Funding programme

Erasmus+ is the EU funding programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2021-2027.

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Call overview

This call supports the gradual establishment and development of European platforms of Centres of Vocational Excellence, contributing to regional development, innovation, and smart specialisation strategies as well as to international collaborative platforms.

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Call details

Centres of Vocational Excellence will operate at two levels:

1. At national level involving a wide range of local stakeholders creating skills ecosystems for local innovation, regional development, and social inclusion, while working with CoVEs in other countries through international collaborative networks.

2) At international level bringing together CoVEs that share a common interest in:

▪ specific sectors or industrial ecosystems,

▪ innovative approaches to tackle economic and societal challenges (e.g. climate change, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, sustainable development goals, integration of migrants and disadvantaged groups, upskilling people with low qualification levels, etc.), or

▪ innovative approaches to increase the outreach, quality and effectiveness of existing CoVEs.

The networks will bring together existing CoVEs, or develop the Vocational Excellence model by linking partners from various countries, that intend to develop Vocational Excellence in their local context through international cooperation. They could contribute e.g. to the delivery phase of the New European Bauhaus initiative by collaborating with the communities involved in the local transformations fostered by the initiative.

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Activities funded

Features that characterise transnational cooperation platforms include a set of various activities grouped under the three clusters mentioned below:  

1. Teaching and learning – including providing people with skills relevant to the labour market, in a lifelong learning continuum approach; developing innovative learner-centred teaching and learning methodologies including distance learning resources developing modular and learner-centred transnational VET learning provision (curricula and/or qualifications) thus facilitating the mobility (including virtual mobility) of learners and staff, as well as the recognition at regional and/or national levels.
2. Cooperation and partnerships – including contributing to the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in partnership with other stakeholders; and establishing business-education partnerships for apprenticeships, internships, sharing of equipment, including resources for distance learning, exchanges of staff and teachers between companies and VET centres, etc.
3. Governance and funding – including ensuring effective governance at all levels involving relevant stakeholders; and making full use of EU financial instruments and funds.

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Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities, if applicable) must:

▪ be legal entities (public or private bodies);

▪ be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme);

▪ be active in the field of vocational education and training or in the world of work.

Organisations active in the field of vocational education and training or in the world of work from third countries not associated to the Programme may also participate

- as beneficiary, affiliated entity or associated partner

- but not as coordinator. Exception: organisations from Belarus (Region 2) and the Russian Federation (Region 4) are not eligible to participate in this action.

Participating organisations can be, for example (non-exhaustive list):

▪ VET providers

▪ VET provider representative organisations

▪ Companies, industry, other employers or sector representative organisations

▪ National/regional qualification authorities

▪ Research institutes▪ Innovation agencies

▪ Regional development authorities▪ International organisations active in the VET field.

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Consortium Composition

The partnership must include at least 8 applicants (beneficiaries) from a minimum of 4 EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme. Each EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme must include:

a) at least 1 enterprise, industry, other employers or sector representative organisation, and

b) at least 1 vocational education and training provider (at secondary and/or tertiary level).

Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count in this minimum configuration of the consortium. They can not be the coordinating organisation. The coordinating organisation must be from an EU Member State or a third country associated to the Programme.

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Budget

The maximum EU grant per project is 4 million euros.

Duration

Projects should normally last 48 months