Below you will find an overview of the type of UK institutions and individuals who are eligible for Comenius funding through the British Council.

			Institutions are schools, colleges and local authorities applying to be part of a Comenius School Partnership or Comenius Regio Partnership, or schools and colleges applying to host a Comenius Assistant.
			Individuals are school, college or other education staff applying for an in-service training grant, or those applying to be a Comenius Assistant.

For more detailed eligibility information relating to a specific Comenius activity, please check the relevant Application Guidance and Eligibility Checklist.

(NB. Institutions and individuals from the Isle of Man and Channel Islands are not eligible to receive funding for Comenius.)

Eligibility for Schools

UK schools eligible for funding through the British Council as the UK National Agency for Comenius

• Schools, sixth form colleges and colleges of further education based in the UK, providing general, vocational, technical and special needs education from nursery to upper secondary levels
• Institutions may be funded by the state or privately, as charitable foundations or as ‘for profit’ organisations
• European schools located in the UK (NB a maximum of one European school, overall, may take part in each Comenius Partnership)

NB. The term 'European School' has a very particular meaning in this context. European Schools are official educational establishments controlled jointly by the governments of the Member States of the European Union

Non-UK schools eligible for funding through the British Council as UK National Agency for Comenius

• UK forces schools located in a country eligible to participate in the LLP. For multilateral partnerships, such schools must include partners from at least two other countries as well as the UK and the country where the school is located. For bilateral partnerships, such schools must work with a partner from a country other than the UK and the country where the school is located
• British “national schools” located in a country eligible to participate in the LLP and which are under the supervision of the UK education authorities. The same rules regarding partners apply as for UK forces schools

Schools not eligible for funding through the British Council as the UK National Agency for Comenius

• Foreign “national schools”’ located in the UK that are not under the supervision of the UK authorities. Such schools should apply to the National Agency of their country of origin
• British “national schools” located abroad (eg private schools for expatriate pupils) that are not under the supervision of the UK education authorities. Such schools should apply to the National Agency of the country where they are located
• European schools not based in the UK. Such schools should apply to the National Agency of the country where they are located (NB a maximum of one European school, overall, may take part in each Comenius Partnership)
• Private language schools

Eligibility for Local Authorities

Only local or regional authorities with a role in school education are eligible to apply for funding. In the case of Comenius Regio, the local or regional authority must coordinate the project within the UK. Eligible institutions are as follows:

• County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England
• Local Authorities in Scotland
• Local Education Authorities in Wales
• Education and Library Boards and the Department for Employment and Learning (for FE-related partnerships) in Northern Ireland

Eligibility of Individuals for Comenius In-service Training Grants

• School education staff, local education authority staff, or persons engaged in the training of teachers should apply through their school, authority, or initial teacher training institution.
• Unemployed teachers and teachers re-entering the profession after a period away from teaching are also eligible. In these cases (where it may not be possible for the application to come from the institution at which the individual is based) the application may be submitted directly to the British Council by the individual applicant

Recipients of mobility grants for individuals must be either:

• nationals of the UK
• nationals of other countries enrolled in regular courses in schools, institutions of higher education or vocational training, or in adult learning organisations in the UK, or employed or living in the UK according to the national legal requirements

Eligibility for Comenius Assistantships

Who can apply to be a Comenius Assistant?

• People who have not previously received a grant to be a Comenius Assistant
• People who are planning to be a primary or secondary teacher, of any subject, in the future
• People with a qualification leading to a career as a teacher, or:
• People who have studied at a higher education establishment for at least two years towards a qualification which can lead to initial teacher training and/or registration as a primary or secondary teacher.
• People who have not previously been employed as a teacher at Primary, Secondary or Further Education level, including as a probationer or supply teacher
• People who have not previously been employed as a TEFL teacher (defined as holders of a recognised certificate level TEFL qualification, e.g., Cambridge ESOL or Trinity TESOL, and with over 6 months TEFL teaching experience)

Recipients of mobility grants for individuals must be either:

• nationals of the UK
• nationals of other countries enrolled in regular courses at institutions of higher education in th UK or employed or living in the UK according to the national legal requirements

If you want further clarification about eligibility, please contact comenius@britishcouncil.org