Forward-Looking Projects

This action aims to foster innovation, creativity and participation, as well as social entrepreneurship in different fields of education and training, within sectors or across sectors and disciplines. Forward-Looking Projects are large-scale projects aimed at identifying, developing, testing and/or evaluating innovative approaches, which will lead to the improvement of the education and training system. These projects focus on all sectors of education, in particular on vocational education and training, adult education, as well as cross-sectoral cooperation at different levels of education and training.

The aim of this action is to support international cooperation projects that cover different sectors and encourage innovation in terms of establishing groundbreaking methods and practices, and/or ensure transfer of innovation, in order to establish a sustainable level of use of innovative project results and/or their implementation in different contexts and audiences.

These projects are divided into 3 Lots:

  • Lot 1: Digital education (cross-sectoral)
  • Lot 2: Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Lot 3: Adult learning
Types of activities

Within all three Lots, the priorities that the projects can are defined in the Programme Guide (a total of 7 priorities). Within the individual priorities, specific activities relevant to the selected priority can be found. The main activities within these priorities can be (non-exhaustive list):

  • Action research, mapping work, producing large-scale sectoral or cross-sectoral outputs;
  • Transnational capacity-building activities such as training, the analysis of policy contexts, policy-research, institutional adjustments;
  • Pilot activities to test innovative solutions;
  • Large-scale transnational events or networking activities, either sectoral or cross-sectoral;
  • Exploitation activities to spread results to the educational community or sector;
  • Think-tank activities, researching and experimenting with innovative ideas.

Projects under Lot 1 – Digital education (Cross-sectoral) can address different educational sectors or bridge educational sectors. These project proposals must focus on how to support high quality and inclusive digital education, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan, or how to support education and training systems to adapt for the green transition.

Projects under Lot 2 – Vocational Education and Training are addressing the VET sector. These projects should focus on supporting the Pact for Skills, structures and mechanisms for Applied research in VET, as well as raising attractiveness of VET sector.

Projects under Lot 3 – Adult learning support the implementation of the principles and objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the European Skills Agenda, and the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults. Projects under Lot 3 must address the defined priority: Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults.

Consortium composition

The applicant (coordinator and full partners) must be:

  • public or private organisations/entities that are active in the fields of education and training, or in the world of work;
  • established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme.

Exception: For Lot 3, Priority 7 ’Support to the Pact for Skills’ only the coordinating organisations of Pact for Skills partnerships can be a coordinator, and only organisations involved in existing Pact for Skills partnerships can be full partners.

Higher education institutions established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE).

For Lot 1: The consortium must include at least 3 applicants (coordinator and full partner) from a minimum of 3 EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme (including at least 2 EU Member States). The consortium must include at least one public authority at national or regional level (e.g. Ministries of Innovation, Education, Labour or Economy, qualification or quality assurance authorities etc), from an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme, as applicant (coordinator or full partner).

Under Priority 1 (EdTech), the consortium must include at least one EdTech company from an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme, as applicant (coordinator or full partner).

For Lot 2: The consortium must include at least 6 applicants (coordinator and full partners) from a minimum of 3 EU Member States, or third countries associated to the Programme. Affiliated entities do not count towards the minimum eligibility criteria for the consortium composition. For at least 3 eligible countries, the consortium must include, per country:
a) at least 1 enterprise, industry or sector representative organisation, and
b) at least 1 vocational education and training provider or representative organisation (at secondary and/or tertiary level).

For Lot 3: Under Priority 6, the consortium must include at least 3 applicants (coordinator and full partners) from a minimum of 3 EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme.
It must also include public or private entities in charge of, or having a high degree of responsibility for (or influence over), the organisation and/or financing and/or provision of educational services to adults (e.g. skills assessment, validation of competences, education and training, orientation and guidance), as applicants or associated partners.

Under Priority 7, the consortium must include only partners of existing Pact for Skills partnerships as applicants (coordinator and full partners) from a minimum of 3 EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme.

Duration of the project

Lot 1 projects can last 24 to 48 months.

Lot 2 can last 36 months.

Lot 3 projects can last 24 months.

Funding rules

Maximum project budget per Lot:

  • Lot 1: EUR 1.500,000 per project
  • Lot 2: EUR 900,000 per project
  • Lot 3: EUR 1,000,000 per project

This action follows a lump sum funding model. The budget should be detailed as necessary by beneficiaries and organised in coherent work packages (for example divided into ‘project management’, ‘training’, ‘organisation of events’, ‘mobility preparation and implementation’, ‘communication and dissemination’, ‘quality assurance’, ’equipment’ etc.). The grant can cover staff costs, travel and subsistence costs, equipment costs and subcontracting as well as other costs (such us dissemination of information, publishing or translation).

What is the deadline for application?

Information on the deadline for submitting project applications within the current Call for proposals can be found on our page Calendar of Calls.

More details about Forward-Looking Projects can be found in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide on the EACEA website.    

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