Micro-credentials – focus on eco-systems

The European Commission is offering funding through the Erasmus+ Programme under the call titled ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP, which focuses on policy experimentation related to micro-credentials. This initiative aims to support transnational cooperation projects that develop, implement, and test the relevance, effectiveness, potential impact, and scalability of educational activities in various European countries. The objective is to create enabling ecosystems for micro-credentials, enhancing educational opportunities while addressing various policy priorities in education and training. This includes fostering mutual learning and supporting evidence-based policy making across participating nations. Eligible applicants comprise a wide range of organizations including public authorities, higher education institutions, vocational education and training (VET) institutions, social partners like industry representatives, civil society organizations, public employment services, non-governmental organizations, regional and national authorities, and other entities involved in designing and delivering micro-credentials. The funding type available is the ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants, which simplify financial management by providing a predetermined lump sum instead of reimbursement for actual expenses. A consortium of at least three applicants from different countries is required to facilitate transnational cooperation, reflecting the program's emphasis on collaborative efforts. The geographical scope includes Erasmus+ Programme Countries, which encompass all EU member states, and associated countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The call also emphasizes the development of educational ecosystems tailored to national, regional, and local contexts while aligning with a broader digital and skills agenda. The total budget allocated for this specific opportunity is €3,000,000, with individual project grants typically ranging from €1M to €5M based on common structures seen in similar projects. The application process introduces a single-stage submission mechanism, requiring detailed proposals submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Key dates include the call opening on January 6, 2026, and a deadline for submissions on April 8, 2026. The evaluation period will take place from April to July 2026, with successful applicants notified in October 2026, and grant agreements signed by January 2027. In summary, this call under the Erasmus+ Programme provides a significant opportunity for organizations to engage in innovative projects that enhance micro-credential ecosystems across Europe, ultimately contributing to improved educational structures and labor market alignment. The funding supports strategic initiatives that address significant gaps in translating policy recommendations into practice, with expectations for projects to generate models that can inform future EU educational policies.

The European Commission is offering funding through the Erasmus+ Programme for European policy experimentations. 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 European countries. The goal is to foster mutual learning and support evidence-based policymaking at the European level.

The call for proposals, ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP, focuses on micro-credentials and aims to build upon the Council Recommendation which sets out three building blocks: a common definition for micro-credentials, standard elements for consistent description of micro-credentials, and principles for design, issuance and use of micro-credentials. The call encourages the creation of an enabling ecosystem to increase permeability between sectors, involving providers of micro-credentials, relevant public authorities, national qualifications frameworks, and quality assurance mechanisms. Providers include higher education institutions, Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions, social partners, civil society organizations, public employment services (PES), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and regional and national authorities. The call aims to translate the Council Recommendation into practice by promoting transparent and comparable approaches to micro-credential design and provision, adapted to national, regional, and local circumstances. Public authorities, in cooperation with providers, social partners, and other stakeholders, are expected to design and implement systemic changes in education, training, and labor market systems to accommodate micro-credentials.

The admissibility conditions require compliance with the call document's instructions regarding proposal page limits and layout. Specifically, Part B of the Application Form (Technical Description) has a page limit of 40 pages, including the list of relevant previous projects. The layout must adhere to the Important Notice available in the Submission System.

Eligibility criteria, including eligible countries and other conditions, are detailed in the call document. Applicants must also meet the financial and operational capacity requirements, and must not be subject to exclusion criteria, as specified in the call document.

The submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are all described in the call document.

The indicative timeline for the call 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

The legal and financial setup of the grants is not applicable (n/a).

Applicants should consult the following documents:

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.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact EACEA-POLICY-SUPPORT@EC.EUROPA.EU. Technical issues can be addressed by the IT Helpdesk. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and Online Manual provide additional guidance.

