Possible Sources of Financial Assistance: Leonardo

Purpose

The LEONARDO da Vinci programme is in its second phase, covering the seven-year period from 2000 to 2006.

LEONARDO is the EU key instrument in the drive to implement lifelong learning strategies that offer synergies between European policies for training and employment. It aims at increasing mobility, fostering innovation and improving the quality of training.

The programme has 3 general objectives:

to improve the skills and competencies of (young) people in initial vocational training at all levels;
to improve the quality of, and access to, continuing vocational training and the lifelong acquisition of skills and competencies;
to promote and reinforce the contribution of vocational training to the process of innovation, with a view to improving competitiveness and entrepreneurship; special attention will be paid in this respect to fostering co-operation between vocational training institutions, including universities and undertakings, particularly SMEs.

Instruments

There are five types of projects

mobility
pilot projects, including "thematic actions"
language competencies (= not of interest for ELLS, thus not explained further on)
transnational networks
reference material

Requirements

Proposals must be submitted by a transnational partnership involving partners from at least 3 participating countries , one of which must be from a Member State of the European Union. ( Exception : For " mobility " and "language competences" measures, the partnership must comprise partners from at least two participating countries , one of which must be from a Member State of the European Union.)
Project partners can comprise HEIs and Industry
Projects should include the development and dissemination of innovative teaching and learning materials and new methods in professional education
Projects have to be compatible with the LEONARDO goals (e.g.: improvement of skills of young people to improve the job prospects) and priorities (e.g. new methods of teaching and basic qualifications in professional training; use of existing ICT for specific learning purposes)
Dissemination has to be an integral part of the project
Special inclusion of handicapped people is an advantage for the project application

Financial Framework

The budget for the second phase of LEONARDO is just under ^ 1.4 billion and the programme is open to 31 countries.

Further information

For general information on the programme and for FAQ, see:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/leonardo/new/leonardo2_en.html

For all specific questions on the programme you can also contact:

Your National Leonardo da Vinci agency
The Technical Assistance Office Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth
Rue de Treves, 59-61; B - 1040 Bruxelles/Brussels
Fax: (+32 2) 233.01.50; e-mail: leonardo@socleoyouth.be

Application procedures, deadlines and forms

At the above-mentioned website (scroll down to "Programme information" where you find application forms and procedures including deadlines)

Student mobility
Teacher mobility
Joint teaching activities
Curriculum Development
Quality Assurance projects
ICT projects
Other activities

Student mobility

Description

Is equal to the Mobility project (referred to as "placements").Target group: students and recent graduates

Objectives

to strengthen the European dimension of initial and continuing vocational training (use EUROPASS),
to gain experience in activities involving theory and practice, particularly work-linked training (define clear goals), and
to develop language skills and transnational contacts (language training for mobile students can be included).

This type of measure is also useful in consolidating transnational co-operation in a broad sense.

Application

Proposals are submitted to the National Agency of the country of the promoter. ATTENTION: A mobility project can only include "outgoing" beneficiaries (i.e. sent to one or more host organisations abroad). Therefore the promoter (and its partners from the same country, if any) can only act as a sending organisation!

Maximal duration

For the project: 2 years. Max. duration of each placement: 3 - 12 months.

Maxima Financial EU contribution

5000 € per beneficiary and per placement

Eligible costs

Administrative costs (lump sum depending on nr. of students exchanged),
Mobility Costs (max. sum for travel Costs + costs of stay max. 300 ^),
Language preparation costs (max. 200 ^ per person for max. 3 months; max. 500 ^ if longer)

Application deadlines

13.2.2004 (Full application to NA)

Comments

As Mobility projects are always reserved to OUTGOING mobility, all ELLS Universities would have to make their own separate application for their outgoing students . (Proposals linked in such a way must refer to this relation in the relevant section of the Application form for Mobility!)

A special case: "receiving foreign students"

With the agreement of the Commission, some countries have chosen to deviate from the general rule referred to above: For students, these countries allow financing of incoming beneficiaries, too. Therefore, it will be possible to receive foreign students and send students abroad within the same Mobility project. -> ELLS unversities should check if this is the case in their country!!! It is best to ask the National LEONARDO Agency to confirm that this arrangement exists in their country!)

