Aspiring entrepreneurs and newly established business owners can now apply for the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, a European business exchange initiative that enables participants to learn directly from experienced entrepreneurs in another participating country.
Unlike a traditional classroom course, employment position or student mobility programme, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs connects two individual entrepreneurs for a practical period of business collaboration. A new or aspiring entrepreneur spends between one and six months working alongside an experienced host entrepreneur, gaining first-hand knowledge of business development, management, finance, marketing, customer relations and international expansion.
The programme is financed by the European Commission and implemented with the assistance of approved local contact points, including chambers of commerce, start-up centres, incubators and other business-support organisations. Application and participation are free of charge. According to the official programme website, the exchange is partly financed through financial assistance provided to eligible new entrepreneurs.
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs 2026 at a Glance
- Programme name: Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
- Programme funder: European Commission
- Programme management: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
- Exchange duration: One to six months
- Exchange format: Entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur business collaboration
- Location: Another participating country
- Financial support: Monthly country-based financial assistance for eligible new entrepreneurs
- Host entrepreneur funding: No European funding is provided to hosts
- Application fee: None
- Participation fee: None
- Application deadline: No deadline; applications are accepted throughout the year
- Business sectors: All sectors may be considered
- Minimum age: Participants must be over 18
- Official application portal: Apply through the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs IT platform
What Is Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs?
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is an international business mobility programme created to support people who are planning to establish a business or have recently started one.
The programme helps aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs develop the practical skills required to establish and manage a sustainable small or medium-sized enterprise. Instead of receiving only theoretical instruction, participants work directly with an experienced entrepreneur in another country.
During the exchange, the new entrepreneur observes how an established business operates while contributing their own knowledge, skills, ideas and understanding of their home market. The collaboration is intended to create benefits for both parties.
The new entrepreneur may gain practical business experience, improve a business plan, understand a foreign market and develop international contacts. The host entrepreneur may receive new ideas, specialised knowledge, access to another market and opportunities for future international cooperation.
The exchange can also lead to longer-term commercial relationships, including:
- Joint ventures
- Contractor and supplier relationships
- Cross-border partnerships
- Market-entry cooperation
- Product development
- Business referrals
- Subcontracting arrangements
- Continued professional collaboration
However, any future relationship must remain separate from the purpose and approval of the original exchange. The programme will not approve arrangements where a pre-existing commercial or personal relationship makes programme support unnecessary.
Who Can Participate as a New Entrepreneur?
Applicants may participate as new entrepreneurs if they fall within one of the following situations:
- They are firmly planning to establish their own business and have developed a viable business plan; or
- They have already established a business but have less than three years of total entrepreneurial experience.
The business may operate in any sector. There is no restriction requiring applicants to work in technology, manufacturing or another particular industry.
New entrepreneurs must also:
- Be over 18 years of age
- Be permanently resident in an eligible EU Member State or participating Single Market Programme country
- Have a concrete business idea or project supported by a proper business plan
- Be motivated to learn from an experienced entrepreneur in another participating country
- Be prepared to contribute useful skills, knowledge and competencies to the host business
- Be willing to participate actively throughout the agreed exchange
- Have sufficient language ability to communicate and collaborate with the proposed host
- Be prepared to supplement the programme’s financial assistance if it does not cover every expense
- Personally submit the application through the official programme platform
- Participate in the programme as a new entrepreneur only once
The programme’s official eligibility requirements are available on the new entrepreneur profile page.
Who Can Participate as a Host Entrepreneur?
Experienced business owners can apply to host an aspiring or newly established entrepreneur.
A host entrepreneur must:
- Be permanently resident in a participating country
- Have a company registered in that participating country
- Be the owner-manager of a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise; or
- Be directly involved in entrepreneurship at the board level of an SME rather than serving only as an employee
- Have more than three years of experience operating a business as an entrepreneur
- Be willing to share business knowledge and experience
- Be prepared to mentor the visiting new entrepreneur
- Provide a genuine learning and entrepreneurial collaboration
- Sign the programme’s Commitment to Quality
- Complete an online feedback questionnaire after the exchange
The host must ensure that the visiting entrepreneur receives meaningful business exposure. The programme must not be used to obtain unpaid labour, recruit an intern or fill an ordinary employee position. Full host requirements are explained on the official host entrepreneur profile page.
