CORE

CORE

Circular Economy for Young Entrepreneurs

A 28-month European project supporting young entrepreneurs to launch circular and green businesses in the fashion and agri-food sectors

Programme: Erasmus+ KA220-VET – Cooperation Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training
Duration: 28 months (November 2025 – March 2028)
Lead Partner: Centoform Srl – Italy
Partners: Moebeus SB S.R.L. (IT), Institut Régional de Formation à l’Environnement et au Développement Durable (FR), Institute for Technology Transfer and Innovations (BG), Know-House s.r.o. (CZ)
Reference sectors: Fashion, agri-food, green and circular entrepreneurship

Project Overview

CORE (Circular ecOnomy foR young Entrepreneurs) sostiene la transizione green e circolare dei giovani aspiranti imprenditori e delle micro e piccole imprese già attive in due dei settori più inquinanti e in maggiore difficoltà in Europa: la moda e l’agroalimentare.

The project brings together a VET centre, an Italian sustainable fashion company, a French environmental training institute, a Bulgarian innovation centre and a Czech research-oriented enterprise, in a partnership spanning Italy, France, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Together they design tools, advisory services and training resources that turn circular economy principles into concrete business opportunities for the next generation of European entrepreneurs.

Objectives

  • Support the green and circular transition of young aspiring entrepreneurs and operators already active in the fashion and agri-food sectors
  • Develop a European open-source platform featuring the CORE Decision Support System (DSS), integrated with a generative AI tool, providing personalised advice for starting or converting a business along green and circular lines
  • Build a multilingual upskilling catalogue to develop and strengthen the skills required by green entrepreneurshipBuild a multilingual upskilling catalogue to develop and strengthen the skills required by green entrepreneurship
  • Foster a “green entrepreneurship spirit” across the EU, raising awareness and engaging lasting stakeholder communities

Implementation
The five partners work collaboratively across five work packages over 28 months. WP1 ensures project management and quality assurance; WP2 designs and develops the CORE DSS methodology integrated with a generative AI advisor; WP3 produces the multilingual training catalogue, gathering at least 50 “green” learning opportunities; WP4 tests, reviews and validates the full toolkit with at least 200 beneficiaries across the four partner countries; WP5 handles communication, dissemination and the creation of a LinkedIn Community of Practice. Centoform leads the partnership as the VET partner, ensuring that outputs are directly applicable in vocational training, IFTS/ITS pathways and existing micro and small enterprises.

Expected Results

  • A multilingual, freely accessible Decision Support System (DSS) for green and circular entrepreneurship, integrated with a generative AI advisor
  • An upskilling catalogue featuring at least 50 “green” training opportunities for the fashion and agri-food sectors
  • At least 200 beneficiaries (new and existing green entrepreneurs) directly involved in piloting the CORE tools across the four partner countries
  • A European Community of Practice on LinkedIn with at least 300 members and 600 followers across social channels
  • A series of multiplier events – local in-person events, an online international event on innovative business models in agri-food, and a final international hybrid event in Bulgaria on innovative business models in fashion

CORE enables young Europeans to start and grow circular and sustainable businesses, accelerating the green transition in two of Europe’s most impactful sectors.

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GREEN LABS

GREEN LABS
International living lab network for the co-creation and development of green ecosystems

A 30-month international project to build a European network of living labs and a new VET curriculum to drive the green transition from local ecosystems

Programme: Erasmus+ KA220-VET – Cooperation Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training
Duration: 30 months (November 2024 – May 2027)
Lead Partner: Institut Régional de Formation à l’Environnement et au Développement Durable (IRFEDD) – France
Reference sectors: Green transition, living labs, VET innovation, multi-stakeholder co-creation

Project Overview

GREEN LABS (International Living Labs Network for Co-creation and Development of Green Ecosystems) builds a European network of living labs designed as collaborative spaces where citizens, businesses, public bodies, training organisations and research actors co-design innovative solutions for the green transition.

