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Arrange a blended intensive program (BIP)

Together with at least two other universities from two other program countries, universities can organize joint programs for groups of students, teachers and administrative staff.

These short intensive programs are based on more flexible forms of mobility and combine a physical and a virtual part.

The physical part can take place at the receiving university or somewhere else in the receiving program country. The virtual part has no defined duration, and can be either before, during or after the physical part.

The work is done together, i.e. both the physical and the virtual part happen through the joint work of the participants and common goals and learning outcomes.

The course must generate at least 3 ECTS.

Structure

Group mobility for students and/or teachers/other staff.

  • At least 3 universities (with ECHE) from 3 different program countries
    • The organizing university is the receiving university (coordinating university and receiving university by default) and is responsible for the course and the physical mobility part in the home country.
    • Sending universities: Actively participates in the course and must meet the requirements of a total of at least 15 participations (excluding teachers and students from the receiving higher education institution)
    • Other universities/organisations from program and partner countries can also participate
  • At least 15 participants (mobilities financed by Erasmus funds/exclusive teachers teaching)
  • At least 3 ECTS (for students)
  • Shorter course/activity that includes:
    • Joint physical mobility 5-30 days
    • Common virtual component.

More information can be found on the Erasmus+ website:

Erasmus+ Programme Guide

The universities jointly design blended mobility course plans and activities for students, as well as for academic and administrative staff. BIPs should have an added value compared to existing programs and courses:

  • Should be interdisciplinary and problem solving
  • Preferably connected to societal challenges and sustainability goals
  • Should have innovative teaching and learning methods
  • Even the virtual component involves joint work
  • The virtual part must be formally recognized.

Agreement

To be able to send or receive participants in a BIP, a valid Erasmus agreement is required between the sending and receiving higher education institution (which is signed digitally via EWP), or all higher education institutions in the BIP collaboration sign a multilateral Erasmus agreement (paper version). If mixed mobility is not included in the agreement, this should be agreed upon separately.

Template for Multilateral Inter-Institutional Agreement docx, 91.8 kB.

Instructions for signing exchange agreements

Financing

Blended intensive programs are financed through the Erasmus funds that universities with an ECHE (Erasmus Charter for Higher Education) can apply for each year.

The coordinating university applies for BIP organisation (OS)-funds to organise a blended intensive program. The funds are allocated provided the conditions have been met after the BIP is completed. The sum is based on the number of mobile participants with an Erasmus scholarship, minimum 15 and maximum 20 to 400 euros.

You can have more than 20 mobile participants, but OS-funds are only paid for a maximum of 20 participants. For the blended intensive program to meet the requirement for minimum participants, and for organizational funds to be disbursed, it is a prerequisite that the sending universities link their students to the correct BIP in the European Commission's Beneficiary Module reporting system.

  • 400 euros per participant for a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20
  • Teachers who teach abroad can apply for funding within Erasmus+ teacher mobility if they meet all the conditions for the mobility (8 hours/week during the physical mobility): International mobility for teachers (in Swedish)

BIP OS-funds are intended to cover costs related to the preparation, design, development, implementation and follow-up of the course. Also the implementation of the virtual component and the general coordination of the course.

For example, costs may include:

  • Production of printed matter
  • Communication material
  • Rental of classrooms or other spaces
  • Rental of equipment
  • Field trips
  • Preparatory visit
  • Other administrative costs

Sending universities that are to send participants on the physical mobility include the mobilities in their application for KA131 grants in the same year.

Please note that the participants must meet the Erasmus conditions for the respective form of mobility to be eligible for funding, for example teaching teachers need to teach at least 8 hours during the physical mobility. Erasmus funding is only paid for the physical mobility.

Departments who want to coordinate a BIP

Departments that want to coordinate a BIP apply to the Erasmus office no later than 31 December of the academic year before the BIP will take place. Coordinating the BIP will involve several different people at the department, i.e. exchange coordinator, economist, etc. It is therefore important that it is coordinated within the organisation. The Head of Department must sign the application. The Erasmus Office then applies for funds to coordinate a BIP on your behalf. If the application is approved, the Erasmus office sends out an agreement to be signed by the Head of Department. The department's economist creates a project account for the BIP, where the BIP OS-funds are then transferred after the completion of the course, provided that the conditions have been met.

The department is responsible that the BIP created together with at least two other universities is formally established as a course at Stockholm University, according to standard routine for establishing and finalising a syllabus. This requirement applies to courses at bachelor level and master level. For courses at doctoral level, the syllabus or course description can be decided according to the department's practice. It is therefore important to establish early contact with the responsible faculty office to make this possible in terms of time.

Incoming students are administered as exchange students by the department's exchange coordinator and the students are registered as usual at an exchange event in Ladok.

Information about administration of incoming students.

Please contact erasmusutbyte@su.se at an early stage to get support in planning the mixed intensive program.

Departments who want to participate in a BIP

Departments who want to participate in a BIP and send participants must submit an application to participate in a BIP to the Erasmus Office no later than three months before the start of the course. Preferably, submit the application as early as possible so that the budget can be planned accordingly. Participating in the BIP will involve several different people at the department, e.g. exchange coordinator, economist, etc. It is therefore important that everyone in the department is on the same page. The application must be signed by the Head of Department.

