Partnerships Beyond Borders

This seminar is organised by the Slovenian National Agency in cooperation with the partners of the Strategic Cooperation of National Agencies and SALTOs “Beyond Borders”. It aims to:

• foster the cooperation between accredited organisations from Programme countries and any interested organisations from neighbouring partner countries within Erasmus and with a focus on KA1;
• offer the opportunity to create new contacts and networks between the participating organisations and to develop new partnerships and projects and
• support quality partnerships, with a focus on equal partnerships, strategic and long-term cooperation, cultural sensitivity and awareness of specific needs or challenges, as well as the added value of this cooperation.

In terms of youth worker mobilities, the seminar should also offer the space to explore the generally less used activity formats (such as planning visits, study visits or job shadowings).

The seminar is open for up to 50 participants, in particular:

In Programme countries, the seminar targets organisations that have an accreditation for Erasmus+ KA1 and the possibility and interest to develop new partnerships and involve organisations from neighbouring partner countries in their activities.

From neighbouring partner countries, the participants should be representatives of organisations that would like to be more actively involved in Erasmus+ projects and are looking for new partners. Prior experience with Erasmus+ is not a must. However, the participants and their organisations should have experience in youth work and, preferably, have carried out some cross-border/international cooperation projects.

The programme is shaped over three full days.

On day one, the focus will be on getting to know the other participants and their organisations, from the Programme countries and the neighbouring partner regions (Eastern Europe and Caucasus, SouthMed region and Western Balkans). There will be space for dialogue and discovering possible future project options. There will also be time for creating common ground and understanding the framework set by the Erasmus+ programme, accreditation and the Beyond Borders partnership.

Day two will be all about partnerships: What makes a quality and sustainable partnership? How can partners contribute on an equal footing? We will look at possible specificities, challenges, questions and opportunities, of building and maintaining partnerships in this broad and multifaceted geographical context and influenced by the conditions set by the Erasmus+ programme.  

There will be time to find out more about each other and the opportunities to build your own partnerships throughout the seminar. On day three, in particular, there will be time for concrete action, where partnerships can be created.

Support will be offered by an experienced team of trainers and representatives of different National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres.

A two-hour “Breaking the ice” online meet-up will take place prior to the seminar, on 18 October at 14:00 CET 2023, offering the opportunity for a first get together and getting a glimpse of the participants, their organisations and projects. Participants will also be invited to share some information in writing prior to the seminar.

Beyond Borders is a strategic partnership of the National Agencies for Erasmus+, youth field, and the European Solidarity Corps of the Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia and the 3 regional SALTO Resource Centres (SALTO Eastern Europe and Caucasus, EuroMed and South East Europe). It aims to further develop the cooperation in the youth field between Programme and neighbouring partner countries within Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.