Partnerships - 2009

A Leonardo da Vinci Partnership is a framework for small-scale co-operation activities between organisations working in the field of vocational education and training ("VET") which will be cooperating on themes of mutual interest to the participating organisations. Projects can focus more on the active participation of trainees, while others will concentrate on the co-operation between teachers, trainers or VET-professionals. The co-operation may not only include VET schools or institutions but also enterprises, social partners or other VET stakeholders. They can co-operate at national, regional or local level, but also at sector level, such as within VET-fields or economic sectors. Partnership projects will fill a gap in the existing Leonardo da Vinci actions, i.e. the pure mobility projects and the bigger transfer of innovation projects, as they allow for cooperation in VET beyond mobility activities without, however, demanding large scale cooperation involving big budgets as in the Transfer of Innovation. Partnerships could also be used to continue to co-operate on results achieved in a previous project or be a first step towards a mobility or transfer of innovation project.

Partnerships are an excellent way of enabling peer learning activities for the use of common tools as described in the Helsinki Communiqué, such as transparency, EQF, ECVET, quality assurance, excellence of skills, competences for key sectors

Aims and Objectives - Topics for Co-operation

LdV Partnerships follow the objectives of the LdV programme as set out in Article 15.1 of the Programme Decision, which reflect the general political goals of VET policy at European level. This includes the objectives linked to the Copenhagen process and the Helsinki declaration. The main priorities for VET as they have been reviewed in the Helsinki Communiqué in December 2006 set an excellent framework for LdV partnerships:

1. Improving the attractiveness and quality of VET

2. Development and implementation of common tools for VET

3. Strengthening mutual learning

4. Taking all stakeholders on board.

More specifically, LdV partnerships are differentiated from the partnership actions in the Comenius and Grundtvig programme on the basis of the content of the activities, which have to be clearly VET related. A second particularity of LdV partnership will be the strive towards the opening towards other stakeholders than just VET schools, such as enterprises, social partners, regional, local or even national decision makers.

The following examples of topics which could be covered within a LdV partnership are based on the Helsinki communiqué reflecting present priority topics in common VET policy:

• Development of guidance and advice on VET;

• Opening VET to flexible pathways and create better conditions for transition to working life;

• Reinforce or create closer links of VET with working life;

• Promoting the recognition of non-formal and informal learning;

• Responding to the needs of the labour market, particularly of SMEs, anticipation of skills needed in labour market;

• Improve the qualification of teachers and trainers;

• Support the implementation of Quality assurance in VET;

• Cooperate in the area of transparency of VET systems (i.e. ECVET, EQF, Europass…);

• Support the development of national qualifications frameworks in relation to EQF;

• Co-operate to test and apply common concepts developed at European level with the aim to achieve a spreading at the level of the actors “on the ground”.

LdV Partnership will produce an outcome or results which allow later dissemination and further application of the results of the co-operation. This can be descriptive or tangible, take the form of a common report, a conference, a CD, a tangible product worked out by trainees, a training concept in a specific VET field, ...etc.

Who can benefit

• Institutions or organisations providing learning opportunities in the fields covered by the Leonardo da Vinci sectoral programme;

• Associations and representatives of those involved in vocational education and training, including trainees’, parents’ and teachers’ associations;

• Enterprises, social partners and other representatives of working life, including chambers of commerce and other trade organisations;

• Bodies providing guidance, counselling and information services relating to any aspect of lifelong learning;

• Bodies responsible for systems and policies concerning any aspect of lifelong learning vocational education and training at local, regional and national level;

• Research centers and bodies concerned with lifelong learning issues;

• Higher education institutions;

• Non-profit organisations, voluntary bodies, NGOs.

Eligibility Criteria

General eligibility rules:

The general eligibility criteria for applications in the LLP Programme are outlined in chapter 3 of the Guide for Applicants Part I.

Participating countries: please refer to the Guide for Applicants, General Overview of the LLP Programme, section "Which countries participate in the Programme?"

Specific eligibility rules:

Applications must be submitted by bodies which are legal entities.

- The mobility planning table includes the planned mobility activities of each participating organisation.

- The number of mobility activities planned by each participating organisation respects the minimum number required for the grant amount in question.

- Partnerships consist of a minimum of 3 partners each located in a different country participating in the LLP, at least one of which must be an EU Member State.-

Minimum number of Countries: 3

Minimum number of Partners: 3

Before completing and submitting your application form please be sure to consult the national (administrative and strategic) priorities document by clicking here.

It is IMPORTANT that one should refer to the following Documents (click).

LLP National Administrative Priorities 2010

LLP National Strategic Priorities 2010

LLP Applications Technical Instructions 2010

LLP Financial Provisions 2010

LLP Applicants Guide - eForms 2010

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