{Last Update: 24.12.2025}

Alliances for Innovation aim to strengthen innovation capacities at European level, through appropriate support, cooperation and knowledge exchange between higher education, vocational education and training centres (both initial and continuing) and the wider socio-economic environment, including the research community.

They also aim to promote the development of new skills and address skills shortages by creating and developing new curricula for higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET), which will support the emergence of initiatives and the development of entrepreneurial thinking across the EU.

goals

To foster innovation, the focus will be on developing talents and skills. First, digital competencies are becoming increasingly important in all job profiles and in the labor market as a whole.

On the other hand, the transition to a circular and green economy requires changes in qualifications and national education and training programs to meet the professional needs generated by green skills and sustainable development.

Third, digital and green transactions require accelerated adoption of new technologies, especially in highly innovative deep technology areas, across all sectors of the economy and society.

The objectives of the Innovation Consortium can be achieved using 1 or 2 lots (an organization can participate in several project applications):

Lot 1 – Unions for Education and Entrepreneurship

Alliances for Education and Entrepreneurship are transnational, structured and result-oriented projects in which partners share common goals and work together to foster innovation, new skills, initiatives and entrepreneurial thinking.

They aim to stimulate innovation in higher education, vocational education and training, enterprises and the wider socio-economic environment. This aims to address social and economic challenges such as climate change, demographic changes, digital development, new technologies such as artificial intelligence and changing labour market demands. In 2026, this initiative will also address the challenge of serious skills shortages in sectors that are crucial for Europe's competitiveness, in line with the "Skills Alliance" initiative.

Alliances for Education and Entrepreneurship bring together enterprises, as well as higher education and vocational training providers, to work together through the establishment of partnerships. Institutions operating within one or several economic sectors create reliable and sustainable relationships and demonstrate their innovative and transnational character in all aspects. 

They aim to achieve one or more of the following objectives:

• Promoting new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to learning and teaching: encouraging innovation in the design of educational programs, learning methods, assessment techniques, learning environments and/or developing new skills;
• Promoting skills development in science and technology: supporting Europe's innovation capacity by expanding the talent base in new technologies;
• Promoting the creation of incubators, across Europe, in educational and industrial institutions;
• Promoting corporate social responsibility (e.g., equality, inclusion, climate change, environmental protection, and sustainable development);
• Encouraging initiative and entrepreneurial thinking and skills among students, teaching staff and other workers, in line with the European Union's Entrepreneurial Competence Framework (EntreComp);
• Improving the quality and relevance of skills that are developed and certified through education and training systems (including new skills and addressing skills mismatches);
• Promoting knowledge exchange and cooperation between higher education and vocational education and training, research organizations, and the public and private sectors;
• Creating and supporting efficient and effective higher education and vocational education and training systems that foster innovation.
• Support joint programmes or the joint development of micro-certificates and mentoring support for start-ups and scale-ups in sectors key to Europe's competitiveness where there are serious skills shortages.

Lot 2 – Unions, within the framework of sectoral cooperation, for improving skills

The Alliances for Skills, within the framework of sectoral cooperation, aim to create new strategic approaches and partnerships for the development of specific skills – both in the short and medium term – in areas that implement the main objectives and activities of the EU Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social justice and sustainability. The main objective of the programme is to attract and engage all relevant stakeholders to take concrete steps to retrain and re-educate the workforce, by joining forces and creating partnerships, also at EU level, in response to labour market needs, supporting green and digital transitions and supporting national, regional and local skills and growth strategies. 

The alliances, within the framework of sectoral cooperation, aim to improve skills by eliminating barriers to the labour market caused by skills shortages that hinder growth, innovation and competitiveness in specific sectors or areas. These alliances will be implemented in 14 industrial ecosystems of importance to the EU. 

The second lot will support the implementation of commitments made under the Pact to develop sectoral skills strategies. 

