BIPs are intended to provide a short study or training period abroad (5-30 days), which is carried out within the framework of a jointly offered class. This offer supports the development of joint short-term programs that are ideally embedded in the curricula of the collaborating universities. BIPs can be part of the universities' existing curricula or complement them. They can be established as a new teaching format or interpreted as an extension of existing formats with additional features.

A BIP requires at least three HEIs holding an Erasmus+ Charter for Higher Education (ECHE), from three different Program Countries. Other HEIs or organizations from Program or Partner Countries can optionally participate in a BIP. The physical stay of participants from Partner Countries must be funded by the sending institutions.

Participants from Program Countries receive their funding from the respective sending HEI.

The coordinating university applies for funds on behalf of all partners for support for the organization and implementation of the BIP. Funds are granted for a maximum of 20 Erasmus+ participants.

A central element of the BIPs is the obligatory virtual component, which enables content-related preparation, monitoring and follow-up of the short mobility phase. The scope and frequency of the virtual component are at the discretion of the organizing HEIs and depend on the learning objectives of the respective class.

The BIPs funding line can and should also appeal to and encourage staff and universities to design coursework with colleagues abroad who have had little experience with this form of collaboration. At the same time, the format also makes an experience abroad possible for students who may not be able to participate in a longer stay abroad. Funding is available and can be used flexibly in order to help the cooperating universities organize and implement the BIPs.

Mobile participants of a BIP are therefore students (SMS) or teaching staff (STA) of a university who leave their university's country. This group consists of learners only and includes 15 to 20 participants. STA mobilities can participate in a BIP as teachers and be funded from the regular Erasmus+ budget, but do not count as BIP participants. With regard to eligibility, participating HEIs should always distinguish between mobile participants and the total amount of participants of the BIP when planning and calculating!

Funded students should be able to achieve at least three ECTS that contribute to the completion of their studies.

A BIP takes place in cooperation with Erasmus+ partner universities, i.e. there should also be an Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) between the universities in order to receive funding.

If TU Dortmund University students and teaching staff go abroad as a group within the framework of a BIP, funds for these mobilities can be applied for through the International Office (application deadline is 31 March for the following academic year).

In case of approval, the administrative conditions of the program must then be met (e.g. Learning Agreement, Certificate of Attendance, Transcript of Records).

If a department of TU Dortmund University conducts a BIP and is thus the organizing/receiving institution, funds can be requested through the International Office for organizational support (application deadline is 31 March for the following academic year).

The International Office applies for the funding centrally via the European Commission's application portal as a part of the regular KA131 application.

TU Dortmund University teaching staff can apply for funding for a group mobility within the framework of a Blended Intensive Program through 31 March by e-mail to Silke Viol (see "How to Apply for a BIP?").

Applications cannot be submitted by students who are individually participating in a BIP abroad.

The notification by e-mail by 31 March of a year refers to planned BIPs in the following academic year, e.g. 31 March 2024 is the deadline for projects in the winter semester 2024/2025 and summer semester 2025.

In the application it is important to know which role TU Dortmund University will assume. 

Each of the participating universities must assume at least one of the following roles in the implementation:

• coordinating university
  • applies for, receives, manages and distributes the BIP-OS funds (15 to 20 participants: BIP-OS funds)
  • is normally also the host HEI, unless the partnership decides otherwise
• sending university(ies)
  • sending BIP participants: SMS (as short-term blended mobilities) and/or STA mobilities
  • sends other Erasmus+ participants who are not BIP-participants
• host university
  • hosts BIP participants either at its premises or at another venue/host institution in the country where it is located (co-hosting organization)

Students, Graduates and Doctoral Candidates of TU Dortmund University (Outgoings)

If the funds for students, graduates and doctoral candidates of TU Dortmund University have been applied for by the department involved in the BIP by 31 March  at the International Office and approved by the International Office and if an Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Agreement with the university hosting and coordinating the attendance phase is available, then they will receive the following funding rates:

Day 1-14: 70 EUR/day

Day 15-30: 50 EUR/day

Green travel: 50 EUR + up to 4 additional days (both one-time stipends)

Participants with fewer opportunities can receive an additional one-time stipend of 100 EUR (for 5-14 days) or 150 EUR (for 15-30 days) plus travel expenses based on distance.

Inclusion Top Ups apply in particular to:

• students and graduates with a degree of disability of GdB 20 or more or with a chronic illness
• students and graduates who bring their child/children along during the stay abroad
• first-generation students (students from a non-academic home)
• working students who have to give up or pause the job in order to go abroad

An overview of all funding rates in the new Erasmus+ program generation can be found on the website of the National Agency for Erasmus+ (DAAD).

Teaching Staff of TU Dortmund University (Outgoings)

Teaching staff who carry out a teaching activity during the mobile phase as part of the BIP may be eligible for funding through Erasmus+ Staff Mobility.