The call includes multiple topics with varying budgets:

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T01-DIGITAL-CONTENT:€2,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI:€6,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T03-DIGITAL-BS:€5,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU:€3,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T05-SCHOOL-STEM:€6,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T06-SCHOOL-BS:€9,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T07-VET-BS:€5,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T08-VET-QUALIFICATIONS:€8,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T09-ADULT-PS:€5,000,000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T10-ADULT-EMPOWER:€5,000,000

All topics follow a single-stage submission process, with the opening date planned for 06 January 2026 and a deadline of 08 April 2026.

In summary, this Erasmus+ call for European policy experimentations provides funding for transnational projects focused on developing and testing innovative approaches to address policy priorities in education and training, particularly concerning micro-credentials. It aims to foster collaboration among various stakeholders, including educational institutions, public authorities, and social partners, to create enabling ecosystems for micro-credentials and promote systemic changes in education and labor market systems. Applicants should carefully review the call document and related materials to ensure compliance with eligibility criteria, proposal requirements, and submission procedures. The call covers a range of topics within the education and training sector, each with a specific budget allocation, providing opportunities for diverse projects to contribute to evidence-based policymaking at the European level.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types include education and training institutions and organisations, including higher education institutions, Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions, social partners (i.e. organisations representing workers, industry and employers), civil society organisations, public employment services (PES), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and regional and national authorities, and other types of actors designing, delivering and issuing micro-credentials for formal, non-formal and informal learning.

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

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity is for transnational cooperation projects, implying a consortium is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is implied to be within EU Member States, as the call aims to support evidence-based policy at the European level and involves cooperation projects across different countries.

Target Sector:The target sectors are education and training, specifically focusing on micro-credentials, digital content, digital ethics in AI, digital basic skills, school STEM, school basic skills, VET basic skills, VET qualifications, adult personal and social development skills, and adult empowerment.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU Member States due to the nature of the Erasmus+ programme and the aim to support European policy.

Project Stage:The project stage is policy experimentation, involving developing, implementing, and testing the relevance, effectiveness, potential impact, and scalability of activities. This suggests a stage of development, validation, and demonstration.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary by topic, ranging from €2,000,000 to €9,000,000 per topic.

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T01-DIGITAL-CONTENT - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 2 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T02-DIGITAL-ETHICSAI - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 6 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T03-DIGITAL-BS - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 5 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 3 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T05-SCHOOL-STEM - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 6 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T06-SCHOOL-BS - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 9 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T07-VET-BS - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 5 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T08-VET-QUALIFICATIONS - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 8 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T09-ADULT-PS - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 5 000 000

ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP-T10-ADULT-EMPOWER - ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants 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 single-stage.

Success Rates:Success rates are not specified in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically the European Policy Experimentations, focusing on micro-credentials and digital skills. The call, titled ERASMUS-EDU-2026-POL-EXP, aims to fund transnational cooperation projects that develop, implement, and test innovative approaches to address policy priorities in education and training across Europe. The main goal is to create enabling ecosystems for micro-credentials, enhance digital skills, and promote systemic changes in education and labor market systems.

The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific budget allocation, ranging from €2 millionto €9 million. These topics include digital content, digital ethics in AI, digital basic skills, micro-credentials, school STEM, school basic skills, VET basic skills, VET qualifications, adult personal and social development skills, and adult empowerment.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations such as higher education institutions, VET institutions, social partners, civil society organizations, public employment services, NGOs, and regional and national authorities. The projects are expected to be transnational, implying the need for consortia of partners from different EU Member States.

The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline for submissions on April 8, 2026. The evaluation period will take place from April to July 2026, and successful applicants will be informed in October 2026, with grant agreements expected to be signed by January 2027. Funding will be provided as lump sum grants.

Applicants are required to submit a detailed technical description as part of their application, with a page limit of 40 pages. The call document provides additional guidance on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation criteria, and the legal and financial setup of the grants.

In essence, this call seeks to foster innovation and experimentation in education and training, with a particular emphasis on micro-credentials and digital skills, to support evidence-based policy making at the European level. It provides a significant funding opportunity for organizations working in these areas to develop and test new approaches that can contribute to the modernization and increased permeability of education and training systems across Europe.