Digital factsheets

Target audience/stakeholders  

The Institutional Factsheet within the Erasmus+ programme serves as a reliable reference point, providing structured and accessible information that facilitates the organisation of student mobility. It includes an overview of key details such as nomination and application deadlines, language requirements, housing opportunities, visa procedures, and other relevant information.  

The digital Factsheet is intended to support a broad range of stakeholders involved in the management and coordination of Erasmus+ mobilities within Higher Education Institutions. This includes International Relations Offices, Erasmus+ coordinators, and other administrative staff responsible for maintaining, updating, and sharing institutional information with partners and students. In addition, it serves as a valuable resource for prospective Erasmus+ students, providing them with relevant information and up-to-date insights to inform their mobility choices. 

By strengthening the consistency, reliability, and accessibility of institutional information, the Digital Factsheet has the potential to enhance the Erasmus+ experience for all stakeholders. Given the digital format, it provides students access to the student-relevant sections of this resource. It should therefore be actively promoted to ensure they can benefit directly from the accurate and easily accessible information during their decision-making and mobility preparation process.

Evidence of impact  

Initial feedback and stakeholders’ experiences suggest that the digital Factsheet has the potential to significantly streamline information exchange between partner institutions within the EWP network in the future. With wider adoption supported by recommendations on effective utilisation, institutions can expect to see improved efficiency in managing partner data, a significant reduction in administrative workload, and fewer discrepancies stemming from outdated or inconsistent information. The most frequently cited reason for the anticipated widespread use was the challenge of manually searching for partners’ data, highlighting the need for automated and standardised solutions. Furthermore, the use of digitalised formats improves data accuracy and strengthens trust between institutions by ensuring consistent and reliable information exchange. 

Although the current adoption of the Digital Factsheet could be further enhanced, community use cases already demonstrate its potential to enhance data exchange and administrative efficiency within the EWP Network. As adoption increases, the Digital Factsheet is expected to evolve into a widely used across participating institutions. The digital Factsheet offers a structured, automated pathway that minimises redundancy and ensures greater data reliability, so, with full integration, institutions can expect streamlined management of partner data, reduced administrative workload, and the elimination of duplicate data entry across institutions. 

 Functionality overview  

The digital Factsheet serves as a structured source of key institutional information, supporting data exchange across the EWP network. It complements other digital processes, offering context for both students and staff throughout the mobility lifecycle. In its paper-based form, the Factsheet is included as a part of the inter-institutional agreement  – a structure that has been retained in the digital environment, where the Factsheet is integrated into the inter-institutional agreement APIs. In line with the inter-institutional agreement guidelines, this section can be updated at any time without requiring approval from partner institutions, making it a flexible tool for managing changing institutional information.  

The Digital Factsheet is organised into following components:  

• Academic calendar
  Information on nomination and application deadlines for both the spring and autumn semesters, contact details for assistance, the extension periods in weeks for submission of additional requirements files/issue the transcript of records. 

• Additional requirements
  Information on additional requirements, e.g., number of ECTS needed for a specific study field/level, CV requirement, Motivational letter requirement or other 

• Inclusion and Accessibility
  Information on the available infrastructures and services of the institution that will provide support for incoming students with special needs 

• Housing
  Information on accommodation possibilities  

• Visa and insurance
  Information on possible support offered by Higher Education Institutions to incoming students regarding visa procedures and obtaining insurance 

• Additional information 

These sections cover key aspects of mobility planning, such as term dates, support for students with fewer opportunities, and guidance on living arrangements abroad. 

Digital factsheet – roadmap for wider adoption 

Looking ahead, the EWP+ Consortium and DG EAC envision the digital Factsheet becoming a widely adopted and essential component of the Erasmus+ digital infrastructure. To support this, broader community engagement and coordinated implementation across institutions are crucial. The following roadmap presents steps in the broader adoption of digital Factsheets within the EWP Network.  

Phase 1: Promote using the Digital Factsheet full potential towards the technical community 

The full potential of Digital Factsheets has not been reached. Imagine nomination deadlines shared via the Factsheets are part of nomination functionality or information relevant to students is shared directly via the resources you make available to students. Therefore, it is crucial that, where relevant, information shared via the Factsheet is integrated and shared in existing processes instead of transforming all the data into a PDF.  The technical community, together with end users, must reflect on which channels are best to share the Factsheet information.  

Phase 2: Promote good usage and drive institutional adoption 

A key priority is to reinforce the foundation of the digital Factsheet by actively promoting its adoption, visibility, and integration within the EWP systems. While the functionality already exists within the inter-institutional agreement APIs, actual usage across institutions could be further enhanced. Unlocking its full potential requires a strengthened effort to increase awareness and encourage consistent implementation. To support targeted communication should be directed toward the EWP community, including Internaitonal Relations Officers, Erasmus+ coordinators, and mobility administrators, highlighting the strategic value of the digital Factsheet. Specifically, its role in streamlining processes, reducing manual workload, minimizing data inconsistence, and improving the flow of information between institutions and students should be clearly communicated.   

 Phase 3: Widespread usage  

At this stage, the groundwork laid in earlier phases (technical improvement, awareness-building, institutional onboarding) leads to a wide adoption that directly supports the Higher Education Institutions in digital transformation in general.

In this envisioned future: 

• The digital Factsheet becomes a standard expectation across all institutions within EWP  

• Manual data entry and document duplication are eliminated 

• All stakeholders benefit from consistent, real-time access to reliable institutional information, reducing misunderstandings and increasing efficiency 

• The digital Factsheet becomes a trusted information source, regularly updated and referenced across the student mobility lifecycle  

As a result, the digital Factsheet not only addresses the longstanding administrative burden but also strengthens the overall interoperability and quality of the Erasmus+ experience - both for institutions and for students participating in the Erasmus+ program.