Key information about the programme
- The programme is operated by: Centre for International Cooperation in Education in Czech Republic (DZS).
- The Donor Programme Partners in this programme are: Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse (HK-dir), and the National Agency for International Education Affairs (AIBA).
- The programme’s objective is: Enhanced human capital and knowledge base.
- The programme funding (excluding co-financing) amounts to €6.5 million and is funded entirely by the EEA Grants.
Why is the programme needed?
Investment in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning is one of the key objectives of the EU cohesion policy. These objectives are also highlighted in the Czech Strategy for Education Policy as areas for further development with attention given to reducing inequalities in education, inclusive education, supporting high quality teaching, personal development of learners and lifelong learning. The overall aim of the Strategy is to improve the learning outcomes and motivation of children by enhancing the quality and relevance of education at all levels, including vocational education and training (VET). The Donors and the Czech Republic share common challenges in the education sector and project cooperation in the above-mentioned areas as well as mobility of students and staff is desirable in order to support learning, knowledge development and exchange of best practises.
What will the programme achieve and who are the beneficiaries?
The Czech Education programme consists of four outcomes which aim at: (1) strengthened institutional cooperation at all levels of education through institutional cooperation projects; (2) improved skills and competences of students, staff and other educational experts at all levels of education through mobility; (3) improved quality of work-based learning and youth entrepreneurship through vocational education projects; (4) increased inclusion of disadvantaged groups including the Roma population through joint projects.
Overall the programme will achieve 30 joint intellectual outputs (e.g. joint curricula and learning resources) generated from cooperation projects; 200 participants in peer-learning activities; 230 students and 180 teaching and non-teaching staff participating in mobility; 10 partnerships established following the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) requirements, and 70 teachers trained in inclusive education.
How will the programme strengthen bilateral relations?
The programme will contribute to strengthening bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and the Donor States. Cooperation will enable the exchange of knowledge and expertise through long-
term institutional cooperation and increase the number of joint intellectual outputs, as well as the number of staff and students involved in mobility projects. Bilateral partnerships will be facilitated through matchmaking events and activities in conjunction with the launch of calls for proposals. Donor partnerships in projects are mandatory in all projects supported by the programme. These partnerships can result in mutually beneficial activities and long-lasting cooperation between involved partners.
Availability of funding through open calls
Funding in this programme will be made available through three open call for proposals (consisting of components I-IV). The calls will be launched on an annual basis from 2018-2020. The first round of calls has closed, the following two rounds of calls remain:
- Call 2 (component I-IV) – fourth quarter 2019
- Call 3 (component I-IV) – fourth quarter 2020
More information about the upcoming calls will be made available on the website of the EEA and Norway Grants.
Download the full programme agreement for more detailed information about the programme.
More information can also be found on the Programme Operator’s website and the Donor Programme Partners webpages: HK-dir and AIBA.