Tools and Documents

The Training and Cooperation Activity (TCA) contact seminar titled “Empowering VET through Erasmus+: a Small-Scale Partnership building seminar” focused on creating a supportive and collaborative platform for participants interested in applying for Small-Scale Partnership (KA210) projects within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.

The event aimed to address and help overcome the key challenges faced by potential applicants, including connecting with suitable project partners, developing new and strong project ideas, and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the Erasmus+ program’s rules, requirements, and application procedures. Through networking opportunities, expert guidance, and practical workshops, participants enhanced their capacity to successfully prepare and submit high-quality project proposals, ultimately contributing to the strengthening of partnerships and the overall development of the VET sector.

The TCA brought together 33 participants from 14 countries representing various organisations – VET schools and centres, general and higher education institutions, NGOs, associations, community organisations, etc. Attendees ranged from experienced Erasmus+ project beneficiaries to newcomers, all of which interested in submitting a KA210 project proposal in VET sector for Call2026. Together with NA staff and the experts the number of participants was 50.

The contact seminar opened with an informal networking activity in the evening of the first day, followed by informal dinner to encourage participants to start to get to know each other.

On the second day, participants had the opportunity to learn about the specific rules and guidelines of Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnerships (KA210) to ensure compliance and maximize project success, gain understanding of the key requirements for submitting successful projects, learn from the experiences and best practices of successful KA210 beneficiaries as well as start exploring and developing innovative project ideas in a supportive environment, connecting with potential project partners and building meaningful collaborations for future initiatives. The day concluded with a scavenger hunt activity as part of exploring the Riga Old Town in already established project partnerships, that was followed by informal dinner.

On the third and the last activity day, the established partnerships worked in-depth on developing their project idea. Experienced expert presented tips for writing a good KA2 application, followed by a presentation by another experienced expert on responsible use of artificial intelligence for project writing. At the end of the seminar participants pitching their projects to other participants, experts and NA representatives.

The participant satisfaction survey was sent out to all 33 participants of which NA received 23 responses. The survey shows very high satisfaction with the TCA event, with most activities rated as highly relevant, especially the working groups led by the moderators and the Erasmus+ successful project experience stories. Organizational aspects were also evaluated very positively, with communication before and during the event receiving almost exclusively “Excellent” ratings, while the venue and overall logistics were regarded as very good. Open-ended responses highlighted a desire for more group-building activities and more interactive workshops. Many respondents expressed gratitude, describing the programme as well-designed, useful, and smoothly implemented. Overall, the feedback is strongly positive, with constructive suggestions focused mainly on enhancing interactivity and session variety.