Leonardo da Vinci Partnerships: an opportunity to work together

1. Leonardo da VinciPartnerships: an opportunity to work together Italian National Agency for LLP - Leonardo da Vinci Sectoral Programme

2. Definition A Leonardo da Vinci Partnership is a framework for small-scale cooperation 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

3. Cooperation fields Cooperation between VET schools or institutions, enterprises, and/or social partners at national, regional, local or sectoral level (e.g. within specific VET-fields or economic sectors)

4. Applicants • Institutions or organisations providing learning opportunities in the fields covered by the Leonardo da Vinci sectoral programme • Associations and representatives of actors involved in VET (including trainees’, parents’ and teachers’ associations) • Enterprises, social partners and other representatives of labour market, (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 VET at local, regional and national level • Research centres and bodies dealing with lifelong learning issues • Higher education institutions • Non-profit organisations, voluntary bodies, NGOs The content of the partnership activities has to be clearly VET related

5. Topics for cooperation • Development of guidance and counselling on VET • Opening VET to flexible pathways and creation of better conditions for transition to working life • Reinforce or create closer links between VET and labour market • Promoting the recognition of non-formal and informal learning • Responding to the needs of the labour market (particularly of SMEs), including anticipation of skills needed in the 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…) • Supporting the development of national qualifications frameworks in relation to EQF • Cooperate to test and apply common concepts developed at European level with the aim to achieve a spreading at the level of actors “on the ground”

6. Activities supported • Exchange of experiences and good practices • Cooperation on specific subjects / sectors • Producing something in common • Exchange • of staff • of trainers and trainees (LdV)

7. Outcomes/results ….a common report, conference, exhibition, CD-Rom, brochure, handbook, didactic unit, memorandum of understanding, tangible product worked out by trainees, training concept in a specific VET field, etc…

8. Duration 2years No possibility to postpone the deadline

9. Eligible partnership Cooperationbetweenat least 3 partnersfrom3 different countries participating in the LLP (at least one EU Member State)

10. Selection procedure - 1 Eligibility • each member of the partnership sends the applicationtoits NA – common applicationforall the partners • each NA assesses the eligibilityofanyapplicationreceived • noteligibleapplicationswillbeexcluded – thismay reduce the eligiblenumberofpartnerscausing the exclusionof the applicationfrom the qualityassessment

11. Eligibility criteria • Respect of the deadline • Use of the correct application form • Not hand written • Application fully completed • Application completed in the language of the Partnership • At least 3 partners from 3 different countries (at least one EU Member State) • Eligible institution according to the guidelines • Partnership type and grant amout are included • Signature of the legal representative of the applicant institution or a person duly authorised • Respect of the national priorities/eligible criteria

12. Selection procedure - 2 Quality assessment • NA of Coordinating organisation assesses the quality of the application • Two evaluators assess the application (at least one external) • The assessment is based on the European quality assessment criteria which may include European and national priorities • The list of selected projects is based on the quality assessment score and the financial capacity of the NA

13. Award criteria • Quality of the work programme • Quality of the partnership • European added value • Relevance • Impact • Quality of the valorisation plan

14. Quality of the work programme • Clear, realistic and relevant project aims • Coherence among work programme, project aims and partnership • Project tasks are well defined and distributed among partners to ensure the achievement of the project results

15. Quality of the partnership • The involvement of partners is appropriate and well balanced • Appropriate and coherent actions have been planned to ensure effective communication and cooperation among partners

16. European added value • Impact and benefits of European cooperation on participating institutions are clear and well defined Relevance • Applicationaddressesthegeneralobjectivesofthe LLP andthespecificand operational objectivesofthe Leonardo da Vinci sectoralprogramme

17. Impact • Expected impact on both partnership institutions and individual participants is clear and well defined • Partneship agreed on a common and proper monitoring system to check the achievement of the project aims and the expected impact

18. Quality of the valorisation plan • Planned activities for dissemination and exploitation of results are relevant and well defined • Planned dissemination and valorisation activities ensure a proper involvement of the participating organisations as well as of the stakeholders.

19. Core criteria • Clarity of aims and expected impact • Realistic and concrete work programme • Coherence among aims, activities and budget • Balanced partnership and distribution of tasks • Appropriate evaluation and dissemination activities

20. Budget issues • The grant is given as a lump sum • The amount depends on the number of mobilities (Partnership type: 4, 8, 12 or 24 mobilities in two years) • The amount given varies from country to country Example for Italy: 4 mobilities - 6.000 €; 8 mobilities - 12.000€; 12 mobilities - 18.000 €; 24 mobilities - 24.000 € Contact your own NA for national lump sum amounts

21. Definition of transnational mobility • A mobility is a trip abroad carried out in the framework of the Partnership to a partner institution • One trip by one person is counted as one mobility • The same person may carry out several mobilities during the Partnership duration • There is no minimum or maximum requirement for the length of mobility • Only transnational motilities (i.e. travels abroad) count for the calculation of the minimum mobilities number

22. Report Progress Report Beneficiary is requested to send a progress report to the NA using the model provided by the EC services Final Report Within 60 calendar days after the conclusion of the activity the beneficiary must send a final report to the NA, using the model provided by the EC services. This report will be considered as the beneficiary's request for payment of the grant balance

23. Payment arrangements Pre-financing Within 45 calendar days of the entry into force of the agreement, the beneficiary shall receive a pre-financing payment representing 80% of the total maximum grant amount Payment of the Balance Within 45 calendar days of the approval of the final report the NA shall issue the balance payment

24. Deadline for submission of applications February 20th 2009

25. Thanks for your attention….and good luck!