What Qualifies as a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise?
Host businesses are generally expected to comply with the European Union definition of a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise.
The main thresholds are:
- Micro-enterprise: Fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or balance-sheet total not exceeding €2 million
- Small enterprise: Fewer than 50 employees and annual turnover or balance-sheet total not exceeding €10 million
- Medium-sized enterprise: Fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or a balance-sheet total not exceeding €43 million
The legal form of the business is not necessarily decisive. Independent professionals, self-employed individuals, eligible cooperatives, foundations, associations and certain non-profit organisations may potentially participate if they conduct an economic activity and satisfy the programme’s SME and entrepreneurial requirements.
Participating Countries
Residency requirements differ for new entrepreneurs and host entrepreneurs.
New entrepreneurs must be permanently resident in an EU Member State or a participating Single Market Programme third country.
Eligible EU Member States include:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Participating Single Market Programme third countries currently listed by the programme include:
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Iceland
- Kosovo
- Liechtenstein
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Serbia
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
Host entrepreneurs may also be based in the following participating non-Single Market Programme destinations:
- Canada
- Singapore
- United Kingdom
- United States
Entrepreneurs from EU outermost regions and eligible Overseas Countries and Territories may also participate under the programme’s applicable rules.
Applicants should consult the current official list of participating countries before applying because programme participation and destination availability may change.
How Permanent Residence Is Determined
Eligibility is based primarily on permanent residence rather than nationality.
For an applicant with a registered company, permanent residence is generally treated as the country where that company is registered. Where a company operates through establishments in more than one participating country, the entrepreneur should select the country where they are personally based.
If the applicant does not have a registered company, permanent residence is normally the country where the applicant has spent at least 183 days during the previous 12 months.
An applicant currently living in a non-participating country will normally be considered ineligible, even if that person may satisfy other elements of the residence definition. The detailed residence rules are available in the programme’s permanent residence guidance.
Duration and Structure of the Exchange
An approved Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange can last from one to six months.
The exchange may take place as one continuous stay or may be divided into shorter weekly periods. Where the exchange is divided into separate periods, all approved periods must generally be completed within an overall timeframe of no more than 12 months.
The final duration is agreed between the new entrepreneur and the host entrepreneur and must be approved by their respective local contact points. Acceptance of an initial application does not automatically guarantee a particular host, destination, duration or amount of funding.
The exchange must take place in another participating country. A new entrepreneur cannot complete the exchange in their own country of residence.
What Can Participants Do During the Exchange?
The precise activities are agreed between the new and host entrepreneurs and documented in their activity plan.
Activities may include:
- Working alongside and shadowing the experienced host entrepreneur
- Studying the host company’s daily management systems
- Conducting market research
- Identifying new commercial opportunities
- Exploring international or cross-border markets
- Supporting entrepreneurship-development projects
- Participating in innovation and research-related activities
- Improving the new entrepreneur’s business plan
- Learning about business finance and financial management
- Studying customer relationship systems
- Understanding pricing and sales strategies
- Reviewing branding and marketing practices
- Exploring supply chains, operations and business partnerships
- Developing new products, services or international business concepts
- Learning about the regulatory and cultural environment of another participating country
The exchange should have clear learning objectives for the new entrepreneur and identifiable business value for the host.
Benefits for New Entrepreneurs
New entrepreneurs can gain practical knowledge that may be difficult to obtain through academic study alone.
