Alliances for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills (implementing the ‘Blueprint')

The opportunity presented is for the "Alliances for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills" under the Erasmus+ funding program for 2026, specifically designated for strategic sectoral skills development aimed at addressing current and emerging skills gaps in various industries across Europe. The overarching goal is to enhance Europe's innovation capacity by fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including higher education institutions, vocational education and training providers, businesses, and public authorities.

Eligible applicants for this grant include higher education institutions, vocational education and training (VET) providers, enterprises of all sizes, and various public-private partnerships. The consortia must consist of at least three labor market actors and three education and training providers, spanning a minimum of four different EU Member States or associated countries.

The funding mechanism applies a lump sum grant approach under the Erasmus+ program, with an overall budget of €67 million for the Blueprint action, intended to cover a variety of initiatives within 14 targeted industrial ecosystems, such as aerospace, healthcare, and renewable energy. The expected projects should focus on developing new curricula, training programs, and sectoral skills strategies, aimed at upskilling and reskilling the workforce in light of the digital and green transitions.

This call operates on a single-stage application process, encouraging open proposals that are due by March 10, 2026. Following this submission, proposals will be evaluated, and grant agreements are anticipated to be signed by the end of 2026. The documentation does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement, though typical EU practices may involve some beneficiary contribution.

Overall, the initiative seeks to create sustainable partnerships that address labor market needs and contribute to effective skills development across Europe, ensuring that all projects align with the European Skills Agenda and contribute to long-term societal and economic resilience.

The Alliances for Innovation call aims to strengthen Europe's innovation capacity by fostering cooperation and knowledge exchange between higher education, vocational education and training, and the broader socio-economic environment, including research. The call also seeks to address skills mismatches by supporting the design and creation of new curricula and promoting entrepreneurial mindsets.

The objectives of the action are to implement sectoral or cross-sectoral activities adaptable to future knowledge developments across the EU, with a focus on talent and skills development. This includes digital competences, skills for a circular and greener economy, and STEM skills.

Lot 2 specifically focuses on Alliances for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills, implementing the 'Blueprint'. This lot aims to create new strategic approaches and cooperation for concrete skills development solutions, aligning with the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills. The initiative supports the development of sector skills strategies, revision of job profiles, and related training programmes. The main objective is to mobilize stakeholders and leverage public-private partnerships for upskilling and reskilling, addressing labor market needs and supporting green and digital transitions. These alliances seek to tackle skills gaps in specific sectors or areas, implementing both short-term interventions and long-term strategies within the 14 industrial ecosystems identified in the New Industrial Strategy for Europe.

Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit and layout are described in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 and Part B of the Application Form, which is available in the Submission System. The page limit for Part B (Technical Description) is 120 pages for all 3 Lots, including the list of relevant previous projects. The layout is described in the Important Notice of the application form.

Eligible Countries: Eligibility is described in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026.

Other Eligible Conditions: These are described in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Details are described in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026.

Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026.

Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026.

Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: The publication of the call was on 28 November 2025. The deadline for submitting applications is 10 March 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time). The evaluation period is from March to July 2026. Information to applicants will be provided by September 2026, and the signature of the grant agreement is scheduled for September to December 2026.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Not applicable.

Application form templates include the Standard application form (ERASMUS BB and LSII) and the Detailed budget table (ERASMUS LSII).

Guidance documents include the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 and Model Grant Agreements (MGA), specifically the Lump Sum MGA.

Additional documents include the ERASMUS+ Work Programme, ERASMUS Regulation 2021/817, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, How to manage your lump sum grants, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The total budget for the topic in 2026 is EUR 67,000,000. The call follows a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 4 December 2025, and the deadline is 10 March 2026.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact EACEA-EPLUS-ALLIANCES@ec.europa.eu. Additional support is available through the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and the IT Helpdesk for technical issues. The Online Manual provides a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this Alliances for Innovation call under the Erasmus+ Programme seeks to fund projects that enhance innovation and address skills gaps in Europe through strategic partnerships between education, training, and the socio-economic environment. Lot 2 focuses on sectoral cooperation on skills, aligning with the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills to promote upskilling and reskilling initiatives across various industrial ecosystems. The call utilizes a lump sum grant approach and provides detailed guidelines and support resources for applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call targets higher education institutions, vocational education and training institutions (both initial and continuous), and the broader socio-economic environment, including research institutions. The call specifically mentions the need for partnerships, implying that consortia are expected. Public-private partnerships are also encouraged.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant (ERASMUS-LS).

Consortium Requirement: The call emphasizes partnerships and alliances, indicating that a consortium of multiple applicants is required. It mentions "large-scale partnerships established under the Pact for Skills," further reinforcing the consortium requirement.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is focused on strengthening innovation capacity within the EU. The activities are intended to be adaptable to future knowledge developments across the EU. Therefore, the geographic eligibility is primarily EU.

Target Sector: The program targets multiple sectors, including education, digital competences, green economy, STEM, and various industrial ecosystems. Specifically, it focuses on skills development and addressing skills mismatches in the labor market. The call mentions 14 industrial ecosystems identified in the New Industrial Strategy for Europe.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are explicitly mentioned, but the focus is on the EU as a whole.

Project Stage: The projects are expected to deliver concrete skills development solutions in the short and medium term, as well as long-term strategies. This suggests that the projects should be at the development and implementation stages. The call aims to tackle skills gaps and support the upskilling and reskilling of the workforce, indicating a focus on practical application and impact.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic is EUR 67,000,000. However, this budget is shared across multiple topics (ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PI-ALL-INNO-STEM, ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PI-ALL-INNO-BLUEPRINT, and ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PI-ALL-INNO-EDU-ENTERP). Therefore, the funding range per project is variable and depends on the specific topic and the number of grants awarded.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified, so the success rate cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is an ERASMUS+ call for proposals under the Partnerships for Innovation Alliances for Innovation program, specifically targeting Alliances for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills (implementing the ‘Blueprint’). The call aims to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity by fostering cooperation and knowledge flow between higher education, vocational education and training, and the broader socio-economic environment. The primary objective is to address skills gaps in the labor market and support the upskilling and reskilling of the workforce, particularly in the context of the digital and green transitions.

The call focuses on talent and skills development, emphasizing digital competences, green skills, sustainable development, and STEM skills. Projects should aim to create new strategic approaches and concrete skills development solutions in areas implementing the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills. The deliverables are expected to contribute to sectoral skills intelligence, skills strategies, occupational profiles, training programs, and long-term planning.

Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, vocational education and training institutions, research institutions, and other stakeholders in the socio-economic environment. Consortia are required, and public-private partnerships are encouraged. The geographic focus is primarily the EU.

The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the total budget for the topic is EUR 67,000,000, which is divided among several sub-topics. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of March 10, 2026. The evaluation period is from March to July 2026, and the grant agreements are expected to be signed between September and December 2026.

In essence, this call seeks to fund collaborative projects that will develop and implement innovative approaches to skills development, addressing the evolving needs of the European labor market and supporting the transition to a digital and green economy. The projects should contribute to the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills, fostering partnerships between education institutions, businesses, and other relevant stakeholders.