There are hundreds of organisations selling structured Erasmus+ courses, and the quality range between them is enormous. Some are teacher training institutions. Some are travel agencies that discovered a funding stream. From a catalogue page they look identical, because everyone writes the same words: certified, Europass, immersive, expert-led.
Here is what actually separates them, in the order we would check it.
1. Who delivers the sessions
Ask directly: who will be in the room, and what is their background? A provider that designs and delivers its own courses can answer in one sentence. A provider that subcontracts to whoever is available that week will answer vaguely, or with a list of "our network of experts". Neither model is illegitimate, but you should know which one you are buying.
2. Group size
This is the single most reliable quality signal, and it is easy to check. A course built around discussion and comparison between education systems stops working past roughly fifteen people. If a provider will not tell you the maximum group size, the answer is probably "as many as sign up".
3. What the certificate actually says
Ask for a sample certificate before booking. It should state dates, contact hours and the content covered — not just "attended a course". Your National Agency may query a vague certificate, and by then the course is over and your leverage is gone. Ask about Europass Mobility at the same time: who issues it and when.
4. Whether the price fits the funding
Erasmus+ covers course fees up to 80 € per participant per day, capped at 800 € per participant and activity. A five-day course priced above 400 € puts the difference on your school's budget. Some providers price above the cap deliberately and do not mention it. Do the division yourself.
5. The cancellation policy, in writing
Staff fall ill. Grants arrive late. Ask what happens if you cancel eight weeks out, and what happens if they cancel because the group did not fill. A provider that runs courses only when enough people sign up should say so up front — it is a legitimate model, but you need to know before you book non-refundable flights.
6. A real address and a real company
Check that there is a registered entity behind the website, in a real place, with a phone number that a person answers. It sounds basic. It filters out a surprising number of listings.
7. What happens outside the classroom
Cultural immersion is a genuine objective of Erasmus+ staff mobility, not a garnish. But there is a difference between a programme built around a place and a generic coach tour bolted onto a training week. Ask what the afternoons consist of and why those particular activities. A provider rooted in its city will have specific answers.
A note on where the course happens
Location is not a quality criterion in itself, but it has practical consequences: how easy the group finds it to arrive, whether they can walk everywhere or need transport, and how far the subsistence rate stretches. Our courses run in the province of Cádiz, in southern Spain, for exactly those reasons — and we are happy to answer all seven questions above about ourselves before you ask.