Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) Scholarship 2027 Application Process and Review
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) accepts applications throughout the year from eligible aspiring founders and entrepreneurs with less than three years of total entrepreneurial experience. This European business exchange lets you collaborate with an experienced entrepreneur abroad, with financial assistance towards travel and living expenses.
If you have a business idea but need practical experience in pricing, finding customers or managing operations, EYE offers a way to learn inside an established business. It is an entrepreneurial collaboration rather than a university scholarship or an internship. You bring useful skills to your host while developing the knowledge needed for your own venture.
Before you start, check two things: where you reside and how clearly you can explain your business. New-entrepreneur eligibility depends on residence in an EU member state or an eligible Single Market Programme (SMP) country. A promising idea alone is also insufficient: you need a business plan, and acceptance into the programme comes before matching with a host and agreeing the exchange.
This guide takes you through those decisions in order: confirm your residence, prepare the documents, estimate your costs and complete the application through to the agreements required before departure.
01 Check your residence before preparing the application
Your residence must qualify for the new-entrepreneur route; appearing on the wider host-country list is not enough. Besides EU member states, the current eligible SMP-country list includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore are listed as non-SMP host countries. Residence there does not qualify you to apply as a new entrepreneur under the published rule.
The programme defines residence using your company’s registration location, or where you are based if it has establishments in several participating countries. Without a registered company, the rule is where you spent at least 183 days during the previous 12 months. Applicants currently living in a non-participating country remain ineligible even if they otherwise satisfy those definitions.
For example: someone currently living in Pakistan or India cannot apply simply by choosing a European host. Check your actual residence situation with a local contact point before investing time in the form.
You can apply before launching your business, and your venture can be in any sector. “Young” refers to the entrepreneurial stage: there is no upper age limit, while under-18s cannot participate. New entrepreneurs may participate only once.
Return to your EYE application route
02 Turn your business idea into an application-ready plan
Prepare a CV, clear motivation, a full business plan and a summary before opening the registration form. The plan is mandatory, but it does not need to be lengthy. It needs to show that you have worked through how the venture could operate.
- Product or service: explain what you will sell and the customer need it addresses.
- Market and competitors: identify your target customers, competing offers, and your marketing and sales approach.
- Two-year finances: estimate income and expenses and include a break-even analysis.
The programme supplies no compulsory business-plan template. Choose a clear format and ask your intermediary organization, also called a local contact point, for advice if you need help meeting the requirements.
Write the summary in English for potential hosts to read. The full plan is assessed separately and is not openly shared with all hosts; confirm an acceptable language with your contact point. Your CV should explain your relevant education, experience and skills. Europass is preferred but optional.
Make your motivation specific. Instead of “I want international exposure,” explain which business skills you need and what you can contribute. For example, a future online retailer might seek experience in supplier selection and pricing while offering skills in product photography. This is an illustration, not a required sector or application formula.
Return to your EYE application route
03 Work out what the EYE exchange grant will cover?
EYE provides a contribution towards your stay, so budget for any gap between the grant and your actual costs. Financial assistance is calculated using the destination’s monthly rate and covers only the period spent abroad collaborating with the host.
The rate schedule currently linked by the programme lists, for example, €900 per month for Germany or Spain, €950 for France, €1,000 for Italy and €1,200 for Denmark. Confirm the rate applicable to your exchange with your contact point before making commitments.
Your financial agreement specifies the award and payment arrangements. Compare it with accommodation, transport and everyday expenses, and ask when payments will arrive. A grant is useful support, but it should not be presented as a guarantee that every expense will be covered.
Return to your EYE application route
04 Follow the EYE Application From Registration to departure
Apply as a new entrepreneur first; then complete host matching, exchange approval and the funding agreement. Finding someone willing to host you does not replace programme assessment.
- Select your local contact point. Use the official contact-point directory to choose an organization active in your country of residence. Eligible residents in countries without a contact point may register with one in another European country.
- Start the online registration. Open the EYE application portal and select “New entrepreneur.” Enter your profile, motivation, language skills, business sector, preferred destinations and exchange availability. Upload your CV and full business plan and enter the summary. Save a draft while preparing your responses.
- Submit to your chosen organization. Check all required fields and submit the application. Your contact point assesses it and may accept it, request further information or refuse it. A saved draft is not a submitted application.
- Find a suitable host after acceptance. Search the online catalogue with your contact point’s help, or propose an entrepreneur you already know. Look for a collaboration that addresses your learning needs and gives the host a clear reason to work with you.
- Agree the exchange activities. Set objectives, dates and an activity plan with the host, then send the details to your contact point for the required approval. The programme supports collaboration between entrepreneurs, so an ordinary internship proposal will not qualify.
- Complete the agreements before departure. All partners digitally sign the Commitment to Quality in the IT Tool. You also sign the financial agreement with your contact point. Confirm the approved dates, payment schedule and any travel or immigration arrangements relevant to your situation before booking.
The official participation guide and linked registration manual explain the sequence. Exchanges normally last one to six months; they may be divided into weekly slots within an overall period of no more than 12 months.
Return to your EYE application route
05 When can you apply for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs?
There is no last date to register for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs: applications can be submitted throughout the year. This was verified on 10 October 2026. Your exchange dates and financial arrangements are agreed separately after assessment and host matching. Start with your contact point and a workable business plan so you can move through those stages with the right information ready.
