Adult education (AE)

Deadline: Mar 15, 2022  
CALL EXPIRED

Purpose of the action

Following the recent pandemic, the need for innovation in our education and training systems, as well as youth, has never been so great. Innovation in teaching and learning is crucial, at individual level as well as at institutional level. These innovative approaches should not only provide today’s and tomorrow’s workers with the appropriate skills for rapidly-changing labour markets, but should also arm today’s and tomorrow’s workforce with creativity and skills to confront the growing complexity of societal challenges that we all face such as climate change, the protection of biodiversity, clean energy, public health, digitalization and automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and data analysis.

This action will aim 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 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 and that have the potential of becoming mainstreamed and giving input for improving education, training and youth systems, as well as to 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.

The goal is to support transnational cooperation projects implementing a coherent and comprehensive set of sectoral or cross-sectoral activities that either:

1. foster innovation in terms of scope, ground-breaking methods and practices, and/or
2. ensure a transfer of innovation (across countries, policy sectors or target groups), thus ensuring at European level a sustainable exploitation of innovative project results and/or transferability into different contexts and audiences.

The partnerships should be composed of a mix of public and private organisations combining researchers, practitioners and partners with the capacity to reach policy-makers.

Forward-Looking Projects should therefore be implemented by a mixed partnership of organisations:

• based on excellence and state of the art knowledge,
• having the capacity to innovate,
• able to generate systemic impact through their activities and the potential to drive the policy agenda in the fields of education and training.

Supported projects will aim at achieving systemic impact at European level by having the capacity to deploy their innovative outcomes on a European scale and/or by being able to transfer them into different thematic or geographical contexts.

Lot 3: Adult education (AE)

These projects 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 address the adult education sector. Proposals submitted under Lot 3 must address the priority 6 that is detailed under ‘Setting up a project’:

• Priority 6: Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults

OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION

The general objectives are as follows:

• Innovative initiatives with a strong impact on education and training reforms in specific strategic policy areas;
• Contributing to the strengthening of Europe's innovation capacity by promoting innovation in education and training;
• Creating systemic change through fostering innovation at both practice and policy-level;
• Support forward-looking ideas focusing on key topics and priorities at EU level, with a clear potential to be mainstreamed in one or more sectors;
• As fully innovative, ground-breaking educational methods and practices and/or transfer of innovation: ensuring at EU level a sustainable exploitation of innovative project results and/or transferability into different contexts and audiences.

The specific objectives include:

• Identifying, developing, testing and/or assessing innovative approaches that have the potential to be mainstreamed in order to improve education and training systems and improve the effectiveness of policies and practices in the field of education and training;
• Launching pilot actions to test solutions to present and future challenges with a view to kick-starting sustainable and systemic impact;
• Supporting transnational cooperation and mutual learning on forward-looking issues amongst key stakeholders and empowering them to develop innovative solutions and promote the transfer of those solutions in new settings, including capacity-building of relevant stakeholders.

Activities under Forward-Looking Projects should contribute to the following:

• Improve quality, efficiency and equity of education and training systems;
• Improve effectiveness of policies in the field of education and training;
• Support the implementation of EU Frameworks and legal initiatives as well as country-specific recommendations from the European Semester;
• Improved evidence and understanding on target group(s), learning and teaching situations and effective methodologies and tools that can inspire and stimulate innovation at system level;
• Develop knowledge to support evidence-based policy;
• Trigger behavioural shifts at EU level.

Main activities under these Priorities could involve (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.

Forward-Looking Projects are required to apply EU wide instruments and tools whenever relevant.

Projects should include the design of a long-term action plan (beyond the duration of the Erasmus+ funded project) for the progressive take-up and mainstreaming of the innovations developed to be able to impact on education and training systems, in collaboration with the relevant authorities and institutions. They should also ensure the appropriate visibility and wide dissemination of the work, including at EU and national political level.

Forward-Looking Projects could also indicate how other EU funding opportunities (e.g. European Structural Funds, European Fund for Strategic Investment, Recover and Resilience Facility, Just Transition Fund), national and regional funding (as well as private funding), can support the implementation of the project. They could take into account national and regional smart specialisation strategies and developments in the European Industrial Ecosystems.

CRITERIA TO BE MET TO APPLY FOR FORWARD LOOKING PROJECTS

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

In order to be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant, project proposals for Forward-looking Projects must comply with the following criteria:

Who can apply?

