CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EACEA 04/2015

under the Erasmus+ programme

‘Comprehensive policy frameworks for continuing vocational education and training’

(2015/C 31/06)

1.   Objectives and description

The objective of the Call is to support the development of public policies that seek to coordinate the provision of high quality, relevant and accessible continuing vocational education and training (CVET) and to ensure a significant increase in take-up of further training opportunities, as part of comprehensive national, regional or local skills strategies.

The Call shall encourage cooperation between national authorities and all relevant stakeholders involved in CVET, including the skills development of employees and the reorientation of workers (such as the training provided by public employment services).

The present Call addresses national authorities in charge of CVET policies in each country of the Erasmus+ programme, or an organisation designated by them.

The direct involvement of the competent national authorities (ministry or equivalent) is to make sure that the projects can effectively contribute to a better understanding of the CVET training provision and polices in place. The projects should demonstrate how competent public authorities use their steering role in defining the strategic priorities of national, regional or local skills policies and related CVET policies to create the basis for systemic reform. Each project will draw on practices in one or more countries of the Erasmus+ programme, thus benefitting from the transfer of knowledge and experience. The active involvement of national, regional or local stakeholders such as social partners (employers’ and employees’ organisations), VET providers, individual companies and intermediary organisations will be an important element of the quality of the proposal.

2.   Eligible applicants

The present call is open to national authorities in charge of CVET, in each country of the Erasmus+ programme.

Grant applications must be submitted by at least two entities from at least two different countries of the Erasmus+ programme.

The eligible applicant (coordinator) must be a national authority or an organisation designated by the national authority which is responsible for VET, including CVET and is located in a programme country.

Eligible partners may be ministries and other stakeholders, such as social partners, businesses, chambers of commerce, public or private VET providers, research centres, etc.

Where the applicant (coordinator) is an organisation designated by a national authority, the national authority designating it must be included in the application either as co-applicant (a full partner), or as an associated partner participating in the implementation on a no-cost basis.

Natural persons are not eligible.

Eligible countries are:

3.   Eligible activities

Grants will support national authorities’ efforts to plan for or implement policy intervention in CVET with the aim to secure coherence and relevance of supply and significantly increase adults’ participation in learning. The activities shall engage relevant national, regional or local stakeholders, as well as drawing on the advice and expertise of peers from one or more Erasmus+ programme countries that have similar challenges or have effective CVET policies and provision.

The following types of activities are eligible under this Call for proposals:

The duration of the projects is either 12 months or 24 months. Applications for projects scheduled to run for a shorter or longer period than that specified in this Call for proposals will not be accepted.

4.   Award criteria

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

The threshold for proposals to be put forward to the evaluation committee shall be minimum 60 points (out of 100 points in total).

5.   Budget

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects is estimated at maximum EUR 4 200 000.

Each grant will amount to between a maximum of EUR 150 000 for a 1-year and a maximum of EUR 300 000 for a 2-year project. The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (the ‘Agency’) expects to fund around 15 proposals.

The EU grant is limited to a maximum co-financing rate of 75 % of eligible costs.

The Agency reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

6.   Deadline for submission of applications

Applications must be submitted no later than the 30 April 2015 12.00 midday (Brussels time).

Applications shall comply with the following requirements:

Please note that only applications submitted online using the e-form will be considered.

Failure to comply with those requirements will lead to the rejection of the application.

7.   Full details

The guidelines together with the application form can be found at the following internet address:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus_en

Applications must comply with all the terms of the guidelines.