The schools, colleges and universities across the UK that thrive under Erasmus+ will not necessarily be those with the largest budgets. They will be the ones that invest early in meaningful partnerships and program development. Funding may facilitate mobility, but it is program design that ultimately determines impact.
That preparation cannot begin when funding calls open. It needs to start now.
Institutions should be asking one important question: are they ready to deliver meaningful international experiences that support student outcomes and institutional goals?
Having worked with universities and colleges delivering international programs for many years, international mobility has historically centred on the experience itself. Yet the expectations around mobility have shifted.
Across the sector, institutions are increasingly being asked to demonstrate the value of every investment they make, with educational objectives and employability under the spotlight.
As a result, the conversation around mobility is increasingly moving beyond where students travel and towards what they gain from the experience – and Erasmus+ is part of this shift.
Unlike the Turing Scheme, Erasmus+ places far greater emphasis on partnership-building, reciprocity and long-term collaboration, meaning planning needs to start long before funding applications open.
What does a strong partnership strategy look like?
Building successful international programs requires careful planning, identifying the right European partners and robust operational support – all of which take time.
Institutions should be thinking about how they can build networks that involve employers, industry partners, local community organisations and other stakeholders who can contribute to learning outcomes and employability objectives.
The strongest programs are built on partnerships that extend beyond student mobility alone, creating opportunities for collaboration, research and long-term engagement.
What outcomes do we want students to achieve?
Institutions should start with the outcomes they want students to gain.
These could include developing employability skills, strengthening intercultural competence, gaining exposure to international industries, improving language abilities or enhancing understanding of sustainability.
By defining these goals early, institutions can design programs that intentionally support them rather than treating mobility as an end in itself.
How can mobility be embedded into the curriculum?
Successful mobility programs cannot sit solely within international offices.
Academic departments need to be involved from the outset to ensure international experiences support teaching and learning objectives. When mobility is integrated into curriculum planning, students are more likely to see clear academic value and institutions are better positioned to demonstrate educational impact.
The most successful programs connect directly to curriculum aims while helping students develop practical skills that will benefit them long after graduation.
The evidence increasingly supports this view. According to a 2025 Universities UK International (UUKI) report, graduates from less advantaged backgrounds who participated in study abroad programs were more likely to progress into professional-level roles within five years than those who remained in the UK throughout their studies.
Do we have the operational foundations in place?
Institutions should be assessing their readiness across a range of practical areas now, including logistics, accessibility, risk management, student welfare, safeguarding and program administration.
As participation grows, these operational foundations become increasingly important in ensuring programmes remain high-quality, inclusive and sustainable.
Over recent years, universities have worked hard to widen participation and ensure that international opportunities are not limited to a small group of students. Financial support has undoubtedly helped to make mobility more accessible.
Whilst this is encouraging, it also raises an important question – how can institutions ensure that more students are able to access these opportunities while still maintaining quality and impact?
The expectation is no longer about supporting individual students to travel independently. Instead, institutions will need to create structured programs that bring together academic learning, industry engagement, cultural experiences and collaboration with international partners.
With funding calls expected to open in late 2026 and program delivery beginning from late 2027, institutions have a valuable window of opportunity to prepare – but that window is not as long as it might seem. The organisations that benefit most will be those already developing partnerships, aligning mobility with academic objectives and putting the operational structures in place to support program growth.
Students should return with tangible skills, greater confidence, stronger intercultural understanding and experiences that improve their future prospects. Those outcomes do not happen by accident; they require thoughtful program design from the outset.
Institutions can look towards creating international experiences that are inclusive, purposeful and impactful, connecting students to the wider world and delivering benefits long after they return home.
Funding may open the door, but successful Erasmus+ programs will ultimately be shaped by partnership strategy, program design and institutional readiness. The institutions asking those questions today will be best placed to maximise the opportunities of Erasmus+ when it returns.