The project brings together seven partners from France, Italy, Greece, Serbia, Portugal and Germany — combining VET expertise, environmental training, entrepreneurship, public administration, collective intelligence methodologies and consulting — to ensure that the labs generate a concrete and replicable impact at local community level and train a new professional figure capable of facilitating the green transition: the Green Innovation Manager.

Objectives

  • Create an international network of living labs as collaborative spaces for multi-stakeholder participatory innovation in support of the green transition at local ecosystem level
  • Design, develop and pilot a new VET curriculum for the Green Innovation Manager (GIM), a professional figure capable of facilitating and coordinating co-design processes for green initiatives
  • Generate positive community-level impacts towards more sustainable modes of production and living, through knowledge sharing and the co-creation of new initiatives
  • Promote a widespread green social mindset across Europe through multichannel awareness campaigns and broad multi-stakeholder engagement.

Implementation

The seven partners work collaboratively across four work packages over 30 months. WP1 ensures management, coordination and quality assurance under the leadership of IRFEDD. WP2 builds and pilots the international living lab network for green ecosystems, applying a participatory approach based on the quintuple helix. WP3 designs, develops and tests the new VET curriculum for the Green Innovation Manager, validated through pilot training in the partner countries. WP4 handles communication, engagement and dissemination, with multichannel campaigns targeting citizens, stakeholders and policymakers during and beyond the project’s lifetime. Centoform participates as the Italian VET partner, ensuring that outputs are directly applicable in vocational training pathways (IFTS/ITS) and in cooperation with local socioeconomic actors.

Expected Results

  • A European network of local living labs aimed at promoting the green transition and the development of a widespread green social mindset
  • A new VET curriculum for the Green Innovation Manager — a facilitator figure capable of coordinating community-level green transition initiatives
  • Pilot training delivered in the partner countries to validate the curriculum with the first cohorts of Green Innovation Managers
  • Targeted multichannel awareness campaigns and extensive multi-stakeholder engagement activities
  • A sustainability model for the post-project life of the labs and for their replicability in other European regions

GREEN LABS creates a living European network in which citizens, businesses and institutions co-design the green transition from the ground up, training the new facilitators Europe needs to make it happen.

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Promptme4Better Erasmus+

Promptme4Better Erasmus+
Prompt Literacy for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

Promptme4Better — an Erasmus+ project on AI Prompt Literacy in Higher Education

Duration: 24 months
Period of Realization: October 2025 – September 2027
Format: Online learning and international pilot activities
No. of Participants (pilot phase): 60 students and educators
Methodology: Digital learning environment, online modules and practical exercises
Programme: Erasmus+ KA220-HED – Cooperation Partnership

Project Overview

Promptme4Better is an Erasmus+ KA220-HED Cooperation Partnership designed to strengthen AI prompt literacy and support the academic community in navigating the rapid digital transformation driven by Artificial Intelligence. The project develops a structured framework that helps students, educators and professionals understand how to formulate effective prompts, critically assess AI-generated outputs and apply responsible AI practices in educational contexts.

Objectives

  • Build a comprehensive online teaching programme on prompt literacy for Higher Education
  • Develop an interactive digital learning environment with practical exercises
  • Implement pilot training sessions across partner countries
  • Create recommendations for integrating AI teaching practices within HEIs
  • Establish a certification framework ensuring transparent recognition of acquired skills

Implementation

The project combines research on AI literacy needs, design of online learning resources, practical case-based exercises and a set of international pilot sessions that will test and validate the methodology with students and educators. Each partner contributes specialised expertise to ensure a robust, scalable and pedagogically sound training offer.

Expected Results

  • A complete online learning programme on AI prompt literacy
  • A digital learning environment accessible across Europe
  • A validated pilot training pathway for HEIs
  • A certification system ensuring recognition of acquired skills
  • Strategic guidelines to support responsible AI integration in Higher Education

Promptme4Better makes AI education accessible, practical and meaningful for all, opening new paths for innovation in Higher Education.

