Deadline: 5 February 2020

The European Commission is seeking applications for its Erasmus+ Programme entitled “Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education” to support the modernization, accessibility and internationalization of higher education.

The projects aim to encourage cooperation between the EU and Partner Countries and support eligible Partner Countries in addressing challenges in the management and governance of their higher education institutions. This includes improving the quality of higher education, developing new and innovative education programmes, modernism higher education systems through reform policies as well as fostering cooperation across different regions of the world through joint initiatives.

Funding Information

• The total budget earmarked for this call for proposals is estimated at EUR 3 207,4 million:
  • Education and Training: EUR 2 943,3 million;
  • Youth: EUR 191,9 million;
  • Jean Monnet: EUR 14,6 million;
  • Sport: EUR 57,6 million.

Capacity-Building Projects

There are 2 types of capacity-building projects:

• Joint projects
  • Aimed at organisations to help improve curriculums, governance, and the strengthening of relations between higher education systems.
• Structural projects
  • Aimed at promoting reforms in higher education systems, modernising policies, governance and strengthening relations between higher education systems and the wider economic and social environment.

Capacity-building projects can be:

• National projects involving institutions from only one eligible Partner Country;
• Multi-country projects within one single region, involving at least two countries from this region;
• Multi-country projects involving more than one region and involving at least one country from each region concerned.

Activities

Capacity-building projects in the field of higher education include the following activities:

Joint Projects

• The development, testing and adaptation of:
  • Curricula, courses, learning materials and tools;
  • Learning and teaching methodologies and pedagogical approaches,;
  • New forms of practical training schemes and study of real-life cases in business and industry;
  • University-enterprise cooperation and business start-ups;
  • New forms of learning and providing education and training;
  • Virtual mobility, open educational resources;
  • Guidance, counselling and coaching methods and tools;
  • Tools and methods for professionalization and professional development of academic and administrative staff;
  • Quality assurance at programme and institution level;
  • New governance and management systems and structures;
  • Modern university services e.g. for financial management, international relations, student counselling and guidance, academic affairs and research.
• Strengthening of the internationalization of HEI and capacity to network effectively in research, scientific and technological innovation;
• Upgrading of facilities;
• Staff trainings.

Structural Projects

• Strengthening the internationalisation of higher education systems;
• Introducing Bologna-type reforms (three-level cycle system, quality assurance, evaluation, etc.);
• Implementing transparency tools such as credit systems, accreditation procedures, guidelines for the recognition of prior and non-formal learning etc;
• Establishment of National Qualification Frameworks;
• Development and implementation of internal and external quality assurance systems/guidelines;
• Development and implementation of new approaches and tools for policy making and monitoring, including
• The establishment of representative bodies, organisations or associations;
• Strengthening the integration of education, research and innovation.
• In more concrete terms, these activities can include:
  • Surveys and studies on specific reform issues;
  • Policy and expert advice;
  • Conferences, seminars, workshops, round tables;
  • Staff trainings on policy issues;
  • Organisation of awareness-raising campaigns.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any public or private body active in the fields of education, training, youth and sport may apply for funding within the Erasmus+ Programme;
• In addition, groups of young people who are active in youth work, but not necessarily in the context of a youth organisation, may apply for funding for learning mobility of young people and youth workers as well as for Strategic partnerships in the field of youth;
• The following Programme Countries can fully take part in all Erasmus+ Programme actions:
  • The Member States of the European Union;
  • The EFTA/EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;
  • EU candidate countries: Turkey, North Macedonia and Serbia.
• In addition, certain Erasmus+ Programme actions are open to organisations from partner countries;

For British applicants: Please be aware that eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. If the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU during the grant period without concluding an agreement with the EU ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, you will cease to receive EU funding (while continuing, where possible, to participate) or be required to leave the project on the basis of the relevant provisions of the grant agreement on termination.

How to Apply

Applications must be submited electronically via given website.

Eligible Countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2CyMlto