The Lifelong Learning Programme: education and training opportunities for all

The European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme enables people at all stages of their lives to take part in stimulating learning experiences, as well as helping to develop the education and training sector across Europe.

With a budget of nearly €7 billion for 2007 to 2013, the programme funds a range of actions including exchanges, study visits and networking activities. Projects are intended not only for individual students and learners, but also for teachers, trainers and all others involved in education and training.

There are four sub-programmes which fund projects at different levels of education and training:

Comenius for schools
Erasmus for higher education
Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training
Grundtvig for adult education

Other projects in areas that are relevant to all levels of education, such as language learning, information and communication technologies, policy co-operation and dissemination and exploitation of project results are funded through the "transversal" part of the programme.

In addition, the programme includes Jean Monnet actions which stimulate teaching, reflection and debate on European integration, involving higher education institutions worldwide.

Find out more details about the types of actions that the Lifelong Learning Programme funds and how to apply for them.

Download official documents on the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme and its annual call for proposals.

Targets

Targets have been set for the four sub-programmes:

Comenius should involve at least 3 million pupils in joint educational activities, over the period of the programme;
Erasmus should reach a total of 3 million individual participants in student mobility actions since the programme began;
Leonardo da Vinci should increase placements in enterprises to 80 000 a year by the end of the programme;
Grundtvig should support the mobility of 7 000 individuals involved in adult education a year by 2013.