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CraftAdapt: New Crafts Emerging

CraftAdapt
New Crafts Emerging

Secondary Waste Processing as a New Entrepreneurial Opportunity for Artisans from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Programme: Erasmus+
Focus: Circular economy integration in VET for the crafting sector
Pilot Target: Over 100 artisans and VET stakeholders
Key Materials: 10 e-learning units, 5 entrepreneurial manuals, 25 best practice examples

Overview del progetto
CraftAdapt aims to contribute to vocational education in the crafting sector by integrating circular economy principles. The project addresses modern environmental and market demands through the innovative use of waste materials — plastics, debris and scraps — transforming them into new entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly for artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds. Responding to both EU green transition strategies and the evolving needs of craft markets, CraftAdapt equips artisans with updated skills to thrive in an economy increasingly shaped by sustainability requirements, the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the Plastics Strategy.

Objectives

  • Bridge traditional and modern craft skills, focusing on secondary waste processing, upcycling and repurposing techniques
  • Promote upcycling as a craft practice, contributing to the circular economy and aligning with EU environmental strategies
  • Update educational materials with new guidelines and learning resources tailored to the changing needs of craft markets
  • Foster digital literacy, introducing digital tools to support upskilling and knowledge exchange among artisans
  • Pilot test new VET programme through international tests with over 100 artisans and stakeholders

Implementazione
CraftAdapt develops a digital educational toolkit featuring 10 e-learning units for VET schools, 5 entrepreneurial manuals on upcycling and repurposing, and 25 best practice examples highlighting innovative and sustainable crafting solutions. These resources are tested through a training programme targeting apprentices and VET students, ensuring practical application and real-world feedback. International pilot sessions validate the methodology across partner countries.

Expected Results

  • Enhanced skills in waste utilisation and circular crafting practices among VET students and artisans
  • Improved resilience and competitiveness of artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Integration of sustainable crafting practices into standard vocational education curricula
  • Emergence of new craft professions addressing the demands of a green economy

CraftAdapt transforms waste into opportunity, empowering a new generation of artisans to lead the green transition from their workbenches.

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Skills4AI

Skills4AI
Developing Artificial Intelligence Skills in VET

An Erasmus+ project empowering VET educators and learners to navigate the evolving landscape of AI

Programma: Erasmus+
Focus: Artificial Intelligence in Vocational Education and Training
Pilot Participants: Over 60 teachers and trainers
Format: Research, open learning path, pilot training, awareness videos

Project Overview

Skills4AI is an Erasmus+ project dedicated to fostering awareness and skills in Artificial Intelligence among VET educators and learners. As AI rapidly transforms industries and daily life, it has become essential for educators to grasp its significance, potential applications across sectors, and its impact on personal and civic life.
The project aims to empower teachers, trainers and learners with the knowledge and critical thinking necessary to navigate the evolving landscape of AI. Skills4AI bridges the gap between fast-moving technological development and the capacity of VET institutions to respond effectively.

Objectives

  • Help educators understand why AI is becoming integral across sectors including services, industry, communication and leisure
  • Enable educators to identify the diverse purposes AI serves in different professional contextsConsentire agli educatori di identificare i diversi ambiti di utilizzo dell’IA nei contesti professionali
  • Develop critical thinking skills to assess how AI influences personal and civic life
  • Empower VET professionals to promote responsible AI adoption and usage

Implementation

Skills4AI implements several activities: conducting research and presenting reproducible AI use cases tailored for VET educators; offering an open modular learning path validated by open badges; running a pilot training programme with over 60 teachers and trainers gaining hands-on experience; and producing 15 short awareness-raising videos created in collaboration with learners, covering AI’s impact across professional, personal and civic spheres.

