Europe gets you moving! Erasmus+ and ESC Awards 2025 presented
On 9 December 2025 outstanding projects from the two EU programmes Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) were presented with awards at a ceremony in Vienna and the new EU programme ambassadors were introduced. The focus was on the sustainable impact of the programmes on people, institutions and regions.
The education minister Christoph Wiederkehr emphasised the importance of the programmes for Austria and Europe: ‘Erasmus+ not only strengthens educational cooperation but also creates spaces in which Europe can be experienced in a concrete way. In particular, it promotes European cohesion, democracy education and the strengthening of skills. We need this more urgently than ever.’
The OeAD’s managing director Jakob Calice pointed out the long-term effects: ‘We see time and again how formative Erasmus+ or ESC experiences are, often over decades. Whether it is career orientation, international networks or personal growth: the projects presented with awards today are examples of how vibrant and tangible the European idea becomes when it is anchored in concrete action.’
The representative of the EU Commission, Patrick Lobis, emphasised the European policy value of the programmes: ‘Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps bring the European Union’s motto “united in diversity” to life. Europe needs people who share its values and carry them across borders.’
The festive setting at the Palais Niederösterreich highlighted the diversity of these effects: at the individual and institutional level, in the regional environment as well as in the European context.
The head of section Elmar Pichl (Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research (BMFWF)) emphasised the importance of the programmes for innovation: ‘The results of the cooperation in Erasmus+ projects clearly show the added value for the acquisition of skills for the world of work and the opportunities for innovation in both adult education and in higher education.’
The head of section Bernadett Humer (Austrian Federal Chancellery) emphasised the social added value of European youth work: ‘When young people get to know other ways of life this leads to respect and a sense of cohesion. Youth work in a European context strengthens the common good and creates friendships that promote European cohesion.’
The head of section Sonja Schneeweiss (Austrian Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS)) emphasised the importance of Erasmus+ for sport: ‘Especially in the sector of sport, which is largely characterised by voluntary work, it is important to further promote the exchange of knowledge through programmes such as Erasmus+ Sport. This also strengthens values such as fairness and team spirit, which are a main characteristic of sport.’
Award-winning projects and organisations
Seven organisations from the fields of school education, vocational education and training, higher education, adult education, youth, sport and volunteering were presented with awards for the outstanding and sustainable impact of their activities.
Erasmus+ and ESC Ambassadors 2025
Another seven individuals were presented with awards as ‘ambassadors’ for their commitment to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.
Award-winning projects: https://erasmusplus.oead.at/de/awardorganisationen2025
Ambassadors 2025: https://erasmusplus.oead.at/de/erfolgsgeschichten/erasmus-botschafter/innen
Photos of the event in the APA photo gallery: https://www.apa-fotoservice.at/galerie/39381
Erasmus+ and ESC in the funding year 2026
Europe invests a total of € 28.4 billion in education and youth exchanges between 2021 and 2027 and a further € 1 billion in the European Solidarity Corps. Austria will receive around € 683 million from this for the implementation of the two programmes. For 2026 the OeAD expects more than 40,000 people to participate in Erasmus+ and ESC. Educational institutions, youth organisations and sports clubs in Austria will have around € 89 million in funding available next year.
The EU’s ‘Union of Skills’ strategy will be the focus of the funding year 2026. It aims to improve qualifications, strengthen life-long learning and increase employability. Particular emphasis will be placed on professional development of teachers, making the teaching profession more attractive, improving the quality of teaching and training, and promoting basic, digital and democratic skills.
Further information:
The OeAD is the national agency responsible for implementing the programmes Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).