TU Dortmund University as Organizing University

If a department of TU Dortmund University organizes a BIP in Dortmund, it can apply through the International Office for funds to organize the BIP (deadline 31 March). TU Dortmund University students are then not mobile and, thus, do not receive an Erasmus+ mobility grant.

Participants from program countries receive their funding from the respective sending university for the physical mobility phase (5-30 days).

The organizational support for a BIP is 6,000 EUR for 15 mobile participants and can reach up to 8,000 EUR for 20 or more participants. TU Dortmund University usually applies for BIPs for 15 mobile participants, so that up to 6,000 EUR is available per BIP that TUDO takes the lead in organizing on site. The funding for organizational support is paid to the lead university, which is usually the university where the physical mobility takes place, and can thus cover the costs for:

• the preparation, design, development, implementation and follow-up of the program,
• the implementation of virtual activities and general administration and coordination,
• the preparation of documents or teaching materials,
• the rental of rooms and/or equipment,
• field trips, communication activities, translation and interpretation and
• preparatory visits and administrative tasks.

The application can currently be submitted informally by e-mail to Silke Viol by 31 March of each year for the following academic year and should contain the following information:

1. Name of the department and the contact person in the department (TU Dortmund University).
2. Name of participating universities and role distribution (coordinating/receiving or sending institution)
3. Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIA) in place?
4. Title of the planned BIP
5. Topic/subject of the program
6. Brief description of the content of the BIP
7. Teaching and learning methods and expected learning/training outcomes
8. Virtual component description
9. Period and location of physical mobility
10. Number of mobile students/graduates/doctoral candidates/teaching staff
11. Language of instruction
12. Field of study of the students
13. Target education level (Bachelor | Master | Phd)
14. Number of planned ECTS (3 ECTS minimum)

If the BIP is coordinated by TU Dortmund University, funds for the organization of the BIP can be issued to the department. For this purpose, a description of the planned use of these funds is also important.

If the BIP is not fully planned as of 31 March, funds can still be reserved. In any case, contact Silke Viol in time to reserve funds for a BIP.

The approval and rejection letters are usually sent by e-mail in May/June, as soon as the International Office has received the allocation amount from the DAAD.

When you have received a written approval from Silke Viol via e-mail in May/June, you will receive an e-mail with the next steps. To get a first impression of what to do then, you will now get an overview:

If TU Dortmund University (TUDO) is the sending university,

•     TUDO sends BIP participants: SMS (as short-term blended mobilities) and/or STA mobilities
•     TUDO sends other Erasmus+ participants who are not BIP-participants

Students (Outgoings SMS) | Contact: Hella Koschinski

• Participants will be selected by the coordinator in the department.
• Please send an e-mail to Hella Koschinski with the following information about the students who will participate in the planned BIP and receive funding:
  • Last name, first name
  • Details of the timeframe for the virtual and mobile phases of the BIP
  • Dates of arrival and departure
  • Inclusion Top Up eligible (yes/no)
    • students and graduates with a degree of disability of GdB 20 or more or with a chronic illness
    • students and graduates who bring their child/children along during the stay abroad
    • first-generation students (students from a non-academic home)
    • working students who have to give up or pause the job in order to go abroad
• Green travel (yes/no) 
• Please inform participating students that they must complete and submit the online application form. You will receive the appropriate link in the BIP approval letter (please only have students fill it out when requested).

It is important to know that the administrative conditions of the Erasmus+ program must be met (e.g. Learning Agreement, Certificate of Attendance, Transcript of Records with at least 3 ECTS).

Teaching Staff (Outgoings STA) | Contact: Andrea Schöne

Please inform the participating lecturers that they will have to familiarize themselves with the formalities of an Erasmus+ Teaching Staff Mobility and send the required documents (Mobility Agreement; Online Declaration of Acceptance; Invitation from the host university) to Andrea Schöne.

All information can be found on the Erasmus+ Teaching Staff Mobility website.

Coordinating the BIP (usually the host institution)

Please provide Hella Koschinski and Andrea Schöne with the name and email address of the person who is the coordinator and administrator of the BIP at the coordinating institution. The colleagues will have to agree on the data transfer in the EU tool in order to manage the program.

If TU Dortmund University is the coordinating university,

• the International Office applies for, receives, administers and distributes the BIP-OS funds (15 to 20 participants: BIP-OS funds) to the BIP project coordination in the department, so that they can pay the organizational costs incurred from it.
• TUDO is normally also the host university, unless the partnership decides otherwise.
• the participating TUDO students and teaching staff do not receive an Erasmus+ mobility grant.
   

If TU Dortmund University is the hosting institution,

• TUDO receives BIP participants either on its premises or at another venue/at another hosting institution in Germany (co-hosting organization).
• it is usually also the coordinating university.
• the participating TUDO students do not receive an Erasmus+ mobility grant.