Following December’s announcement of the UK rejoining Erasmus+ in 2027, today EU and UK policymakers legally formalised the deal under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Alongside welcoming the UK back into the scheme six years after its departure under Brexit, it was announced the British Council would become the UK’s National Agency for Erasmus+.
British Council chief executive Scott McDonald said re-entering Erasmus+ would be of “enormous benefit to a range of people from different backgrounds throughout the UK, giving them a global outlook and a whole range of skills of value both to themselves and to the UK”.
“As the National Agency for Erasmus+, the British Council will work closely with the Department for Education, the Devolved Governments and the European Commission to make the most of the opportunities of the program for the UK,” McDonald continued.
He hailed the program’s “proven track record in changing lives, opening up learning experiences, providing insight into cultures, and nurturing global citizenship” across higher education, non-formal schools, vocational training and sport.
The British Council was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014-2020 when the program funded over 8,000 projects, engaging nearly 600,000 UK participants and awarding €1.1 billion to UK organisations.
Erasmus+ has a proven track record in changing lives
Scott McDonald, British Council
Sector bodies have welcomed news of the UK’s reassociation and British Council’s leading role, urging institutions to work together to “make the most of” the opportunity.
“The announcement provides important clarity for program delivery ahead of UK participation in 2027, supporting institutions across higher education, further education and wider sectors to engage with Erasmus+ opportunities and plan with greater confidence,” said Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK international (UUKi).
He said the British Council’s previous experience in delivering the last iteration of Erasmus+ would provide a “foundation for supporting program implementation across all eligible education sectors” and help enable the next phase of mobilisation.
Arrowsmith said UUKi looked forward to working with government and European partners to maximise its benefits for students and staff, with the association developing an Erasmus+ FAQ resource addressing key questions surrounding the UK’s rejoining.
At an industry event earlier this year, UK universities were told to “think big” as they prepare to rejoin the mobility scheme, as the government vowed the Erasmus+ of 2027/28 was “bigger” and “broader” than the scheme the UK left in 2020, carrying a “colossal” budget.
Elsewhere, the UK Mission to the EU welcomed the news of the official rejoining on social media, which it said was: “Good news for students, apprentices, educators and young people across Europe”.
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