The programmes developed under the project should include the development of continuing vocational education programmes to meet the skills needs of the workforce. Project applications should also consider the creation of new professional profiles, the development of interrelated qualifications, which should cover upper vocational education levels (EQF levels 3 to 5) and higher education levels (EQF levels 6 to 8). 

Each grant application should include as partners in the consortium both vocational education and training (VET) institutions and higher education (HE) organisations and labour market representatives. Ideally, they should also include policy authorities, certification bodies, as well as European sectoral associations and industry representatives.

What criteria must an organization meet to participate in the Unions for Innovation program?

To be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant, project proposals under Lot 1 – Alliances for Education and Entrepreneurship must meet the following criteria:

Lot 3: STEM Skills Awards

The aim of the STEM Skills Workshops is to create sectoral, transnational and sustainable collaborations between higher education institutions, vocational education providers and business companies, which will promote new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning by providing young student entrepreneurs with real business insights and mentoring opportunities tailored to their talents, needs and goals. The specific focus of this theme is to foster innovation, create an entrepreneurial mindset, provide young student entrepreneurs with access to laboratories, technical infrastructure and equipment, support the development of intellectual property (IP), guide them in the development of their master's theses or business ideas, as well as facilitate access to venture capital in strategic sectors identified in the Competitiveness Compass.

Projects supported under this theme aim to foster innovation through cooperation between higher education and vocational education providers, labour market and entrepreneurship representatives, with the possible participation of venture capital funds, facilitated by EIT KICs.

Lot 1 – Alliances for Education and Entrepreneurship

Who can apply?	Applicants must be: Public or private organisations established in EU Member States or third countries associated with the programme, including: Higher education institutions; Vocational education centers or vocational education networks,  Small and medium-sized or large enterprises (also social enterprises); research institutes; Non-governmental organizations; Public authorities at local, regional or national level; Organizations in the fields of education, training and youth; Accreditation, certification, recognition or qualification granting bodies; Chambers of Commerce, Industry or Labor; Municipalities; European or national social partners; Hospitals or other care facilities, including long-term care; Leading figures in the field of education, training or employment at regional or national level; National Statistics Offices; Economic development agencies; Sectoral or professional associations, sectoral skills councils; Career development organizations, providers of professional consulting and employment services; Organisations from third countries not associated with the programme may participate as full partners, but not as coordinators. Exception: Organizations from Belarus (Region 2) are not eligible to participate in the program. Higher education institutions established in EU Member States or in a third country associated with the programme must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE).  The ECHE is not required for HEIs from third countries not associated with the programme.
Composition of the consortium	Consortiums must include at least 4 EU Member States or third countries associated with the Programme, and must include at least 8 applicants (coordinator and full partners).  The consortium must include at least 3 labour market representatives (enterprises or companies or representative, intermediary organisations such as chambers of commerce, trade unions or trade associations) and at least 3 education and training service providers (VET and higher education institutions).  Each project application must involve at least one higher education institution and one VET provider.  Associated partners are not considered to be the minimum satisfactory criteria for consortium composition.
Duration of the project	Projects must last 24 or 36 months (if justified, the period can be extended).  The duration should be chosen at the application stage, based on the project objective and the type of activities planned over time.
Where is the application submitted?	European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).  Call ID Lot 1: ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PI-ALL-INNO-EDU-ENTERP
When is the application submitted?	Applicants must apply by 10 March, 17:00:00 (Brussels time).

