Digital Education: Public-private partnerships for ethical design, development and use of Artificial Intelligence tools in education and training

The grant opportunity is titled "Digital Education: Public-private partnerships for ethical design, development and use of Artificial Intelligence tools in education and training," under the code ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI. This call is part of the Erasmus+ Programme and has a total budget of €6,000,000. The opening date for applications is January 6, 2026, with a deadline of April 8, 2026. The funding method is through ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants, which provide fixed amounts rather than detailed reimbursements.

Eligible applicants include a variety of organizations such as educational institutions, public organizations, private sector firms, civil society organizations, and research institutions. The requirement emphasizes the formation of a consortium consisting of multiple organizations, necessitating transnational cooperation that combines both public and private sector partners.

The call prioritizes projects focused on digital education innovation in formal educational contexts, specifically targeting the design, development, and implementation of ethical AI tools. Proposals must ensure outcomes are transferable and scalable within EU Member States and associated countries, facilitating innovations in teaching and learning.

Projects are expected to undergo a demonstration and testing phase, generating evidence on the effectiveness and scalability of the solutions developed. The typical funding range for individual grants in this category is estimated to be between €500,000 to €1,500,000 based on standard practices, aiming to support around four to twelve projects in total.

The application process is a single-stage submission, where applicants must adhere to a 40-page limit for the technical description and submit various components electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Technical support and guidance will be provided throughout the application process.

While specific success rates are not provided, historical trends in Erasmus+ competitions suggest rates typically range from 10% to 20%. Co-funding expectations are not expressly stated in the available information, although partial co-financing is a common practice within Erasmus+ funding schemes.

This initiative reflects the EU's commitment to responsible AI development, focusing on ethical frameworks in education. Successful projects will contribute to evidence-based policymaking in education, enhancing the quality and inclusivity of educational systems across Europe. The emphasis is on creating sustainable, ethically sound educational tools that align with the EU’s values and priorities, fostering democratic principles and technological advancement in formal education settings.

The EU funding opportunity is the European policy experimentations under the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically the call ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP. These experimentations are transnational cooperation projects designed to develop, implement, and test the relevance, effectiveness, potential impact, and scalability of activities addressing policy priorities across different countries. The core aim is to foster mutual learning and support evidence-based policymaking at the European level through strategic leadership, methodological rigor, and a strong European dimension.

The specific topic, ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI, focuses on "Digital Education: Public-private partnerships for ethical design, development and use of Artificial Intelligence tools in education and training". It invites proposals that establish public-private partnerships for the pedagogically driven design, development, deployment, and use of ethical, trustworthy AI-based resources to improve teaching and learning. Proposals must demonstrate that their outcomes are transferable and scalable across EU Member States and third countries associated with the Programme, with a focus on formal education and training.

Key conditions for application include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: The proposal's Part B (Technical Description) is limited to 40 pages, including the list of relevant previous projects. The layout must adhere to the guidelines in the Important Notice of the Part B of the Application Form, available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries: Eligibility is detailed in the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions: These are specified in the call document.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Details are provided in the call document.

5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in the call document.

5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are detailed in the call document.

5c. Evaluation and award: The indicative timeline is as follows:
 Publication of the call: 22 December 2025.
 Deadline for submitting applications: 8 April 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time).
 Evaluation period: April - July 2026.
 Information to applicants: October 2026.
 Signature of grant agreement: by January 2027.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Not applicable (n/a).

The call document and annexes include:

Call document
Application form templates:
 Standard application form (ERASMUS BB and LSII)
 Detailed budget table (ERASMUS LSII)
Guidance:
 Erasmus+ Programme Guide, specifically Part C - Information for Applicants
Model Grant Agreements (MGA):
 Lump Sum MGA
Additional documents:
 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
 Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI topic is 6,000,000 EUR. The funding is provided through ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants, and the call follows a single-stage submission process. The opening date is planned for 06 January 2026, and the deadline for contributions is 08 April 2026.

There are partner search announcements available, where LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

For support, applicants can contact EACEA-POLICY-SUPPORT@EC.EUROPA.EU for call-related inquiries. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and IT Helpdesk are also available for technical and submission-related questions.

The call also includes other topics with varying budgets:
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T01-DIGITAL-CONTENT with a budget of 2,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T03-DIGITAL-BS with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T04-MICRO-CRED with a budget of 3,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T05-SCHOOL-STEM with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T06-SCHOOL-BS with a budget of 9,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T07-VET-BS with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T08-VET-QUALIFICATIONS with a budget of 8,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T09-ADULT-PS with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T10-ADULT-EMPOWER with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR

In summary, this Erasmus+ call for European policy experimentations aims to fund transnational projects that develop and test innovative approaches to address key policy priorities in education. The focus is on creating scalable and transferable solutions that can improve teaching and learning across Europe. Specifically, the DIGITAL-ETHICSAI topic seeks to promote public-private partnerships in the development and deployment of ethical and trustworthy AI-based resources for education and training. Applicants should carefully review the call documents and adhere to the specified conditions and timelines to ensure their proposals are eligible and competitive.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is targeted towards public-private partnerships.

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

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires transnational cooperation projects, implying a consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme.

Target Sector: The target sectors are digital education, artificial intelligence (AI), education and training, specifically focusing on the design, development, and deployment of AI-based resources. Additional sectors include digital content, digital ethics/AI, digital basic skills, micro-credentials, school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), school basic skills, vocational education and training (VET) basic skills, VET qualifications, adult personal and social skills, and adult empowerment.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme.

Project Stage: The projects are expected to be at the stage of experimentation, involving developing, implementing, and testing the relevance, effectiveness, potential impact, and scalability of activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic:
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T01-DIGITAL-CONTENT: EUR 2,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI: EUR 6,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T03-DIGITAL-BS: EUR 5,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T04-MICRO-CRED: EUR 3,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T05-SCHOOL-STEM: EUR 6,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T06-SCHOOL-BS: EUR 9,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T07-VET-BS: EUR 5,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T08-VET-QUALIFICATIONS: EUR 8,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T09-ADULT-PS: EUR 5,000,000
ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T10-ADULT-EMPOWER: EUR 5,000,000

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 is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Summary: This opportunity is part of the Erasmus+ Programme and focuses on European policy experimentations in digital education. It seeks to fund transnational cooperation projects that establish public-private partnerships for the design, development, and use of ethical and trustworthy AI-based resources to improve teaching and learning. The projects should aim for outcomes that are transferable and scalable across EU Member States and associated third countries, targeting formal education and training. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying amounts allocated to different topics within digital education, ranging from digital content and ethics in AI to STEM education and adult empowerment. The application process involves a single stage, with a deadline of April 8, 2026. The call aims to support evidence-based policy at the European level through mutual learning and the implementation of innovative educational practices. The call document provides detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation criteria, and the application process.