European Degree Pathway Projects

The European Degree Pathway Projects ERASMUS-EDU is a funding opportunity within the Erasmus+ Programme aimed at enhancing higher education through the establishment of a joint European degree label. This call for proposals supports partnerships and collaborative networks of higher education institutions, national authorities, quality assurance agencies, student organizations, and social partners. The initiative has a total budget of €7,000,000 and employs an ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant funding mechanism, which allows for flexibility in financial management by providing fixed grant amounts instead of itemized reimbursements. Proposals must focus on three main themes: capacity building for the implementation of the joint degree label, strategic communication to raise awareness, and cross-border cooperation for regulatory exploration. The call is open for submission, with a single-stage application process that began on December 3, 2025, and ends on March 3, 2026. The evaluation of applications will take place from March to May 2026, with grant agreements expected to be signed by October 2026. The expected impact includes improved recognition of joint degrees across the EU, increased operational readiness of quality assurance systems, and the establishment of more transnational joint programs. Eligible applicants must work in consortia, as single applicants are not permitted. The call specifically targets the education sector, particularly STEM fields, and aims to promote quality assurance and innovation. Geographic eligibility primarily includes EU member states, with the possibility of participation from EEA and candidate countries. Overall, this initiative seeks to complement existing educational frameworks, promote educational mobility, and enhance cooperation within European higher education systems, ultimately aiming for a harmonized recognition of qualifications across member states.

This is a call for proposals under the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically Partnerships for Innovation: Forward-Looking Projects in Higher Education (ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-FORWARD-HE). The action aims to support partnerships in designing and implementing actions to facilitate the rollout of the joint European degree label, promote the label, and explore the pathway toward a possible joint European degree in all fields, including specific disciplines like engineering.

The call is for ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants (ERASMUS-LS) with the type of Model Grant Agreement being ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant [ERASMUS-AG-LS]. The call is open for submission with a single-stage deadline model.

The expected impact includes:Increased operational readiness of national systems to award the joint European degree label; Increased readiness of quality assurance systems to apply coherent processes and standards for the award of a joint European degree label; Growing awareness and interest among higher education institutions in obtaining the joint European degree label; More transnational joint programmes are designed and launched that are compliant with the joint European degree label; Readiness to contribute to the exploration of the feasibility and added value of a joint European degree, including in specific fields e.g. in engineering.

Proposals must address the following three themes:

1. Capacity building and rollout of the joint European degree label:Focus on embedding the joint European degree label into national and regional education systems and legal environment. This includes strengthening institutional capacities through targeted staff training and the development of sustainable processes for the joint European degree label implementation and management.

2. Strategic communication and visibility enhancement:Conduct targeted communication and promotion at national, institutional, and sectoral levels to raise awareness and visibility of the joint European degree label.

3. Cross-border cooperation and regulatory exploration:Encourage cooperative networks and peer learning among national authorities, quality assurance agencies, higher education institutions, student organisations, and social partners. This includes conducting legal and regulatory analyses to assess the feasibility and design of mechanisms for a possible joint European degree.

Key Dates:

Publication of the call:December 3, 2025.

Deadline for submitting applications:March 3, 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time).

Evaluation period:March-May 2026.

Information to applicants:June-July 2026.

Signature of grant agreement:by October 2026.

Conditions:

1. Admissibility Conditions:

- Proposal page limit and layout:Described in the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries:Described in the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions:Not applicable (n/a).

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion:Not applicable (n/a).

5. Evaluation and award:

- Submission and evaluation processes:Not applicable (n/a).

- Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds:Described in the call document.

- Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement:Described in the call document.

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

Available budget:

ERASMUS-EDU:€7,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-FORWARD-HE-LD:€1,000,000

Documents and Annexes:

Call document

Application form templates:

Standard application form (ERASMUS BB and LSII)

Detailed budget table (ERASMUS LSII)

Guidance:

ERASMUS Programme Guide

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

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

An information session is scheduled for January 13, 2025.

To submit a proposal, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

For help related to this call, contact EACEA-PI-FORWARD-HE@ec.europa.eu. Additional support is available through the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and the IT Helpdesk.

This Erasmus+ call aims to foster the creation and implementation of joint European degrees by providing funding for partnerships to build capacity, enhance communication, and explore regulatory frameworks. It targets higher education institutions, quality assurance agencies, national authorities, student organizations, and social partners. The goal is to increase the readiness of national systems and institutions to adopt and promote a joint European degree label, ultimately contributing to the development of more transnational joint programs. The call encourages projects that address capacity building, strategic communication, and cross-border cooperation to pave the way for a more harmonized and recognized European higher education landscape.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the text mentions national authorities, quality assurance agencies, higher education institutions, student organisations, and social partners as potential participants in cross-border cooperation. This suggests that these types of organizations are likely eligible applicants. The call also mentions partnerships, indicating that consortia are expected.

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

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity encourages cooperative networks and peer learning, suggesting a consortium approach is preferred or required. The action aims to support partnerships, further indicating that a consortium is needed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The eligible countries are described in the call document, but not specified in the provided text. Given that it is an Erasmus+ call, it is likely focused on EU member states and associated countries, but the specific geographic eligibility needs to be confirmed in the call document.

Target Sector:The target sector is education, specifically higher education. The call focuses on the joint European degree label and the pathway toward a possible joint European degree in all fields, including specific disciplines like engineering.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text. The focus is on European systems and the joint European degree label, implying a European scope.

Project Stage:The project stage appears to be focused on development, validation, and implementation. The call aims to support the rollout of the joint European degree label, promote it, and explore the pathway toward a joint European degree. This suggests projects should be at a stage where they can contribute to these goals.

Funding Amount:There are two topics: ERASMUS-EDU with a budget of €7,000,000 and ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-FORWARD-HE-LD with a budget of €1,000,000. These are lump sum grants. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type:The application type is an open call, as indicated by the "Open For Submission" status. The call is single-stage.

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

Application Stages:The application process is single-stage.

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

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

Summary:

This Erasmus+ call, Partnerships for Innovation:Forward-Looking Projects Higher Education (ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-FORWARD-HE), aims to support partnerships in designing and implementing actions that facilitate the rollout of the joint European degree label, promote it, and explore the pathway toward a possible joint European degree. The call has two topics: ERASMUS-EDU with a budget of €7,000,000 and ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-FORWARD-HE-LD with a budget of €1,000,000. The funding type is an ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant. The call encourages cooperative networks and peer learning among national authorities, quality assurance agencies, higher education institutions, student organisations, and social partners. Proposals must address three themes: capacity building and rollout of the joint European degree label, strategic communication and visibility enhancement, and cross-border cooperation and regulatory exploration. The call opened on December 3, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is March 3, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period is from March to May 2026, and the signature of the grant agreement is expected by October 2026. An information session is scheduled for January 13. Applicants should consult the call document for detailed information on eligibility criteria, evaluation processes, and proposal requirements. The submission process is electronic, and applicants must use the Funding & Tenders Portal.