The Second Pilot VET Mobility Scheme for the Western Balkans has been published

We are pleased to inform you that the Second Pilot VET mobility scheme for the Western Balkans has been published.

General objectives of this call:

• contribute to the improvement and modernisation of VET systems in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo*, as well as reinforcing the links between VET and the labour market. 

• enhance the capacity of VET providers in the four mentioned partners by promoting mobility activities aimed at improving the skills and competences of VET teachers, learners and managers and the occupational prospects of young students

Applicants considered eligible to respond to this call are:

• a public or private VET organisation active in the field of vocational education and training and legally registered in an Erasmus+ Programme Country; or

• a legally registered consortium of public or private VET organisations registered in an Erasmus+ Programme Country;

The applicant (or lead applicant in the case of a consortium) must be established in an EU Member State.  

• Any public or private organisation in the field of vocational education and training (referred to as a VET provider), legally registered in an Erasmus+ Programme Country or in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo*, providing courses that lead to a qualification recognised by the competent authorities and accredited by the relevant national authorities; or

• Any legally registered consortium of public or private VET providers registered in an Erasmus+ Programme Country or in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo*; or

• Any public or private organisation active in the labour market (referred to as a company) and legally registered in an Erasmus+ Programme Country or in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo*.

The proposal must include in total at least 7 organisations of which at least 5 organisations from 3 different Erasmus+ Programme Counties and 2 organisations from 2 out of the four targeted partners in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo*). 

The proposal cannot include more than 12 partners.

The eligible activities of the call are the following:

• Mobility arrangements including the identification of the target groups of staff, managers and students, preparation of training programme and learning outcomes and selection of participants;

• Learners’ mobility, including:

    Learners’ mobility in VET providers and/or companies abroad, from 2 weeks to less than 3 months;

    Learners’ longer-term mobility in VET/providers and/or companies abroad (ErasmusPro-type mobility) from 3 to 12 months;

• Staff mobility, including:

Teaching/training assignments abroad – this activity allows staff of VET providers to teach at a partner VET provider abroad. It also allows staff of companies to provide training at a VET provider abroad.

Staff training abroad – this activity supports the professional development of VET staff in the form of a work placement or a job shadowing/observation period abroad in a company or any other VET provider.

The duration of staff mobilities for these purposes depends on the nature of the activity and is limited to a maximum duration of 3 months.

• Training activities;

• Conferences, seminars;

• Communication, awareness raising and dissemination actions at national and regional level;

• Actions aiming at the creation and improvement of networks, exchanges of good practice;

• Mapping, analysis and research of best practice to develop in the future a comprehensive VET mobility programme. 

The maximum duration of each project is 42 months.

The pilot call for proposals will fund learners and staff mobility, expecting to fund between 800 and 1,000 mobilities in total. 

The VET pilot mobility scheme will aim to support learners in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences in order to improve their employability and personal development. The scheme also aims to improve the training offer (curriculum and placement experience) in VET institutes as well as the overall quality of VET teaching. VET mobility of staff in order to build up their capacities to review and modernize curricula and teaching methods in their institutes of origin (contents and pedagogical methods).

The capacities of VET providers in the Western Balkans are also expected to be reinforced to provide a higher quality and more relevant education and training offer. 

The mobilities will mainly focus on incoming learners and staff rather than outgoing (which will be limited to staff).

The Commission expects to fund a maximum of four proposals. The total maximum budget earmarked for the co-financing is estimated at 4 (four) million EUR. 

The maximum grant for each proposals will be 1 (one) million EUR and the minimum grant will be EUR 700,000 (seven-hundred thousand euros). 

Within the limits of the budget available, grants will be awarded to those proposals which respond to the qualitative criteria in the best way. 

Eligible applications will be assessed separately for each lot, based on the following criteria:

The submission deadline is: 17 June 2020 – 12.00 noon (Brussels time)

Applications must be submitted in electronic form, duly completed and dated. They must be signed by the person authorised to enter into legally binding commitments on behalf of the applicant organisation.

Applications must be sent to the following e-mail address:

EAC-VET-mobility-scheme@ec.europa.eu

Any additional question which could arise during the application period should also be sent to the functional mailbox below:

EAC-VET-mobility-scheme@ec.europa.eu