In the European Union’s broader policy agenda for skills, education, and vocational training, one of the key strategic priorities is achieving professional excellence (like many other Erasmus Projects).

Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) have been introduced as a response to this objective. 

But what exactly are they?

What are Erasmus CoVe projects?

Centres of Vocational Excellence (also known as CoVEs) can be either vocational schools or existing vocational training providers that commit to achieving excellence through activities promoted by the European initiative.

These centres aim to introduce reforms in vocational education and training (VET) and ensure high-quality skills and competences, leading to excellent employment and career opportunities.

CoVEs strive to engage a wide range of local stakeholders so that VET institutions can quickly adapt their skill offerings to the evolving demands of the labour market.

The partners that these centres require may include higher education institutions, universities, research institutes, science parks, innovation agencies, businesses, employers, chambers of commerce, and more.

The Centres of Excellence:

Provide training opportunities for young people and support their entrepreneurial initiatives;

Offer continuous skills development for adults, along with reskilling pathways;

Collaborate with businesses on applied research projects, creating knowledge and innovation hubs.

European networks connect existing CoVEs, linking partners from various countries who aim to develop vocational excellence in their regions through international cooperation. 

CoVEs must:

Include a long-term action plan, featuring strong partnerships between education and training providers and key market operators, as well as governance structures, scalability plans, and financial sustainability;

Ensure sufficient visibility and widespread dissemination of CoVe network activities, explaining in detail how the results will be applied at the European, national, and/or regional levels.

How is a CoVe consortium formed?

Before discussing how a partnership is structured, it is essential to understand the requirements for joining one:

Be a legal entity (either public or private);

Be established in one of the eligible countries (i.e., an EU Member State or a third country associated with the programme);

Be active in the field of vocational education and training or in the world of work.

For example, a consortium can include VET providers, organisations representing VET providers, organisations representing companies, industries, or other employers in the sector, national/regional authorities responsible for qualifications, research institutes, innovation agencies, and more.

The consortium must include at least eight applicants (beneficiaries) from at least four EU Member States or third countries associated with the programme. Additionally, each beneficiary must include:

At least one organisation representing companies, industries, or other employers;

At least one VET provider at the secondary and/or tertiary level.

Among the eight applicants, a coordinating organisation needs to be identified and must be established in an EU Member State or a third country associated with the programme.

Organisations from non-associated third countries can also participate as beneficiaries, provided they demonstrate that their participation adds essential value to the project.

Admission criteria for a CoVe project

The CoVe consortium must meet several admission criteria:

The applicant must focus on three thematic groups of activities; for each thematic group, a minimum number of activities must be selected: 

At least four activities from the “Teaching and Learning” group – for example, providing relevant workplace skills, pursuing an inclusive and lifelong learning approach in VET, developing VET curricula and qualifications, creating innovative learner-centred teaching and learning materials and methodologies, introducing feedback loops and monitoring systems for graduate and alumni career paths, offering guidance services, and ensuring the validation of prior learning;

At least three activities from the “Cooperation and Partnerships” group – for example, establishing partnerships between businesses and education, applied research and innovation, VET internationalisation, overseas mobility, promoting skills and entrepreneurial initiatives, enhancing VET attractiveness, or organising international skills competitions;

At least two activities from the “Governance and Funding” group – for example, adopting a strategic approach to skills development and governance, co-creating skill ecosystems, developing sustainable financial models, and utilising national and EU financial instruments.  

The activities must take place in any eligible EU country. Le attività devono svolgersi in qualsiasi Paese ammissibile dell’Unione Europea. 

Projects should normally last 48 months; exceptions are possible if duly justified and made through an amendment to the grant agreement.

How to apply for a CoVe project? 

To participate in a CoVe project, applications must be submitted to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) through the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal. The invitation code is: ERASMUS-EDU-2024-PEX-COVE.

Interested organisations must first register on the portal and obtain a unique identification number (PIC). Next, it is essential to carefully read the call and the provided guidelines to ensure all requirements are met. The application requires detailed information about the proposed project, including objectives, planned activities, expected outcomes, and implementation methods.

Applicant organisations will be evaluated based on specific exclusion and selection criteria. The exclusion criteria ensure that the organisation is not involved in any conflict of interest or legal proceedings that could jeopardise the project’s execution. The selection criteria assess the financial and operational capacity of the organisation, as well as the project’s relevance, impact, and sustainability.