European Pilot Projects on Knowledge Partnership

Call for Proposals for European pilot projects on Knowledge Partnerships

This Call for Proposals EAC/19/2011 for the development of European  pilot projects for the development of Knowledge Partnerships has the overall objective of the call for proposals is to ensure stronger societal and economic relevance and outreach of higher education through strengthening the employability, creativity and innovative potential of graduates and professors and the role of higher education institutions
as engines of innovation.

The Call for Proposals for the development of European  pilot projects for the development of Knowledge Partnerships has the specific objective  to fund structured partnerships, bringing together businesses with higher education and training institutions to design and deliver new curricula, new courses, to develop new and innovative ways of delivering and utilizing education and knowledge, and to facilitate the flow of knowledge between higher education and companies, leading to:
– Foster skills, attitudes, and the innovation capacity of individuals and of the involved organisations through:
– Closer cooperation between higher education institutions and businesses to tackle innovation needs and to solve problems encountered by companies;
– Equipping graduates with in-depth knowledge of the field studied, combined with interpersonal skills (team working, communication, self-confidence, taking initiative, problem solving, taking calculated risk, leadership) and business skills;
– Supporting the development of robust entrepreneurship skills and entrepreneurial mindset and attitudes, enabling graduates to creatively respond to a complex and rapidly changing environment; encompassing but not confined to setting up a business or running a SME;
– Closer cooperation of businesses with higher education institutions to improve the relevance of education and research in HEIs to business needs and to support the uptake by and flow of knowledge results between companies and HEIs.

The maximum total budget available to fund projects under the Call for Proposals for the development of European  pilot projects for the development of Knowledge Partnerships  is one million Euros. The grants for individual projects will be between 200.000 and 400.000 Euros. Therefore a total of three projects is likely to  be funded.

The deadline for submitting projects under the Call for Proposals for the development of European  pilot projects for the development of Knowledge Partnerships is 30 June 2011.

Activities must start between 30 September 2011 and 1 February 2012.  The minimum duration of the projects is 12 months and the maximum is 18 months

Further information on the Call for Proposals for the development of European  pilot projects for the development of Knowledge Partnerships can be found on European Commission web site
http://ec.europa.eu/education/calls/doc2905_en.htm