Erasmus+ Forward-looking Projects aim to foster innovation, creativity and participation, as well as social entrepreneurship within and across different education sectors and disciplines. Forward-Looking Projects are large-scale projects that aim to identify, develop, test and/or assess innovative policy approaches that have the potential of becoming mainstreamed, thus improving education and training systems. They will support forward-looking ideas responding to key European priorities. They should give input for improving education and training systems, as well as bring a substantial innovative effect in terms of methods and practices to all types of learning and active participation settings for Europe’s social cohesion. They focus on future-oriented reforms, address atrategic priorities such as digital transformation, inclusion, sustainability, skills for the labour market, and European cooperation.
Objectives
The aim of Erasmus+ Forward-looking projects is to:
- foster innovation in terms of scope, ground-breaking methods and practices,
- enable the transfer of innovations between countries or sectors, or to different target groups, and
- generate systemic changes that can be adopted more widely at a European level.
Funding
Forward-Looking Projects are large-scale projects that aim to identify, develop, test and/or assess innovative (policy) approaches that have the potential of becoming mainstreamed, thus improving education and training systems. They will support forward-looking ideas responding to key European priorities. They should give input for improving education and training systems, as well as bring a substantial innovative effect in terms of methods and practices to all types of learning and active participation settings for Europe’s social cohesion.
In Forward-looking Projects 2026 call, a total budget of eight million euroes has been allocated, and two different types of projects are supported.
Topic 1: European Degree Pathway Projects
Expected impact:
- Increased operational readiness of national systems to award the joint European degree label;
- Increased readiness of quality assurance systems to apply coherent processes and standards for the award of a joint European degree label;
- Growing awareness and interest among higher education institutions in obtaining the joint European degree label;
- More transnational joint programmes are designed and launched that are compliant with the joint European degree label;
- Readiness to contribute to the exploration of the feasibility and added value of
a joint European degree, including in specific fields e.g. in engineering.
Projects should last 24 months.
Project budget (maximum grant amount) is EUR 800 000 per project.
Topic 2: Leadership Development programme for higher education institutions’ leaders
Expected impact:
- Established European Leadership Academy, creating a European community of leadership practice, connecting leaders of higher education institutions in Europe for mutual learning, exchange of practices, and co-creation of innovative solutions to shared challenges.
- Increased leadership expertise enabling transformative change in the higher education sector in Europe.
- Facilitating higher education sector transformation in Europe based on transnational cooperation, academic freedom and other European approaches.
- Development of attractive and sustainable academic careers in higher education sector throughout the European Education Area.
- Inspiration for sustainable leadership models based on European values.
Projects should last 24 months.
Project budget (maximum grant amount) is EUR 1 000 000 per project.
Each project application under the call must address only one of these Topics. Applicants wishing to apply for more than one Topic, must submit a separate proposal under each Topic.
Who can participate?
Participants can be public or private organisations that are active in the fields of education and training or in the world of work.
Organizations participating in the projects must be from Erasmus+ program countries, i.e., EU member states or countries associated to the program. Organizations from third countries not associated to Erasmus+ program can only participate as associate partners. Organizations from Russia or Belarusia are not eligible to participate.
European Degree Pathway Projects Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants which complies with the following conditions: minimum 2 eligible independent entities from a minimum of 2 different eligible countries or minimum of 2 non-profit international associations active in the field of quality assurance in higher education.
The same entity may only participate as full partner in one single application either as coordinator, beneficiary, or affiliated entity. Ιt may participate in other applications only as associated partner. This limitation does not apply to associated partners.
Leadership Development programme for higher education institutions’ leaders Proposals must be submitted by one international association or several organisations from a minimum of 2 different eligible countries coordinated by an international association.
The composition of the applicant consortium and the requirements vary by category.
Application
The application process is managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The organisation coordinating the project submits the application to EACEA, which evaluates and selects the projects to be funded.
Application deadline
The application round closes on 3 March 2026 (17:00 CET).
Application forms and instructions are published on the Commission’s Funding & Tenders application portal.
Support and guidance for the application process are provided by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). For any questions related to the application, inquiries may be addressed to the following email: EACEA-Policy-Support@ec.europa.eu