Any full partner legally established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme can be the applicant. This organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project.

What types of organisations are eligible to participate in the project?

• The following organisations can be involved as full partner, affiliated entity or associated partner: Any public or private organisations that are active in the fields of education and training, that are key drivers of innovation and established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme (see section “Eligible countries”).

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).

Number and profile of participating organisations

For all Lots:

• The partnership must include at least 3 full partners from a minimum of 3 EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme (including at least 2 EU Member States).

For Lot 3:

• For at least three of the participating countries, the partnership must 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 full or associated partners.

Venue of activities

The activities must take place in EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme.

Duration of project

For Lot 3 the duration of the project is:

• 24 months.

The duration has to be chosen at application stage, based on the objective of the project, on the type of activities planned over time, the budget and the ambitions set for the project.

Project start dates

Projects will start on 1 November 2022, 1 December 2022 or 1 January 2023

Where to apply?

To the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

Call ID Lot 3: ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PI-FORWARD-LOT3

When to apply?

Applicants have to submit their grant application by 15 March at 17:00 (Brussels time)

Applicant organisations will be assessed against the relevant exclusion and selection criteria. For more information please consult Part C of the Programme Guide.

SETTING UP A PROJECT

Forward-Looking Projects should always have in mind the following cross-cutting policy contexts:

1. The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan;

2. The European Commission’s Green Deal, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris

Declaration on Climate Change;

3. The European Skills Agenda – in particular action 1 on the Pact for Skills, action 6 on Skills to support the

twin transitions, and action 8 on Skills for life;

4. The Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness,

social fairness and resilience;

5. The Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults;

6. Digital Transformation in our education and training systems, as well as in youth, as encompassed in the

European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027.

LOT 3: ADULT EDUCATION (AE)

Proposals submitted under Lot 3 must address the following priority:

Priority 6: Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults

Upskilling Pathways as defined in the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults, targets adults with a low level of skills, knowledge and competences who have at best completed lower secondary education. It aims to provide adults with flexible opportunities to improve their literacy, numeracy and digital skills (including ability to use digital technologies) and to progress towards higher qualification levels relevant for the labour market and for active participation in society.

Upskilling Pathways contribute to ensure that everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning, as defined in Principle 1 of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Upskilling Pathways comprises three steps:

1. skills assessment (i.e. skills identification or screening);

2. provision of a tailored, flexible and quality learning offer; and

3. validation and recognition of skills acquired.

Through the actions proposed, the projects will support the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, as well as to the European Skills Agenda (action 8 ‘Skills for life’).

The projects will:

• Contribute to increase the supply of upskilling opportunities and their take up by low skilled adults;
• Contribute to practical and integrated delivery of the Upskilling Pathways steps supported by outreach and guidance measures;
• Contribute to increase the coherence among existing measures for low skilled adults;
• Ensure that all relevant actors are mobilised and engaged in the delivery of the Upskilling Pathways Recommendation.

A partnership approach should be ensured, which promotes effective coordination and long-term collaboration between the stakeholders involved in planning, implementing and monitoring Upskilling Pathways.

The projects shall include a plan for the roll-out of its outcomes/results in the participating countries, and include proposals for the further development of tailored support and learning for this specific target group.

Actors involved in Upskilling Pathways may include: national, regional or local entities involved in planning, organising or promoting adult learning, employer organisations, employers, trade unions, chambers of industry, trade, commerce and crafts, employment services, education and training providers, intermediary and sectoral organisations, civil society organisations, local and regional economic actors, libraries and community services.

AWARD CRITERIA

1. Relevance of the project (maximum 30 points/ threshold minimum 15 points):

• Link to EU policy and initiatives: the proposal establishes and develops a project that supports a forward-looking idea at EU level, taking into account and fostering existing EU tools and initiatives (if relevant). The proposal also supports the implementation of EU policies (e.g. European Skills Agenda), EU Frameworks and EU initiatives such as country specific recommendations from the European Semester;
• Purpose: the proposal is relevant to the objective of the Action, as well as the general and specific objectives of the Action (see section ‘Objectives of the action’ above);
• Scope: the proposal addresses one of the 6 priorities of the Action (see section ‘Setting up a project’ above);
• Innovation: the proposal considers state-of-the-art methods and techniques, and leads to innovative results and solutions that can be mainstreamed into one or moreeconomic or educational sectors;
• Consistency: the objectives are based on a sound needs analysis; they are clearly defined, realistic and address issues relevant to the participating organisations and to the Action;
• European added value: the proposal demonstrates clearly the added value at systemic EU level, generated through its trans-nationality and potential transferability;
• Depending on the addressed priority:
  • Priority 6 - Upskilling Pathways: the extent to which the proposal contributes to the practical and integrated delivery of the Upskilling Pathways steps supported by outreach and guidance measures.
• Post-pandemic setting: the extent to which the proposal integrates measures fostering new policies and practices at systemic level in order to face new challenges posed by the recent pandemic.

