Programme Guide

What is an OID — and why is it indispensable for every Erasmus+ application?

erasmusplus.ai5 min readApril 2025

If you are submitting an Erasmus+ application to a National Agency, there is no way around it: the OID. It is the organisation identification number that uniquely identifies your institution in the system — and it automatically populates many fields in the application form.

OID in brief

✓OID stands for Organisation ID
✓You receive it when you register your organisation in the Organisation Registration System (Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps Platform)
✓The OID is the standard identifier for decentralised actions managed by National Agencies

How to get your OID — practical steps

Create an EU Login

If you do not already have one, set up an EU Login account. This is the single sign-on used across all European Commission platforms.

Register your organisation

Sign in to the Organisation Registration System and register your organisation. You will need your legal name, address, and a contact person with signing authority.

Important: Before registering, search for your organisation first. This helps you avoid duplicate registrations, which can be treated as misrepresentation.

Receive and store your OID

Once registration is complete, you will receive your OID and can view or update your data at any time. Keep it accessible — you will need it every time you submit an application or are included as a partner.

Why is the OID so important?

→Many National Agency actions simply do not work without a valid OID — it is a mandatory field in the application form
→It saves time and reduces formal errors: as soon as you enter the OID, the system retrieves your organisation's data and displays it automatically
→It uniquely identifies your organisation within the Erasmus+ ecosystem, which is especially important in consortia with multiple partners

OID or PIC? The quick difference

This is where most mix-ups happen:

Identifier	Used for	Where to register
OID	Decentralised actions managed by National Agencies (e.g. KA1, KA2)	Erasmus-ESC Organisation Registration System
PIC	Centralised actions managed by EACEA (e.g. KA3, Jean Monnet)	EU Funding & Tenders Portal

The Programme Guide explicitly describes this distinction as part of the application steps. Check which type of action you are applying to before registering — and make sure you are on the right platform.

3 common OID mistakes — and how to avoid them

Registering the organisation multiple times

Your solution

Multiple registrations — or several OIDs for the same organisation — can be considered misrepresentation and may lead to exclusion from procedures. Always search for your organisation first, and use the existing OID rather than creating a new one.

Using a partner's OID without consent

Your solution

You need explicit, documented consent before using another organisation's OID in your application. Proof of this consent may be required during the assessment or if an audit is triggered. Collect written confirmation from each partner before submission.

Outdated organisation data in the system

Your solution

The OID automatically pulls your registration data into the application form. If the details in the system are out of date — old address, inactive contact person, changed legal name — your application will reflect those errors. Update your registration data before each submission cycle.

Mini checklist before submitting

✓OID is available and confirmed (for all National Agency actions)
✓Organisation data is current: address, contact person, website, legal name
✓For partner OIDs: written consent from each partner is on file
✓No second registration created "just to be safe"

Conclusion

The OID (Organisation ID) is the key prerequisite for Erasmus+ applications to National Agencies. It uniquely identifies your organisation and ensures that your data is correctly transferred into the application form. Plan the registration — or any data update — early, and avoid the two most common pitfalls: duplicate registrations, and using partner OIDs without documented consent.

Try it yourself

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