Potential benefits include:
- Up to six months of practical learning with an experienced business owner
- Improved understanding of how to establish and manage an SME
- Exposure to marketing, sales, accounting, customer relations and business finance
- An opportunity to test and strengthen a business plan
- Greater confidence in making entrepreneurial decisions
- Development of management, technical and sector-specific skills
- Better understanding of international and European markets
- Experience of different organisational and business cultures
- Improved foreign-language and communication skills
- Access to a network of international entrepreneurs
- Opportunities to identify future business partners
- Potential development of cross-border commercial cooperation
- Greater awareness of foreign customers, competitors and regulatory conditions
- Financial assistance toward eligible travel and living costs
More information is available on the programme’s benefits for new entrepreneurs page.
Benefits for Host Entrepreneurs
Host entrepreneurs do not receive European financial assistance for hosting. However, the programme can provide significant commercial and professional value.
Benefits may include:
- Working with a motivated entrepreneur who brings new ideas and perspectives
- Accessing skills or specialised knowledge that may not already exist in the host company
- Receiving fresh observations about the company’s products, services or processes
- Learning about the new entrepreneur’s home market
- Identifying opportunities for international expansion
- Developing cross-border contacts
- Finding potential future business partners
- Strengthening the company’s international network
- Improving communication and foreign-language skills
- Acting as a mentor and contributing to entrepreneurship development
- Increasing the company’s international visibility
- Exploring future joint ventures, supply relationships or other cooperation
The programme emphasises mutual value: the host provides experience and guidance, while the new entrepreneur contributes ideas, knowledge and practical support. Further details are available on the benefits for host entrepreneurs page.
Financial Support for New Entrepreneurs
Eligible new entrepreneurs may receive financial assistance toward the cost of travelling to and living in the host country.
The assistance:
- Is paid by the new entrepreneur’s selected local contact point
- Is governed by a financial agreement between the entrepreneur and the local contact point
- Is normally calculated according to a monthly lump sum
- Depends on the country where the exchange takes place
- Covers only the approved period spent abroad collaborating with the host
- Is intended to contribute toward travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses
- May be paid in several instalments under the signed agreement
- May not cover every cost of the exchange
- May need to be supplemented with the participant’s own resources
Host entrepreneurs do not receive European funding under the programme.
The official financial-assistance table currently linked by the programme applies to exchanges beginning on or after 1 June 2024. The listed monthly amounts for currently participating destinations are:
| Monthly amount | Country or category |
|---|---|
| €600 | Albania and Ukraine |
| €650 | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Serbia |
| €700 | Hungary, Latvia, Moldova and Slovakia |
| €750 | Czechia and Malta |
| €800 | Croatia, Estonia, Slovenia and Türkiye |
| €850 | Cyprus, Greece and Portugal |
| €900 | Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain |
| €950 | France and the Netherlands |
| €1,000 | Austria, Finland, Iceland, Italy and Sweden |
| €1,050 | Canada |
| €1,100 | Ireland and the United Kingdom |
| €1,150 | Singapore |
| €1,200 | Denmark, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United States |
| €1,200 | Eligible participants travelling from or to EU outermost regions and Overseas Countries and Territories |
| €1,200 | Entrepreneurs with disabilities, regardless of the destination |
Applicants should treat these figures as contribution rates rather than a promise that all actual costs will be fully covered. The final amount, payment schedule and financial conditions will be established in the agreement with the relevant intermediary organisation. Applicants should verify the latest official monthly financial-assistance table before making travel or accommodation commitments.
Application Documents for New Entrepreneurs
New entrepreneurs should prepare the following before starting their online application:
- Curriculum Vitae
The CV should provide a clear and current summary of the applicant’s:
- Education
- Professional experience
- Entrepreneurial experience
- Technical competencies
- Management capabilities
- Business and sector knowledge
The Europass CV format is preferred but is not compulsory. English is strongly encouraged because it can make the applicant’s profile easier for intermediary organisations and potential hosts to understand.
