The New Opportunities Initiative, launched in 2005, is the most important governmental programme, of the last decades, to enhance the qualifications of the Portuguese labour force. The Initiative is now coming to an end of its 1st cycle, after five years of considerable achievements, with more than 1 million adults enrolled in education and training actions. A new cycle is being prepared by policy makers and national authorities, aiming to pursue this huge effort of making the secondary education an ambition and a reality for all the adults that failed its “first opportunity”. The External Evaluation of the Initiative (2008-2011), carry out by the Portuguese Catholic University, has been giving critical insights to that challenge. Making New Opportunities Initiative a sustainable “Lifelong Learning Opportunity” for this massive majority of low-skilled adults (more than 3.5 millions, around 70% of the labour force) should be a strategic goal for the next decade.Having this in mind, the National Agency for Qualifications is now taking the first step, by submitting this proposal. Its main goals and expected outcomes are to transform the current New Opportunities Centres into future “Lifelong Learning Centres”, improving their quality and efficiency patterns, strengthening their capacities of targeting individuals and employers’ needs and boosting their local networking.As a first step, we are proposing to work with a few New Opportunities Centres and some emergent local networks to understand the most critical factors for further development at a national-basis. Good practices will be deeply analysed and shared involving strategic stakeholders. A road-map and a quality guide should be done and extensively disseminate.Capacity-building to bring a real lifelong learning opportunity to low skilled people should be envisaged as the most crucial impact of this proposal, in the near future.