When the department has selected which students will participate and apply for Erasmus scholarships, a list of participants is sent to the Erasmus Office no later than two months before the start of the course. The Erasmus Office then contacts the students with information on how to apply for their scholarships. The deadline for scholarship applications is no later than six weeks before the start of the course.

Outgoing students are administered as exchange students by the department's exchange coordinator and the students are registered as usual at an exchange event in Ladok.

Information about administration of outgoing students.

Teachers who are to participate in a BIP apply for funds for teacher mobility provided that they fulfill the eligibility requirements.

Application

Departments that want to coordinate or participate in a BIP apply to the Erasmus Office by submitting a completed application form, signed by the project coordinator at Stockholm University (e.g. responsible teacher) and Head of Department, to erasmusutbyte@su.se

  • Application deadline to coordinate a BIP: 31 December of the previous year
  • Deadline for applying to participate in a BIP: No later than three months before the start of the course, but preferably as early as possible.

BIP Application form pdf, 98.9 kB.

Administration of students

Students are administered as exchange students by exchange coordinators at the departments:

Exchange coordinators at the departments

Outgoing students

Reporting

Granted BIPs are reported in the Beneficiary Module (BM) system. The mobility grants are reported by the sending universities, who link participants in their respective granted projects in BM and link them to the relevant BIP.

In the final report, the implementation of the BIP will be scored and form the basis for distribution in the next call.

Blended intensive programs (BIP) within Civis

The CIVIS educational strategy to establish and develop collaborative academic initiatives has led to more than 250 BIPs and thousands of participating students. Through CIVIS, teachers can easily find other academics to collaborate with and through the CIVIS platform, the course becomes accessible to all eligible students at the CIVIS universities.

For information about BIPs within Civis – contact CIVIS Education Officer Anna Koch Öster (anna.koch@su.se)

Within CIVIS, teachers at Stockholm University can easily find academics at other partner universities to plan and organise blended intensive programs (BIPs) with. This means a short course including both a physical part, of a maximum of five days, and a virtual part. Within CIVIS, the credit limit for a BIP is usually 3 – 6 ECTS. If teachers want to give a BIP with a higher number of credits (maximum 9), specific terms apply.

A prerequisite for participation is that it is well-established according to standard routines and practices at the department concerned already in the planning and before the application to CIVIS is submitted. Another prerequisite is that the BIP is given together with at least two other CIVIS universities in the Erasmus program countries and that at least 10 students with Erasmus grant from other CIVIS universities participate.

Students, teachers and staff participating in a mobility within the BIP, can apply for an Erasmus grant for the physical part of the course.

After the BIP is completed and reported, the coordinating department can be granted 4,000 -8,000 Euros in organisational support for planning and implementation, depending on the number of students participating. A prerequisite for this financial support is that at least 10 students undertake an Erasmus mobility. For the maximum amount, at least 20 incoming students with an Erasmus grant are required. Local income for full-year students and full-year achievements may be added, see below.

The following applies to applications regardless of whether a department at Stockholm University is the coordinator or co-organiser of the CIVIS BIP:

  • Remember to anchor your participation in a BIP with the head of department already in the planning phase and before the application is submitted to CIVIS. One reason is how commitment should be included in working hours and possible financial aspects.
  • When a BIP has been granted within CIVIS, internal procedures for BIPs at SU need to be followed. The head of department must sign the application for funding.

Internal procedures for BIP

Special requirements apply to applications where Stockholm University is the coordinator and issues the ECTS:

  • The course should be credit-bearing (3–6 HP). For higher credit numbers (max. 9), special clarification per credit in the course syllabus applies.
  • The BIP should be formally established as a course at Stockholm University (by decision on the establishment and adoption of a syllabus). This applies to courses on 1st and 2nd cycles. For courses at 3rd cycle a course plan or course description can be decided in accordance with the normal routines at the department. To allow enough time for these administrative procedures, contact the responsible faculty office as early as possible.
  • The content of the BIP should be suitable for one of the following five interdisciplinary thematic areas of CIVIS:
    • Hub 1 Climate, Environment and Energy
    • Hub 2 Society, Culture and Cultural Heritage
    • Hub 3 Health
    • Hub 4 Cities, Territories and Mobility
    • Hub 5 Digital and Technological Development
  • The director of studies and international coordinator in the department are particularly concerned. It is necessary that the teacher applying for a BIP coordinates this with their department before submitting the application.
  • Regardless if the Stockholm University department is coordinating or co-participating, the internal administrative procedures follow.
    Administration of student mobility (in Swedish).
  • Granted BIP courses are not advertised on universityadmissions.se, but on the CIVIS platform where eligible students from CIVIS universities, including Stockholm University, apply for the courses. Selection is made jointly by the course teachers. Stockholm University's rules for admission and selection criteria must be met even if the application is not made via antagning.se. Students are admitted in Ladok by the department which will thus receive income for full-year students and full-year achievements respectively.

Coordinate with the head of department, director of studies and international coordinator (or equivalent) early on. Several people in the department are involved when coordinating a BIP.

A BIP is an excellent opportunity to obtain funding for a second edition of an existing course or for developing a CIVIS activity into a formal course. BIPs also make it possible to initiate new collaborations with colleagues at the other CIVIS partner universities.

Kontakt

Last updated: 2025-09-30

Source: Studentavdelningen