The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ), on the 30th May, three new Calls for Proposals within the Life Long Learning framework programme with a total of 6.5 million euros budgeted. The deadline for the three calls for proposals is 13th of August 2008.

The objective of the Programme in the field of lifelong learning - LIFELONG is:

1. To contribute to the development of quality lifelong learning, and to promote high performance, innovation and a European dimension in systems and practices in the field.
2. To support the realisation of a European area for lifelong learning.
3. To help improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility of the opportunities for lifelong learning available within Member States.
4. To reinforce the contribution of lifelong learning to social cohesion, active citizenship, inter-cultural dialogue, gender equality and personal fulfilment.
5. To help promote creativity, competitiveness, employability and the growth of an entrepreneurial spirit.
6. To contribute to increased participation in lifelong learning by people of all ages, including those with special needs and disadvantaged groups, regardless of their socio-economic background.
7. To promote language learning and linguistic diversity.
8. To support the development of innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning.
9. To encourage the best use of results, innovative products and processes and to exchange good practice in the fields covered by the Lifelong Learning Programme, in order to improve the quality of education and training.

The first of the Calls for Proposals is the Call for proposals — EACEA/14/08 under the Lifelong Learning programme Award of grants for projects to test and develop the credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET) - LEARNING. With a budget of three million euros which will be used to support the following actions:

• Actions to set up or consolidate partnerships between competent institutions to establish an operational framework to develop tests on the European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET).
• Experimental measures in the vocational education and training credit system (ECVET) field with a view to putting this system into practice for the benefit of various groups (e.g. employed adults, jobseekers, young people leaving initial training without qualifications).

Also, the subsidy offered by the European Commission should not go over 75% of the total for project actions. The amount of the subsidies should be in the area of 200,000 to 300,000 euros. The Call is open to private and public national, regional and sectoral companies in Europe who work in the teaching, professional training and administering of professional qualifications sector.

Along with this, the Commission will also finance, with two million euros, Call for Proposals — EACEA/16/08 under the Lifelong Learning programme Award of grants for actions to develop and implement the European qualifications framework (EQF), including national and sectoral qualifications frameworks - LEARNING.

The objective is to award grants to approximately 10-12 proposals for actions to develop and implement the European qualifications framework (EQF), including national and sectoral qualifications frameworks. The following actions will be financed.

• In supporting the implementation and development of the EQF, including by relating national and sectoral qualifications systems and frameworks to the EQF as a common reference, and strengthening the relationship with the European Higher Education Area.
• In developing and implementing National Qualifications Frameworks.

Presentation of subsidy requests are especially open to consortiums of European organisations, national, regional and sectorial including Ministries, authorities that deal with of qualifications, sectoral associations, social speakers and other notable bodies that participate or have interest in the systems of qualification and training.

Thirdly the Call for proposals — EACEA/17/08 under the Lifelong Learning programme Lifelong learning strategies - LEARNING has the following objectives:

• To contribute to the development of quality lifelong learning, and to promote high performance, innovation and a European dimension in systems and practices in the field.
• To support the realisation of a European area for lifelong learning.
• To help improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility of the opportunities for lifelong learning available within Member States.
• To reinforce the contribution of lifelong learning to social cohesion, active citizenship, inter-cultural dialogue, gender equality and personal fulfilment.
• To help promote creativity, competitiveness, employability and the growth of an entrepreneurial spirit.
• To contribute to increased participation in lifelong learning by people of all ages, including those with special needs and disadvantaged groups, regardless of their socio-economic background.
• To promote language learning and linguistic diversity.
• To support the development of innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning.
• To encourage the best use of results, innovative products and processes and to exchange good practice in the fields covered by the Lifelong Learning Programme, in order to improve the quality of education and training.

To carry out these objectives  the Calls for Proposals will dispose of 1.5 million euros. The largest amount of subsidy offered will reach 200,000 euros per project and the the community economic aid shouldn't go over 75% of total subsidy costs.

The beneficiaries are exclusively national and region public authorities and organisations who are dedicated to the development and application of coherent, permanent and global learning.

Participants of the three Calls for Proposals should be established within one of the twenty seven member states of the European Union also including Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Turkey.

Presentation of proposals

The deadline for the three calls for proposals is 13th of August 2008. Thus proposals should be deslivered no later than this date.

The complete texts of all three Calls for Proposals ar available through the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).