 

To receive an Erasmus+ grant, Lot 2 – Alliances for skills development, sectoral cooperation

Project proposals must meet the following criteria:

Who can apply?	The following organizations may participate as applicants (coordinator and full partners):  Public or private organisations legally registered in a Member State of the European Union or in a third country associated to the Programme: Higher education institutions Vocational education providers Vocational education provider networks Small, medium or large enterprises (including social enterprises) Research institutes non-governmental organizations Public authorities at local, regional or national level Organizations in the education, training and youth sector Accreditation, certification, recognition or qualification awarding bodies Chambers of Commerce, Chambers of Industry or Labor, City Councils Hospitals or other care facilities, including long-term care Leading figures in the field of education, training or employment at regional or national level Employment agencies National Statistics Offices Economic development agencies Sectoral or professional associations Sector Skills Councils Bodies providing career guidance, vocational counseling, information services, and employment services. Higher education institutions established in an EU Member State or in third countries associated with the programme must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE).
Composition of the consortium	The alliance must include at least 8 EU Member States or third countries associated with the programme and include at least 12 applicants (coordinator and full partners).  The consortium must include at least 5 representatives of the labor market (manufacturing companies, or representative national organizations such as chambers of commerce, trade unions or trade associations) and at least 5 representatives of education. Each proposal must involve at least one higher education institution and one VET provider as an applicant (coordinator and full partners).
sectors	2021 priority industrial ecosystems identified in the 14 Annual Single Market Report.   The applicant must select only 1 ecosystem from the 14 ecosystems listed below: Mobility-Transportation-Automobiles: Production of vehicles, ships and trains and their additional parts; Production of vehicles, ships and trains and their accessories; Their repair and maintenance; Freight transportation; Artificial intelligence; Clean technologies; Advanced materials, etc. Textile: Production of textiles, clothing, footwear, leather and jewelry, etc. Renewable energy: Electric motors, engines and turbines; electricity generation; gas production and distribution; artificial intelligence; clean technologies; advanced materials, etc. .Electronics: Raw materials (semiconductor wafers); semiconductor manufacturing tools; semiconductor component design and manufacturing; robotics; advanced materials, etc. Retail: Retail sales; close contact with customers and more. Construction:Residential and other real estate construction; Road and railway construction; Utility and civil construction; Other related activities. Aerospace and Defense: Aircraft manufacturing; Space technologies, manufacturing and services; Defense products and technologies; Artificial intelligence; Clean technologies; Robotics, etc. Low-carbon energy-intensive industries: Extraction of fossil fuels and raw materials; recycling; production of products with high environmental impact: plastics, chemicals, fertilizers, iron and steel, forest products, cement, rubber, non-ferrous metals; clean technologies; advanced materials, etc. Tourism: Passenger transportation and travel; hotels, short-term accommodation; restaurants and food services; events, theme parks and more. Agricultural products; Plant and animal production; food processing; veterinary activities; artificial intelligence; clean technologies; advanced materials, etc. Creative and cultural industries: Newspapers, books and periodicals; Film, video and television; Radio and music; Artificial intelligence, etc. Digital products: Telecommunications; Software and Programming; Web Portals; Computer and Equipment Manufacturing; Artificial Intelligence; Quantum Computing; Robotics, etc. Proximity and social economy: Social enterprises, associations and cooperatives that aim to increase social impact, and more. Healthcare: Pharmaceutical products and equipment; Hospitals, nursing homes, residential care, long-term care; Life sciences; Neurotechnology; Artificial intelligence; Advanced materials, etc.
Duration of the project	Projects should normally last 48 months (extensions may be possible if justified)
Where to apply?	To the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).  Call ID Lot 2: ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PI-ALL-INNO-BLUEPRINT
When is the application due?	Applicants must submit their grant application by 10 March, 17:00 (Brussels time).

 

project formation

Each association should carry out a coherent, comprehensive and diverse set of interrelated activities to enhance innovation in higher education, vocational education and training, and enterprises (including large, small and medium-sized enterprises and social enterprises) and the wider socio-economic environment.

