that are registered at a respective partner HEI (first, second and third cycle). Teaching staff of a respective partner HEI. Erasmus students are allowed to participate in an IP which is held parallel with their Erasmus study period. For the calculation of the travel costs of this student, the university/HEI should be taken into account where the student spends his/her Erasmus study period.

For example, if the home institution of the student is in town X, the host institution for the Erasmus study period is in town Y, and the IP takes place in town Z, the eligible travel costs for the IP for this student would be between Y and Z and back. Participating students or teachers should be either: nationals of a country participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme (registered at a respective partner HEI); nationals of other countries enrolled in regular courses in institutions of higher education in a participating country, or employed in a participating country, under the conditions fixed by each of the participating countries, taking into account the nature of the programme (please refer to relevant National Agency website). 7. Can students or teachers with special needs get additional funding for their participation in an IP? Yes. For the purpose of applying for a grant within the Lifelong Learning Programme (decentralised actions), a person with special needs is defined as a potential participant whose individual physical, mental or health-related situation is such that his/her participation in the project / mobility action would not be possible without extra financial support. The individual situation should be described and the particular needs and extra costs attached to it should be detailed in the application. Based on these explanations, on the availability of funding and the national rules, the National Agency will then judge whether extra support can be granted. As soon as the participation of teachers of students with special needs is known to the IP coordinator (from any HEI that participates in the IP), the IP coordinator should contact its NA and request extra funding for special needs. 8. Can an organisation which is not a HEI (association, enterprise etc.) participate in an IP as a partner? Since these bodies do not have an EUC and do not have any students they can only participate in the IP as external experts but not as partners. This would have to be explained in the application form. The costs of their participation should be covered from the organisational costs as they may not use the budget for travel and subsistence. 9. Can an IP take place in more than one location? As a general rule, the IP should take place in one location. If the quality of the application is good and adequate reasons are given for having the IP in different locations it could be considered eligible. The rule of 10 continuous full days of subject related work has to be respected. In this case the eligible travel expenses are as follows:

from the location of the home institutions to the first location (except for participants from institution(s) from this location); from the first location to the second location (for all participants); back from the second location to the locations of the home institutions (except for participants from institution(s) from the second location).

The eligible subsistence costs are as follows:

for the first location: to everybody, except for participants from institution(s) from the first location;

for the second location: to everybody, except for participants from institution(s) from the second location.

10. Can an IP take place in different locations simultaneously (multi campus approach with an e-learning/virtual dimension)? The action Intensive Programmes aims at the mobility of individuals. According to the definition of mobility (see article 2, point 15 of the Legal Base - Decision 1720/2006/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of November 15 2006 - OJ L 327 of 24.11.2006) mobility means spending a period of time in another Member State, in order to undertake study etc. One of the aims of an IP is to bring people together in the same classroom (see the definition of IP in the IP fiche of the LLP Guide). Different "campuses" for the same IP at the same time do not respond to those basic requirements. 11. Is it compulsory to grant ECTS credits to the participating students? It is highly recommended to grant ECTS credits to the students participating in an IP, but it is not obligatory. The IP applications get scores for this during the quality assessment. The IP partner institutions should agree among themselves about recognition issues. Participating students from different HEIs may have recognised different number of credits by their home institutions, according to national/institutional recognition rules. Information about ECTS credits recognised by each partner institution should be included in the application form.

II.
A.

Application and selection procedure

RENEWALS 12. How to assess renewals? Renewal IP applications that have passed the formal eligibility check will undergo a quality assessment by two experts, one of whom must be an external expert to the NA. The quality assessment of renewal applications will be based on different criteria than the quality assessment of new applications. 13. May the renewal IP apply for a higher budget than the IP of the previous year(s)? The applicant may apply for a different budget for the IP than in the previous round(s). The content of the application must be in line with the previous year(s). 14. How free is the applicant in choosing a yearly topic for renewals? A new topic will without a doubt affect the content and the programme so it cannot be accepted. However, this application can be submitted as a new IP application. 15. Is it possible to change the title in an IP renewal? In principle the IP should keep the same name (to avoid confusion) but if it is a genuine renewal application and it is clear that the content and the programme has not changed, the change may be accepted, if duly justified by the applicant.

16. Is it possible to change the duration of an IP? Each application is assessed independently but if the content and the programme is similar, the duration could change from year to year. The applicant should justify this in the renewal application form. 17. Is it possible to skip a year and apply for a renewal one year later? It is not possible to have a discontinuity of the IP when applying for a renewal. 18. Is it possible to reject a renewal application? It is not compulsory to accept a renewal application. If the application does not comply with the formal eligibility criteria or it is clear that the quality of the project is not good, the renewal can be rejected. 19. Is it possible to change the co-ordinating institution in a renewal application? The general rule is to have the same co-ordinating institution. However, if appropriately justified it is possible to change the co-ordinating institution, as long as the new coordinating institution has to apply to the same National Agency as the original coordinator, given the fact that the project is the same one. If the coordination of the IP would move to the territory of another National Agency, the IP has to be submitted to the National Agency of the new coordinator. In this case, the application form has to be filled in entirely, as for all new IP applications. The application will compete with the new applications received by the NA to which the new coordinator applies. There is not more guarantee for the selection for granting than for any other new IP. However, the NA must make sure that the total duration of such an IP never exceeds 3 years. As of the application round 2010, the applicant has to indicate in the application form if the IP has been funded by a different NA since 2007 (same or very similar topic and/or same or very similar partnership). The application form (see footnote 1 in the first page) makes also clear that the total duration of funding for the same or very similar IP may not exceed 3 years, independently from the number of NAs that funded this IP. 20. Is it possible to change the number of partner HEIs in a renewal application? The general rule is to keep the same partnership. However, it is possible to make minor changes in the partnership between years if this is well justified and this does not affect negatively the overall quality of the IP. B. NEW APPLICATIONS: 21. Is it possible to ask for IP funding for an already existing, programme which is a part of the regular student curriculum? The innovative element is of high importance when selecting an IP. The IP must provide something significantly new in terms of learning opportunities, skills development, access to information, etc. for the participating teachers and students which is not possible at one single HEI. Programmes that exist already at single HEIs, do not meet this criterion.

