Centres of Vocational Excellence

Overview

Objectives

The main objective of the call is the establishment and development of transnational collaborative networks (i.e. CoVEs) bringing together local and regional VET stakeholders (VET institutions, companies and other employers, social partners, authorities, higher education institutions, research institutes, etc.) in public-private partnerships, to support innovation, regional development, and social inclusion and supporting European competitiveness in the area of skills development. In particular, CoVEs aim to:

•  ensure high-quality skills through flexible and learner-centred VET approaches, addressing both economic and societal needs;
• support and act as drivers for local and regional development, innovation and social inclusion;
• contribute to upward convergence on VET excellence, to increase the quality of VET across Europe;
• ensure CoVEs' outputs and results have impact beyond the project partner organisations and beyond the project period.

Activities/actions supported

This call will  support 48-month long projects bringing together local or regional partners from various countries developing a set of activities under three clusters:

1. Teaching and learning: examples of activities include providing people with labour market relevant skills, pursuing a lifelong learning and inclusive approach in VET, developing VET curricula and qualifications, developing innovative learner-centred teaching and learning materials and methodologies, investing in the initial and continuing professional development of teachers and trainers, providing guidance services;
2. Cooperation and partnerships: examples of activities include establishing business-education partnerships, promoting applied research and innovation, fostering VET internationalisation and mobility;
3. Governance and Funding: examples of activities include fostering autonomy and effective VET governance, co-creating skills ecosystems, developing sustainable financial models, and making full use of national and EU financial instruments.

Detailed examples of the eligible activities are further outlined in the text of the call.

To be eligible for funding, proposals must address all 3 clusters of activities. For each cluster, a minimum number of activities must be covered, as follows: 

• at least 4 activities under Cluster 1 – Teaching and learning,
• at least 3 activities under Cluster 2 – Cooperation and partnership, and
• at least 2 activities under Cluster 3 – Governance and funding.

Anticipated outcomes

The establishment and development of CoVES is expected to increase VET systems’ responsiveness to adapt skills provision to evolving economic and social needs by fostering collaboration between businesses, education and research and promoting high-quality skills and competences that can, in turn, lead to quality employment and career-long opportunities.

Institution providing the funding

EACEA

Size of funding

Maximum EU grant is EUR 4 million per project.

Conditions

Overview of eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities, if applicable) must:

• be legal entities (public or private bodies);
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e., EU Member State or third country associated the Erasmus+ Programme;
• be active in the field of vocational education and training or in the world of work

The partnership must include at least 8 applicants (beneficiaries) from a minimum of 4 EU Member States or third countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme. Each of these EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme must include:

1. at least 1 enterprise, industry, other employers or sector representative organisation,
2. at least 1 vocational education and training provider (at secondary and/or tertiary level).

Overview of award criteria

Award criteria include the following:

• Relevance (maximum score 35 points): this includes, among others, the relevance of the proposal to EU-level policy priorities and EU values; the project's contribution to VET internationalisation; the inclusion of a regional dimension in the proposal; and the link to digital and green skills;
• Quality of the project design and implementation (maximum score 25 points): this includes, among others, the coherence between the project's objectives and activities; the quality of the methodology and approaches to management; the workplan and quality control measures;
• Quality of the partnerships and cooperation arrangements (maximum score 20 points): this includes, among others, whether the project involves complementary organisations with the necessary profile, competences, experience and expertise; the geographical composition of the partnership; proposed appoach to collaboration;
• Impact (maximum score 20 points): this includes, among others, the potential positive impact on participants and participating organisations, as well as other individuals; approaches to ensuring the dissemination and sustainability of project results and outcomes.

Project proposals have to score a minimum of 75 points in total to be considered for funding.

Procedures

Application procedures

Applications should be sent to EACEA via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Call ID: ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PEX-COVE

More information on the application procedure is available in the text of the call below.

Application support available

For help related to this call, please contact the COVE functional mailbox: eacea-eplus-vetec [dot] europa [dot] eu (eacea-eplus-vet[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Please note that the deadline for addressing queries to the COVE functional mailbox (eacea-eplus-vetec [dot] europa [dot] eu (eacea-eplus-vet[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)) is Thursday 20 August 2026.

For additional information, please consult the 2026 Erasmus+ Programme Guide.

Useful links

Link to funding opportunity

Link to the programme for more info