2. Quality of the project design and implementation (maximum 30 points/ threshold minimum 15 points):

• Coherence: the overall project design ensures consistency between project objectives, methodology, activities, duration and the budget proposed. The proposal presents a coherent and comprehensive set of appropriate activities to meet the identified needs and lead to the expected results;
• Structure: the work programme is clear and complete (covering appropriate project phases: preparation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, dissemination and exploitation). It comprises an ex ante and ex post (both within the project duration) analysis of the introduced innovation in education;
• Methodology: the quality and feasibility of the methodology proposed and its appropriateness for producing the expected results, using EU instruments whenever relevant to the project;
• Management: solid management arrangements are foreseen. Timelines, organisation, tasks and responsibilities are well defined and realistic. The proposal allocates appropriate resources to each activity;
• Improving quality and effectiveness: the proposal clearly embeds its innovation into activities and results which improve the quality, efficiency and equity of education and training systems;
• Budget: the budget provides for appropriate resources necessary for success, it is neither overestimated nor underestimated;
• Financial and quality control: control measures (continuous quality evaluation and training, peer reviews, benchmarking activities, etc.) and quality indicators ensure that the project implementation is of high quality and cost-efficient. Challenges/risks of the project are clearly identified and mitigating actions properly addressed. Expert review processes are planned as an integral part of the project. The work programme includes an independent external quality assessment at mid-term and a few months before the project end in order to enable potential project adjustments.

3. Quality of the partnership and the cooperation arrangements (maximum 20 points/threshold minimum 10 points):

• Configuration: the composition of the partnership is in line with the action and project objectives. It brings together an appropriate mix of relevant organisations with the necessary profiles, skills, experience, expertise and management support required for the successful delivery of the whole project. The proposal includes partners that adequately represent the sector or cross-sectoral approach concerned.
• Commitment: the contributions from partners are significant, pertinent and complementary. The distribution of responsibilities and tasks is clear, appropriate, and demonstrates the commitment and active contribution of all participating organisations in relation to their specific expertise and capacity;
• Tasks: the coordinator shows high quality management and coordination of transnational networks and leadership in complex environment. Individual tasks are allocated on the basis of the specific know-how of each partner;
• Collaboration/Team spirit: an effective mechanism is proposed to ensure an efficient coordination, decision-making, communication and conflict resolution between the participating organisations, participants and any other relevant stakeholder;
• Geographical dimension and involvement of third countries not associated to the Programme: the partnership includes relevant partners from different geographical areas and this geographical composition is motivated. If applicable, the involvement of participating organisations from third countries not associated to the Programme brings an essential added value to the achievement of the objectives of the Forward-Looking Project.

4. Impact, dissemination and sustainability (maximum 20 points/threshold minimum 10 points):

• Exploitation: the proposal demonstrates how the outcomes of the project will be mainstreamed at system level in one or more sectors. It provides means to measure exploitation within the project lifetime and after;
• Dissemination: the proposal provides a clear plan for the dissemination of results, and includes appropriate targets, activities, relevant timing, tools and channels to ensure that the results and benefits will be spread effectively to the right stakeholders, policy makers and drivers of innovation within and after the project’s lifetime. The proposal also indicates which partners will be responsible for dissemination and demonstrates the relevant experience that they have in dissemination activities. Dissemination also takes into account national and regional smart-specialisation strategies to impact to the maximum at these levels; Open access: as a general rule, and within the limits of existing national and European legal frameworks, results should be made available as open educational resources (OER) as well as on relevant professional, sectorial or competent authorities’ platforms. The proposal will describe how data, materials, documents and audio-visual and social media activity produced will be made freely available and promoted through open licences, and does not contain disproportionate limitations;
• Impact: the proposal demonstrates the potential impact of the project:
  • On the targeted groups and sector(s);
  • On policy-makers at system level;
  • Outside of the policy-makers and authorities directly targeted in the project, on private or public innovation-drivers at local, regional, national and/orEuropean levels. The proposal demonstrates the potential to be implemented by other key stakeholders in the sector or beyond.

