This evaluation aims to review the Erasmus+ programme and European Solidarity Corps programme for 2014-2020 and to provide a mid-term review for 2021-2027. Erasmus+ is a programme that funds education, training and youth projects in the European Union. Specifically, it aims to develop transnational cooperation, broaden the horizons of students and teachers and bring different cultures together. Support can be requested for mobility and cooperation projects. Notably, Erasmus+ also includes the Jean Monnet programme, which supports innovation, knowledge-sharing and the exchange of information on Europe.
Similarly, the European Solidarity Corps programme supports a range of youth projects. It aims to build open societies, promote intercultural learning, increase active citizenship, and involve diverse communities. Support is available for voluntary service and local solidarity projects.
For both programmes, the activities to be implemented are central, i.e. by applying for support from the European Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA), and decentralised, i.e. calls for proposals managed by national agencies. In Estonia, the national agencies for both programmes are the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps Agency. This agency is part of the Education and Youth Department of the Ministry of Education and Research.
Moreover, statistics and participant feedback on the implementation of the programmes are collected on an ongoing basis. A number of evaluations or studies have been carried out for the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 periods of Erasmus+ and/or the European Solidarity Corps. These evaluations vary in scope, covering shorter periods, individual activities, specific focuses, or more holistic approaches. However, there is no final summative evaluation of the programmes.
The evaluation reports will be used, inter alia, in the preparation of the evaluation reports of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.