On 1 January 2021, the merger process behind the creation of the Estonian Education and Youth Authority (HARNO) was completed through the transfer of remaining activities – the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps agency – from the Archimedes Foundation, ACA’s member organisation. The other departments were transferred to HARNO in August 2020. 

The main activities of the Agency will continue to be the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes, which are, says HARNO General Director, Ulla Ilisson, important for Estonian education and youth work landscape. In the past programming period, more than 60 000 people took part and more than EUR 116 million were invested.  

In addition, Euroguidance, Eurodesk, Nordplus, the European Language Label and the SALTO Participation and Information Resource Center, are also being moved from the Archimedes Foundation to the Education and Youth Authority. 

For partners and applicants, HARNO announces that the application process will not change and all programmes will continue to operate in the same way, the programme specialists having moved together with the respective programmes to the new agency. 

The Education and Youth Authority (HARNO) was established on 1 August 2020, as a governmental body under the administration of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research in Estonia. The authority’s main task is the implementation of education and youth policies. The joint institution was established to incorporate   the services of the Innove Foundation, the Archimedes Foundation, the Information Technology Foundation for Education and the Estonian Youth Work Center. 

Press release