Lot 1 – Each Education-Enterprise Alliance should include at least one of the following activities (non-exhaustive list):

Promotion of innovation

• Joint development and implementation of new learning and teaching methods (for example, new multidisciplinary curricula, student-centered and real-world problem-based teaching and learning, use of innovative technologies, and wider use of microcertificates);
• Developing and testing continuing education programs and activities with and within enterprises;
• Developing and implementing educational and training programs to support the development of STEM skills and talents;
• Establishing incubators in education and training institutions across Europe, in close cooperation with the entrepreneurial sector, to help student entrepreneurs turn their ideas into businesses. This could be achieved, for example, by providing a wide range of services, ranging from skills, financial, business and management training, to providing office space and facilitating venture capital funding.
• Developing and testing solutions to urgent social needs not anticipated by the market and directed at vulnerable groups of society; addressing societal challenges or challenges related to changes in attitudes and values, strategies and policies, organizational structures and processes, delivery systems and services;
• Developing solutions to complex problems, product and process innovation (through collaboration between students, professors, and practitioners).

Introducing "student-centered approaches."

• Stimulating the flow and exchange of knowledge between higher education, vocational education, enterprises and research centers
• Creating inclusive, interconnected higher education (HE), vocational education (VET) and enterprise systems. Mutual recognition of certificates issued by them;
• Internships in the enterprise; Exchange of students, researchers, teaching staff and enterprise personnel for a specified period; Stimulation of enterprise personnel's involvement in learning and research; Analysis of research data.
• Developing market needs and new professions related to employment sustainability.
• Identifying market needs and new professions; adapting higher education and vocational education providers to skills needs by developing and implementing international sectoral curricula that take into account work-based learning;
• Identifying the different skills needed to address societal challenges (e.g. climate change, health) and ensure sustainability.   

Lot 2: Integration of sectoral cooperation in the field of skills 

Expected activities: 

• Ensuring continuous collaboration in the field of skills development with key industry stakeholders, including education and training providers and public authorities (at national and regional levels). The project may also bring together large, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
• Identifying the need for support within the existing industrial ecosystem sector;
• Based on skills data, develop a skills strategy for the industrial ecosystem. The strategy should identify key trends, such as global, societal and technological trends, that will impact jobs and skills needs. 
• Where appropriate, ensure the availability of project results, in an open format, so that they become part of the EU Skills Panorama and the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO);

Lot 3: STEM Skills Workshops

 

One or more of the following activities must be carried out:

• Developing curricula that emphasize STEM skills needed in strategic sectors, with modules that include real-world problem solving, entrepreneurial thinking, the basics of intellectual property rights, and financing early-stage innovation;
• Creating incubators focused on strategic sectors that provide comprehensive support, including access to laboratories, technical infrastructure and equipment, and mentoring in intellectual property management, access to venture capital, and business growth;
• Establishing partnerships between students, academia and industry in strategic sectors, facilitated by EIT KICs, integrating intellectual property strategies to increase project value, engaging potential venture capital funds to assess and support promising innovations.

Financing system

The maximum EU grant for each lot is as follows:

Lot 1 – Education and Industry Alliances

1 million euros (2-year project)

1,5 million euros (3-year project)

 

Lot 2 – Sectoral Cooperation Alliances on Skills 

4 million euros (4-year project) 

 

Lot-3 – STEM Skills Workshops

1,5 million euros (2-year project)

 

How to count "lamp-three". 

a) The budget should be detailed according to need and organized into logical work packages (for example - 'Project Management', 'Training', 'Event Organization', 'Mobility Preparation and Implementation', 'Communication and Dissemination', 'Quality Assurance', etc.);

b) The proposal must describe the activities to be carried out within each work package;

c) Applicants must demonstrate the cost share of each work package;

d) The costs described may include personnel costs, travel and accommodation costs, equipment costs and subcontracting, as well as other costs (for example, dissemination of information, publishing or translation).

 

The evaluation of the projects will be carried out according to standard evaluation procedures, with the assistance of internal and/or external experts. The experts will assess the quality of the proposals in terms of the targeted requirements and the expected impact, quality and efficiency. The fixed amount will be, after the evaluation, reduced to 80% of the allocated budget.

After evaluating the proposal, the authorizing official determines the amount of the lump sum, taking into account the results of the evaluation.