Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs: how it works and how to apply

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs explained: who can apply, no age limit, monthly grants of €600–1,200 by country, host rules and the application steps.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) is an EU-funded exchange that lets a new or aspiring entrepreneur spend 1 to 6 months working alongside an experienced business owner in another participating country. You apply online through the programme's registration tool, pick a local contact point in your country of residence, get matched with a host, and receive a monthly grant that depends on where you stay. Applying and taking part are free, there is no registration deadline and there is no upper age limit.

The rules below are taken from the official programme website and the EU's Your Europe portal, and are current as of October 2026.

What the programme is

EYE started in 2009. It is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) and, for 2021–2027, is funded under the EU's Single Market Programme. It pairs two people: a "new entrepreneur" who wants practical experience, and a "host entrepreneur" who runs an established small or medium-sized company and is willing to act as a mentor.

It is not a job, an internship or a work placement. The programme states plainly that it only supports collaborations between two individual entrepreneurs. During the stay, the pair agree on concrete work: shadowing the host, market research, sharpening the newcomer's business plan, learning how the host handles finance, sales and branding, or joint innovation projects.

Who can apply as a new entrepreneur

According to the new entrepreneur profile, you qualify if one of these applies:

• you are firmly planning to start a business based on a viable business plan, or
• you have less than three years of total entrepreneurial experience.

You must also:

• be a permanent resident of an EU member state or one of the Single Market Programme (SMP) third countries;
• have a concrete project or business idea written up as a business plan;
• be ready to contribute to the host's business, not just observe;
• be prepared to top up the grant from your own funds if your stay costs more.

Your business can be in any sector. New entrepreneurs can take part only once.

Is there an age limit?

No. Despite the name, there is no maximum age. The only age rule is that all participants must be over 18. What counts is how new your business is, not how old you are.

Who can be a host entrepreneur

The host entrepreneur profile sets four conditions. A host must:

• be a permanent resident of a participating country, with the company registered in that country;
• be the owner-manager of a small or medium-sized enterprise, or be directly involved in entrepreneurship at SME board level (not as an employee);
• have run a company as an entrepreneur for more than three years;
• be willing to share knowledge and mentor a new entrepreneur.

Hosts receive no EU funding. What they get is extra capacity, an outside view of their business and contacts in another market. Hosts sign the same quality agreement as the new entrepreneur and fill in a feedback questionnaire after the exchange.

Participating countries

As of October 2026, the official country list has three groups:

• EU member states: all 27.
• SMP third countries: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
• Non-SMP countries: Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The distinction matters. New entrepreneurs must live in an EU or SMP country. Hosts can be based in any of the three groups, so a founder from Poland could, for example, be hosted in Canada or Singapore, but a founder living in the UK cannot apply as a new entrepreneur. The host must be in a different country from the new entrepreneur.

How much money you get

The grant is paid only to the new entrepreneur. It is a monthly lump sum meant to contribute to travel and living costs, and it is calculated for the time you actually spend abroad working with your host. The amount depends on the country of stay, not on where you come from.

The current rates apply to exchanges starting from 1 June 2024, under a Commission decision of 3 April 2024, and are listed in the official monthly financial assistance table. A selection, in euros per month (the table also lists a few other destinations, such as Armenia and Georgia):

• Denmark, Norway, Liechtenstein, United States: 1,200
• Singapore: 1,150
• Ireland, United Kingdom: 1,100
• Canada: 1,050
• Austria, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Iceland: 1,000
• France, Netherlands: 950
• Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg: 900
• Portugal, Greece, Cyprus: 850
• Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Türkiye: 800
• Czech Republic, Malta: 750
• Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, Moldova: 700
• Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo: 650
• Albania, Ukraine: 600

Two groups get the top rate of 1,200 euros a month regardless of destination: entrepreneurs with disabilities, and entrepreneurs travelling from or to the EU's outermost regions and overseas countries and territories.

The money comes from your local contact point, not directly from Brussels. You sign a financial agreement with that organisation, and it pays the grant in several instalments under that agreement. Check the table yourself before budgeting, since rates are set by Commission decision and can be revised.

How to apply, step by step

The process is laid out on the programme's how to participate page. In practice it runs like this:

1. Prepare your documents. Everyone needs a CV and a motivation statement. New entrepreneurs also need a business plan. The site publishes separate registration guides for new and host entrepreneurs; read the relevant one first.
2. Register online. Apply through the EYE registration tool, which uses an EU Login account. You can apply at any time.
3. Choose a local contact point. Contact points are intermediary organisations that also pay out the grant. Pick one active in your country of residence from the list of local contact points. If your country has none, you can register with one in another country. The contact point reviews your application and guides you through the rest.
4. Find a match. Once accepted, you either propose a host or new entrepreneur you already know, or search the online catalogue of accepted applicants with your contact point's help.
5. Agree on the project. Settle dates, objectives and an activity plan with your partner and send them to your contact point.
6. Sign the paperwork. All parties sign a "Commitment to Quality" in the online tool. The new entrepreneur also signs the financial agreement with their contact point.
7. Go abroad. The stay lasts 1 to 6 months. It can be split into weekly blocks, as long as the whole exchange fits within 12 months.
8. Report back. After the stay, both entrepreneurs complete a feedback questionnaire.

About the "host list"

There is no public directory of hosts. The catalogue of applicants opens only after your own application has been accepted, and you browse it online with your contact point's help. The other official route is to find a suitable company yourself, ask it to register as a host, and propose that match to your contact point.

How long it takes

The official site does not publish a standard processing time. The calendar depends on how quickly your contact point reviews the application, how long matching takes and when your host can receive you. If you have a target start date, contact your chosen local contact point early and ask how long its reviews usually take.

Practical tips before you apply

• Treat the business plan as the core of the application. It is what contact points and potential hosts read first.
• Choose a host whose company is relevant to your plan: same sector, a market you want to enter, or a skill you lack.
• Budget for the gap. In expensive cities the monthly grant may not cover rent and travel, and the programme expects you to cover the difference.
• Do not pay anyone to apply on your behalf. The programme says no organisation may charge application or participation fees.

If you are comparing EU support routes for an early-stage company, see our guides to the EIC Accelerator and to startup visas in Europe, and follow European founders and startup news on Europa Circuit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs paid?

New entrepreneurs receive a monthly grant toward travel and living costs, between 600 and 1,200 euros depending on the country of stay, as of October 2026. It is a grant paid through your local contact point, not a salary, and hosts receive no EU funding.

Is there an age limit for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs?

No. There is no upper age limit; participants only need to be over 18. Eligibility depends on having a business plan or less than three years of entrepreneurial experience.

Can I be a host entrepreneur?

Yes, if you own and manage a small or medium-sized company, or sit at SME board level, have run a business for more than three years, and live in a participating country where your company is registered. Hosts register through the same online tool and local contact points.

Is there a deadline to apply?

No. Registration is open all year, and you can apply through the online tool at any time.

Can I apply from the UK or the US?

Only as a host. The UK, US, Canada and Singapore take part as non-SMP countries, so businesses there can host new entrepreneurs, but residents cannot join as new entrepreneurs.