Eligibility for Schools (all strands of Comenius)
Eligibility for Local Authorities (Comenius Regio Partnerships)
Eligibility for Individuals (Comenius In-Service Training)
Eligibility for Individuals (Comenius Assistants)

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
• Schools based in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

Eligibility for Comenius Regio Partnerships

Only local or regional authorities with a role in school education are eligible to apply for funding. 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 in Northern Ireland

Eligibility of Individuals for Comenius In-service Training Grants

School education staff (teaching and non-teaching) should apply through their school. Please refer to the section on eligibility of schools

• Local authority staff working in school education can also participate, as can persons engaged in the training of teachers
• 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
• If further clarification is needed contact comenius@britishcouncil.org

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 nationals of, or resident in, a country participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme (Please consult the LLP Guide, Part 1: General Provisions, section "Which countries participate in the programme?")
• People who are planning to be a teacher, of any subject, in the future
• People with a qualification leading to a career as a teacher, or:
• People who have been studying for at least two years towards a qualification which can lead to a career as a teacher
• People who have not previously been employed as a teacher.