Teacher mobility

Equals to the Mobility project (referred to as " exchanges").

Target group

Trainers or human resources managers and training scheme managers, as well as language specialists and social partners.

Objectives

to strengthen the European dimension of initial and continuing vocational training,
to develop language skills and transnational contacts and
exchanges of good practices for trainers and human resources managers

Application

Proposals are submitted to the National Agency of the country of the promoter.

Attention: A mobility project can only include "outgoing" beneficiaries (i.e. sent to one or more host organisations abroad). Therefore the promoter (and its partners from the same country, if any) can only act as a sending organisation!

Max. Duration

Two years for the project. Max. Duration of each placement: 1 - 6 weeks

Financial EU contribution

5000 ^ per beneficiary and per exchange

Application deadlines

13.2.2004 (Full application to NA)

Comments

As Mobility projects are always reserved to OUTGOING mobility, all ELLS Universities would have to make their own separate application for their outgoing students. (Proposals linked in such a way must refer to this relation in the relevant section of the Application form for Mobility!)

Joint teaching activities

= could be applied for as Pilot projects

Objectives

design, development, testing, evaluation and dissemination of innovative practices in terms of methods, content or products (innovative teaching and learning materials) in the field of vocational training and guidance.
Pilot projects must develop tangible products (new methods in professional training - use of ICT!!!)

Application

Has to include:

min. 3 participating countries
Needs analysis and testing phase required
Convincing description of the topic's importance

The first application has to be sent to the National Agency (has to include: detailed working plan + detailed budget). The applicants contacted by the NA are then invited to submit a full proposal to the EU.

Max. Duration of the project

3 years

Max. Financial EU contribution

75% of total eligible costs

Max. Financial EU contribution

max 200.000^

Application deadlines

3.10.2003 (First application to the NA)
13.2.2004 (If invited: full application to EC)

Curriculum Development

See description of "Pilot projects" above.

Quality Assurance projects

1). Could be applied for as a special category of Pilot Projects:

(As Pilot projects are intended to stimulate the process of innovation and to enhance the quality of training and vocational guidance). Special support will be given to a small number of projects (" thematic actions ") on themes of particular interest at Community level. For the Call for proposals 2003-2004 two specific themes are retained: " quality " and "inter-cultural dialogue".

Application

The first application has to be sent to the EC (with a copy to the NA). The applicants contacted by the EC are then invited to submit a full proposal to the EC (again with copy to the NA).

Maximal Financial EU contribution

for thematic actions: 300.000 ^ (or 75% of total eligible costs).

Application deadlines

3.10.2003 (First application to the NA)
13.2.2004 (If invited: full application to EC)

2). Another alternative for financing QA projects = transnational networks (listed under other actions below)

ICT projects

ICT is not a separate action ine within LEONARDO, but ICR aspects can and should be included in all Pilot Projects.

Other activities: 1) Transnational networks

LEONARDO supports transnational networks of European expertise and dissemination.

Objectives

assembling, distilling and building on European expertise and innovatory approaches;
improving the analysis and anticipation of occupational skills requirements;
disseminating the networks outputs and project results throughout the Union in the appropriate circles.

Application

Max. Duration of the project

3 years.

Max. Financial EU contribution

50% of total eligible costs, max 150.000^.

Application deadlines

3.10.2003 (First application to the NA)
13.2.2004 (If invited: full application to EC)

Other activities: 2) Reference Material

Objectives

To make it possible at Community level to record the specific characteristics and changes in national vocational training systems, via

creation and updating of Community reference material (=surveys and analyses),
the creation and updating of comparable data,
the observation and dissemination of good practice, and
the exhaustive exchange of information.

Projects aimed at the creation and updating of comparable data (statistical projects) are subject of a specific call for proposals

Application

The first application has to be sent to the EC (with a copy to the NA). The applicants contacted by the EC are then invited to submit a full proposal to the EC (again with copy to the NA).

Max. Duration of the project

3 years

. Financial EU contribution

50 - 100% of total eligible costs, maximal 200.000 - 300.000 ^.

Application deadlines

3.10.2003 (First application to the EC)
13.2.2004 (If invited: full application to EC)