The proposal includes measures as well as targets and indicators to monitor progress and assess the expected impact (short- and long-term);

• Sustainability: the proposal explains how the Forward-Looking Project will be rolled out and further developed at different levels (local, regional, national). The proposal includes the design of a long-term action plan for the progressive roll-out of project deliverables after the project has finished and their incorporation into the mainstream. This plan shall be based on sustained partnerships between policy-makers, education and training providers and key industry stakeholders at the appropriate level. It should include the identification of appropriate governance structures, as well as plans for scalability and financial sustainability, including the potential identification of financial resources (European, national and private) to ensure that the results and benefits achieved will have a long-term sustainability.

To be considered for funding, applications must score at least 70 points (out of 100 points in total), taking into account the necessary minimum threshold for each of the four award criteria.

The ex aequo proposals under the same priority will be prioritised according to the scores they have been awarded for the award criterion “Relevance” and then “Impact”.

The Evaluation Committee will, if possible, aim at ensuring a balanced coverage of priorities.

DEADLINE AND INDICATIVE TIMETABLE FOR EVALUATION AND GRANT AGREEMENTS

Stages Date and time or indicative period

Deadline for submitting applications 15 March at 17:00 (Brussels time)

Evaluation period April – July 2022

Information to applicants August 2022

Signature of grant agreement October – December 2022

Starting date of the action 1/11/2022 or 1/12/2022 or 1/01/2023

WHAT ARE THE FUNDING RULES?

This action follows a lump sum funding model. The amount of the single lump sum contribution will be determined for each grant based on the estimated budget of the action proposed by the applicant. The granting authority will fix thelump sum of each grant based on the proposal, evaluation result, funding rates and the maximum grant amount set in the call.

The maximum EU grant per project is as follows:

• For Lot 3 - Adult education (AE): EUR 1,000,000

The maximum number of projects to be funded is:

For Lot 3: there is no maximum set except the budgetary constraints

How is the project lump sum determined?

Applicants must fill in a detailed budget table according to the application form, taking into account the following points:

a) The budget should be detailed as necessary by beneficiary/-ies and organized in coherent work packages (for example divided into ‘project management’, ‘analysis’, ‘training’, ‘organization of events’, ‘model implementation’, ‘long-term action plan’, ‘communication and dissemination’, ‘quality assurance’, etc.);

b) The proposal must describe the activities covered by each work package;

c) Applicants must provide in their proposal a breakdown of the estimated costs showing the share per work package (and, within each work package, the share assigned to each beneficiary and affiliated entity);

d) Costs described can cover staff costs, travel and subsistence costs, equipment costs and subcontracting as well as other costs (such as dissemination of information, publishing or translation).

Proposals will be evaluated according to the standard evaluation procedures with the help of internal and/or external experts. The experts will assess the quality of the proposals against the requirements defined in the call and the expected impact, quality and efficiency of the action. The lump sum value will be limited to a maximum of 80% of the estimated budget determined after evaluation.

Following the proposal evaluation, the authorising officer will establish the amount of the lump sum, taking into account the findings of the assessment carried out.

The grant parameters (maximum grant amount, funding rate, total eligible costs, etc.) will be fixed in the Grant Agreement.

The project achievements will be evaluated on the outcomes completed. The funding scheme would allow putting focus on the outputs rather than the inputs, thereby placing emphasis on the quality and level of achievement of measurable objectives.

More details are described in the model Grant Agreement available in the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal (FTOP).

EXPECTED IMPACT

Forward-Looking Projects intend to provide innovative solutions that can be mainstreamed at regional, national and European level and ideally with the potential to be developed further either by EU funding or else through national and regional support.

The bottom-up practices should correctly address the fixed priorities set to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity, make a strong impact on education and training reforms and initiate systemic change.

Through the wide dissemination of project outcomes at transnational, national and/or regional levels, also taking national, European Industrial Ecosystems and regional smart specialisation strategies into account, Forward-Looking Projects are expected to make cathartic impact at system level to help education and training systems better meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.