However, IPs that are part of integrated programmes of study leading to recognised double or joint degrees (with the exception of Erasmus Mundus Master Courses), may be granted. The duration of LLP funding may not exceed 3 years. 22. To what extent has a new IP to differ from a previous one? How do we judge the innovative element? The new IP may not be the same as the old IP. The total duration of funding for the same or very similar IP may not exceed 3 years. The application form asks the applicants to give information about previous similar projects. The evaluators and National Agencies may decide, based upon the information received, whether the application can be considered for funding. The difference should be mainly in the topic, or to a lesser extent in the teaching methods, not so much in the partners and other features. Innovation is a main feature in the definition of IPs: "it should provide something new in terms of learning opportunities, skills development, access to information etc."

IV.

IP budget
23. Which costs can be covered by the grant? As stated in the NA Guide: There are three categories of eligible costs that may be covered by the IP grant: Lump sum financing for organisational costs relating to the preparation of the IP, its implementation and its follow-up. A flat rate grant based on scales of unit costs for subsistence of students and members of teaching staff. Teachers and students from the co-ordinating HEI are not eligible to receive a contribution towards subsistence, if the IP takes place in the town where the co-ordinating HEI is located. Similarly, teachers and students from a partner HEI are not eligible to receive a contribution towards subsistence, if the IP takes place in the town where the partner HEI is located. Only subsistence costs for a maximum of 60 students and a maximum of 20 teachers can be considered eligible. Travel costs of students and members of teaching staff. Travel costs for teachers and students from the co-ordinating HEI are not eligible, if the IP takes place in the town where the co-ordinating HEI is located. Similarly, travel costs for teachers and students from a partner HEI are not eligible, if the IP takes place in the town where the partner HEI is located. The number of eligible students travelling from countries other than the country hosting the IP must be at least 10. There is no minimum number for participating teachers, but the ratio of staff to students must guarantee active classroom participation. Only travel costs for a maximum of 60 students and a maximum of 20 teachers can be considered eligible for funding.

24. Can travel costs be calculated for field trips?

A field trip (usually 1 day) may be part of the work programme of the IP. The location of the IP does not change, so travel costs may not be calculated for field trips. Travel costs should be related to travels to the location(s) of the IP and back (see also point 9). 25. Do the beneficiaries have to prove the organisational costs they have incurred in the IP? The organisational cost is awarded as a lump sum. According to the IP grant agreement the beneficiary has to be able to proof that the IP took place. 26. What rates are to be applied for the organisational costs and accommodation and subsistence costs if the IP is coordinated by an HEI in one country but held in another country? If the IP takes place in a location other than the country of the coordinator: the organisational costs to be applied are those of the country of the coordinator; the subsistence rates to be applied are those relating to the country where the IP is actually held. The NA of the coordinator decides the subsistence rates for the country in question (within the allowed maxima for that country). These rates have to be published in the application form. 27. How long should a working day be? The daily plan/work programme should indicate the length of the activities and the assessors should check whether the planning is realistic. The length of subject-related activities per day should ensure that there are activities of about 6-8 hours a day. Less than this would count for half a day only. The minimal duration of the IP must be respected (at least 10 continuous full working days of subject-related work). 28. Are travel and subsistence costs for students and staff from partner institutions in the same country as the HEI where the IP takes place, eligible? In case of partner HEIs from the same country where the IP takes place: if the IP location is not in such a distance from the location of one of the partner HEIs, that students and teachers from any of the HEIs can travel there within a reasonable time and reasonable budget, subsistence and travel costs may be calculated for participants from these HEIs.

29. Which category of costs covers the cost of home students? Any cost of the participation of home students (students of the institution where the IP takes place) should be paid from the organisational costs or it should be seen as a self-contribution of the organising HEI. 30. Is it considered reasonable to expect participants to pay part of the travel costs? Yes, it is considered reasonable to expect the students and teachers to pay a part of the travel costs (NA only pays 75% of real costs). 31. Is the cultural programme part of the organisational costs? Yes, costs relating to the cultural programme are to be covered from the organisational costs. 32. Is it possible to include partner HEIs from a country not participating in LLP? Yes, but their costs may not be taken into account as eligible costs and they do not count as participants as regards the eligibility rules concerning the number of participants. 33. Is it eligible to cover travel costs to or from a country outside the EU if the travelling teacher/student is from a LLP participating country? Travel costs incurred outside the countries participating in the LLP are not eligible, unless explicit prior written authorisation is granted by the National Agency, based on the exception procedure according to 2.5 of the Guide for NAs.

VI. Reference documents for IP

The following documents are the main reference documents for IP in the LLP: The Decision No 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong learning; The yearly general LLP Call for proposals; The LLP Guide as published on the LLP website: http://ec.europa.eu/education/llp/doc848_en.htm The standard grant agreement for Erasmus Intensive Programme and its annexes: final report form for the grant beneficiaries, final report form for students (these are annexes of the Guide for NAs); The application form for Intensive Programmes 2012; Fiche Erasmus IP 2012