- Motivation Statement
The motivation section should explain:
- Why the applicant wants to join the programme
- What business knowledge they hope to acquire
- Why an international exchange is relevant to their business
- What skills they can contribute to the host company
- How the exchange will strengthen their planned or recently established business
- What practical results they expect to achieve
- How they will apply the experience after returning home
A generic motivation statement is unlikely to be competitive. It should demonstrate commitment, initiative, seriousness, creativity and clearly defined learning needs.
- Full Business Plan
A full business plan is compulsory for new entrepreneurs. A brief idea alone is not sufficient.
The business plan should include at least:
- A clear description of the proposed product or service
- The problem or customer need addressed
- A definition of the target market
- Market-size and demand considerations
- Competitor analysis
- Marketing and sales strategy
- Operational requirements
- Estimated expenses and revenue for the following two years
- Break-even analysis
- The applicant’s implementation strategy
The programme does not prescribe a single business-plan template. However, the selected local contact point will assess whether the document is sufficiently complete, viable and professionally prepared.
The full business plan is treated as a confidential document and is generally accessible only to the applicant, the selected intermediary organisation, the programme Support Office and the European Commission.
- Business Plan Summary
Applicants must also submit a shorter summary of their business plan. The registration guide indicates a maximum length of 2,000 characters.
Unlike the full confidential business plan, the summary may be visible to accepted entrepreneurs and intermediary organisations in the programme’s online catalogue. Applicants should therefore avoid including trade secrets or other sensitive information.
- Language Information
Applicants must be able to communicate effectively with their proposed host. The programme does not provide language training.
There is no universal language examination requirement, but applicants should be comfortable speaking, understanding, reading and writing in the language used during the exchange. The registration guide refers to approximately B2-level ability as a useful benchmark. English is strongly encouraged because it is widely understood across the programme.
- Geographical and Sector Preferences
Applicants are asked to identify:
- Their principal business sector
- Additional sectors relevant to the planned exchange
- Their preferred host country
- Alternative destination countries
- Their proposed exchange duration
- The periods during which they are available
Flexibility regarding destinations and dates can increase the likelihood of finding a suitable host.
The complete preparation requirements are explained in the official registration guide for new entrepreneurs.
How to Apply for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
The application and matching process generally involves the following stages:
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
Determine whether you qualify as a new entrepreneur or an experienced host entrepreneur. Confirm your permanent-residence status and ensure that your country is currently participating.
Step 2: Identify a Local Contact Point
Select an approved intermediary organisation that operates in your country or region of residence. The organisation will guide you through assessment, matching, preparation and implementation.
Applicants living in an eligible country without an active local contact point may be able to select an intermediary organisation in another participating European country.
Step 3: Prepare the Required Documents
New entrepreneurs should prepare their CV, motivation statement, complete business plan and business-plan summary.
Host entrepreneurs should prepare a detailed professional and company profile, explain their motivation for hosting and identify the skills or experience they can offer.
Step 4: Submit the Online Application Personally
Applications must be submitted through the official programme platform. Participants must not allow an external organisation or third party to submit an application on their behalf.
The official Apply Now page also provides access to explanatory material, registration guides and a preview of the online form.
Step 5: Application Assessment
The selected intermediary organisation reviews the application for eligibility, completeness and quality.
The new entrepreneur registration guide indicates that an initial check should normally be conducted within two weeks of receiving the application. The application may be:
- Accepted
- Placed on hold pending additional information
- Returned to the applicant
- Refused
If information is missing, the applicant may be asked to provide it within a specified period. Acceptance gives the participant access to the programme’s online catalogue but does not by itself guarantee an exchange.
Step 6: Find a Suitable Entrepreneur
Accepted participants can pursue a match in two ways:
- Suggest an eligible entrepreneur with whom they are already in contact, subject to the programme’s restrictions; or
- Search the online catalogue with support from the local contact point.
The proposed host should be relevant to the new entrepreneur’s business objectives and capable of providing genuine entrepreneurial learning.
Step 7: Agree on the Exchange Plan
The two entrepreneurs must agree on:
- Exchange dates
- Duration
- Learning objectives
- Proposed activities
- Expected contributions from each participant
- Anticipated business outcomes
These details must be submitted to the local contact points for assessment and approval.
