The European Development Plan (EDP) is a strategic document that educational institutions create when applying for Erasmus+ funding. It outlines how international mobility activities will address the institution’s development needs and align with European priorities. The EDP connects your organization’s goals with specific Erasmus+ activities, demonstrating how participation will enhance teaching quality, management practices, and student learning outcomes while contributing to broader European educational objectives.
What is the European Development Plan in Erasmus+ applications?
The European Development Plan (EDP) is a strategic document that educational institutions must include when applying for Erasmus+ funding. It serves as a roadmap connecting your institution’s development needs with planned European mobility activities. The EDP outlines how international experiences will contribute to your organization’s growth, modernization, and internationalization goals.
At its core, the EDP establishes the link between your institution’s specific challenges and how Erasmus+ participation will address them. It demonstrates to evaluators that you’ve thoughtfully considered how mobility activities fit within your broader institutional strategy rather than viewing them as isolated events.
The EDP also shows how your planned activities align with European educational priorities such as inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainability. It provides evaluators with a clear understanding of why your institution needs Erasmus+ funding and how you’ll use it to create meaningful, lasting impact.
Why is the European Development Plan important for your Erasmus+ application?
The European Development Plan is crucial for your Erasmus+ application because it’s a key evaluation criterion that significantly impacts your chances of receiving funding. Evaluators use the EDP to assess whether your proposed activities are relevant, well-planned, and likely to create meaningful impact for your institution and participants.
A well-crafted EDP demonstrates strategic thinking by showing that you’ve analyzed your institution’s needs and have a clear vision for how European mobility activities will address specific challenges. This strategic approach is far more compelling than simply listing activities without explaining their purpose.
The EDP also shows alignment between your institutional goals and broader European priorities in education. This connection is vital because Erasmus+ aims to support projects that contribute to European-level objectives while meeting local needs. By demonstrating this alignment, you show evaluators that funding your project will deliver value at both institutional and European levels.
Additionally, the EDP provides context for your entire application, helping evaluators understand the rationale behind your proposed activities, participant selection, and expected outcomes. It serves as the foundation upon which the rest of your application builds.
What should be included in a European Development Plan?
A comprehensive European Development Plan should include several key components that together form a coherent strategy. First, include a thorough needs assessment that identifies specific challenges and development areas within your institution. This might cover teaching methods, digital skills, inclusion practices, management approaches, or internationalization efforts.
Next, outline clear development objectives that address these needs. These should be specific, measurable goals that explain what you aim to achieve through Erasmus+ participation. For example, “Enhance teachers’ digital competencies to implement blended learning approaches” is more effective than vague goals like “improve teaching.”
Detail the planned mobility activities that will help you achieve these objectives. Explain why you’ve chosen specific types of activities (job shadowing, courses, teaching assignments) and how they connect to your development goals.
Include information on your participant selection process, explaining how you’ll choose staff members for mobility experiences and why their participation aligns with institutional needs.
Describe the expected impact at different levels:
- On participants (new skills, changed attitudes, improved practices)
- On your organization (improved teaching, enhanced management, new approaches)
- On students (better learning experiences, increased motivation)
- On partner organizations and the wider community
Finally, explain how you’ll integrate learning outcomes from mobility experiences back into your institution’s practices and how you’ll measure success.
How do you write an effective European Development Plan?
Writing an effective European Development Plan starts with conducting a thorough needs analysis of your institution. Gather input from various stakeholders—teachers, administrators, students—to identify genuine development areas. Look for challenges that international cooperation could help address, such as teaching innovation, inclusion practices, or management approaches.
Once you’ve identified needs, formulate clear, specific development objectives that explain what you want to achieve. These should be realistic yet ambitious enough to demonstrate meaningful growth. For example, “Develop teachers’ competencies in inclusive education approaches to better support diverse learners.”
Connect these objectives to appropriate Erasmus+ activities. Be specific about what types of mobility experiences (courses, job shadowing, teaching assignments) will help achieve your goals and why. Explain how the knowledge gained will benefit your institution.
Establish clear selection criteria for participants that align with your development goals. Explain how you’ll ensure the right people participate in the right activities to maximize institutional benefit.
Detail your plan for dissemination and implementation of learning outcomes. Explain how knowledge will be shared beyond direct participants and integrated into institutional practices.
Finally, outline how you’ll evaluate success with specific indicators that measure progress toward your development objectives. This demonstrates a commitment to meaningful impact rather than just completing activities.
Throughout the EDP, maintain a clear connection between needs, objectives, activities, and expected outcomes to create a coherent, compelling strategy.
How long should a European Development Plan be for Erasmus+ applications?
The European Development Plan typically ranges from 2-4 pages for most school education applications. While there’s no strict word limit specified in the application guidelines, clarity and conciseness are more important than length. Your EDP should be comprehensive enough to address all key elements while remaining focused on essential information.
The optimal length depends on your project’s complexity and scope. A school applying for a few staff mobilities might need only 2 pages to effectively communicate their plan, while a consortium representing multiple institutions might require 4-5 pages to adequately explain their collective strategy.
Rather than focusing on page count, concentrate on including all essential components while avoiding unnecessary repetition or vague statements. Each section should provide specific, relevant information that helps evaluators understand your institutional needs and how Erasmus+ activities will address them.
Remember that evaluators review many applications and appreciate clear, well-structured documents. Use headings, bullet points, and concise paragraphs to enhance readability. A focused 3-page EDP that clearly articulates your strategy is more effective than a longer document filled with generalities.
If you’re working with limited space, prioritize the most critical elements: your needs assessment, specific development objectives, planned activities, and expected impact. These core components should receive the most attention in your EDP.
How can you connect your European Development Plan to EU priorities?
Connecting your European Development Plan to EU priorities strengthens your application by showing how your project contributes to broader European objectives. Start by familiarizing yourself with current Erasmus+ priorities, which include inclusion and diversity, digital transformation, environmental sustainability, and participation in democratic life.
Identify which priorities naturally align with your institution’s needs. For example, if your school struggles with supporting diverse learners, connect your development objectives to the inclusion priority. If teachers need better digital skills, link to the digital transformation priority.
Make these connections explicit and specific in your EDP. Rather than simply stating “our project supports inclusion,” explain exactly how your planned activities will enhance teachers’ abilities to create inclusive learning environments or develop adaptive teaching approaches for diverse student needs.
For each priority you address, describe:
- The specific aspects of the priority relevant to your context
- How your planned activities connect to this priority
- What concrete outcomes will contribute to this priority
- How you’ll measure progress in this area
Balance European priorities with your genuine institutional needs. The most compelling EDPs show natural alignment between what your organization needs and what Europe values, rather than forcing connections to priorities that don’t genuinely fit your context.
Consider how your project might address multiple priorities simultaneously. For example, developing digital teaching approaches can support both digital transformation and inclusion by making education more accessible to all learners.
At Euneos, we help educational institutions develop strong European Development Plans through our specialized courses focused on Erasmus+ application preparation and international school development. Our experienced trainers provide practical guidance on connecting your institutional needs with European priorities effectively.