Step 8: Sign the Required Agreements
All parties digitally sign a Commitment to Quality setting out the objectives and activity plan.
The new entrepreneur also signs a financial agreement with the intermediary organisation. This agreement specifies the funding, responsibilities, payment arrangements, timetable and relevant legal conditions.
Step 9: Complete the Exchange
The new entrepreneur travels to the host country and participates in the agreed activities. Financial assistance is provided according to the signed agreement.
Step 10: Submit Feedback
After the exchange, both entrepreneurs must complete the required feedback questionnaires. The new entrepreneur should explain the activities completed, knowledge acquired and effect of the exchange on their business development.
The complete official process is available on the How to Participate page.
Activities and Relationships That Are Not Permitted
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is not an internship, employment scheme or source of unpaid labour.
Proposed exchanges may be rejected where:
- The host intends to use the new entrepreneur as an ordinary employee or intern
- The parties already have a professional relationship that makes programme support unnecessary
- The host is already, or plans to become, a co-owner or investor in the new entrepreneur’s business
- The new entrepreneur intends to establish a branch of the host’s business
- The parties are close relatives, spouses or partners
- A significant personal relationship creates a conflict of interest
- The new entrepreneur has already worked at the host’s business through another programme
- The exchange provides no clear additional value to both businesses
- The application is submitted by a third party
- Financial assistance is used for a purpose unrelated to the approved exchange
One host entrepreneur cannot host more than one new entrepreneur at the same time. Where co-founders from the same company participate as hosts, their exchanges must take place at different times.
Application Deadline
There is no fixed deadline to register for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs.
The programme accepts online applications throughout the year, according to its official deadline guidance.
Applicants should nevertheless apply early. The assessment, matching, approval and contracting stages can require considerable time, and the availability and budgets of intermediary organisations may affect when an exchange can begin.
Application Cost
Application and participation are completely free of charge.
No intermediary organisation, consultant or external party should charge an applicant an application or participation fee. Applicants must use the official platform and submit their information personally.
Technical Requirements for Applying
The online application system is designed to work with the latest versions of:
- Microsoft Edge
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
Applicants should use a reliable email address that they expect to retain, because the registered email address, first name and last name may not be changeable after registration.
Official Application and Contact Information
Official information page: Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs – Apply Now
Online application portal: Start an Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs application
Local contact points: Find an intermediary organisation
Support Office email: support@erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu
Support Office telephone: +32 2 282 08 73
Practical Tips for a Strong Application
- Prepare a complete business plan with realistic financial assumptions.
- Clearly explain what you need to learn from an experienced entrepreneur.
- Describe the specific skills and knowledge you can contribute to the host.
- Link every proposed exchange objective to the development of your own business.
- Use a professional and updated CV, preferably in English.
- Avoid vague statements about wanting international exposure.
- Select host countries and business sectors that genuinely match your plans.
- Remain flexible about dates and alternative destinations.
- Prepare a personal budget because the financial assistance may not cover every expense.
- Do not disclose commercially sensitive information in the public business-plan summary.
- Apply only through the official programme portal.
- Never pay an application or participation fee.
- Do not describe the proposed exchange as an internship or employment placement.
Conclusion
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs offers aspiring founders and newly established business owners an opportunity to gain practical international business experience while learning directly from an experienced entrepreneur.
Through a structured exchange lasting between one and six months, new entrepreneurs can strengthen their business plans, develop management skills, explore international markets and establish valuable professional relationships. Experienced host entrepreneurs can benefit from fresh ideas, specialised knowledge and access to potential markets and partners abroad.
The programme is free to join, accepts applications throughout the year and provides eligible new entrepreneurs with country-based financial assistance toward travel and living expenses. Applicants should carefully confirm their residency eligibility, prepare a serious business plan and submit a clear application demonstrating both what they expect to learn and what they can contribute.
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