Expected Results

  • A set of reproducible AI use cases for VET educators
  • An open modular learning path on AI in education, validated by open badges
  • Over 60 trained VET teachers and trainers with competences in AI-integrated pedagogy
  • 15 awareness-raising videos on AI’s role in professional, personal and civic life

Skills4AI equips the VET community with the awareness and tools needed to teach and guide in an AI-driven world.

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Video

Carbon Farming Awareness Hub (CarboFarmHub)

CarboFarmHub
Carbon Farming Awareness Hub

Building a European network of awareness hubs to foster green transition and carbon farming in the primary sector

Programme: Erasmus+ / EU-funded
Countries: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal
Target: young people, stakeholders, farmers
Format: On-site and online awareness initiatives, policy brief, Carbon Farming Hub network

Project Overview

Climate change poses irrecoverable risks for the environment and human life, requiring flagship initiatives and a common intervention framework. In this context, Carbon Farming Awareness Hub (CarboFarmHub) responds to the joint challenge of increasing awareness and skills among young citizens and farmers, preparing them to face the emerging demands of sustainable food systems and to fight food insecurity. CarboFarmHub creates a network of awareness hubs in four partner countries — Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal — all leaders in organic agricultural areas in Europe. The project aligns with EU strategies including the Green Deal, the Farm2Fork strategy, and the Carbon Farming Initiative launched in December 2021.

Objectives

  • Increase awareness of youth and relevant stakeholders on European green transition strategies and climate action
  • Valorise the role of the primary sector — specifically farming — in reducing environmental and social impacts
  • Create a network of CarboFarmHubs acting as points of reference and accelerators for sustainable production in four countries
  • Produce a policy brief collecting evidence and feedback to support policymakers in designing carbon farming policies

Implementation

CarboFarmHub implements a wide set of outreach initiatives both on-site and online across all four partner countries. The Hub operates as a point of reference and an accelerator promoting sustainable ways of producing and new sustainable business models. At least 600 young people and 350 stakeholders — including public administrators, policymakers, farmers, BSOs, youth associations, VET providers and universities — are engaged in the Global Framework of initiatives, along with at least 100 farmers interested in conversion and the emerging European carbon market.

Expected Results

  • Operational CarboFarmHub network in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal
  • Over 600 young people engaged through awareness-raising initiatives
  • Over 350 stakeholders involved in the Global Framework of initiatives
  • At least 100 farmers engaged in conversion and carbon market exploration
  • A policy brief on carbon farming strategies, barriers and payment systems to inform EU policymakers

CarboFarmHub puts the primary sector at the heart of Europe’s green transition, empowering young people and farmers to become active agents of sustainable change.

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Documents

PAIC – Promoting Artificial Intelligence Competences in VET

PAIC
Promoting Artificial Intelligence Competences in VET

Integrating AI into Vocational Education and Training — building the skills for an intelligent future

Programme: Erasmus+
Focus: Artificial Intelligence integration in VET curriculum
Format: Online, blended and distance learning
Key Output: AI VET curriculum + Interactive Online Platform

Project Overview

Artificial Intelligence is one expression of an ongoing broader transformation driven by digitalization, global networking and automation. The scale and speed of the shift towards a knowledge economy — amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic — creates a pressing need for VET curriculum frameworks to become more flexible, adaptable, and capable of fostering personal learning, self-learning and lifelong learning. PAIC responds to this need by developing an open AI curriculum for VET, setting up an interactive online platform and training VET educators to effectively teach AI topics. The project unites policymakers, teacher training organisations, vocational schools and occupational sector organisations around a shared vision of AI as a key technology for transforming VET.

Objectives

  • Facilitate the creation and adaptation of open AI curriculum models integrating AI into VET
  • Immerse VET students in real-life working situations involving machine learning algorithms
  • Empower users to associate real business problems with machine learning methodologies
  • Expand knowledge to incorporate and promote innovative AI strategies within the VET system

Implementation

PAIC develops an AI VET curriculum grounded in machine learning theory and real business applications, alongside an Interactive Online Platform equipped with AI learning tools, codes and exercises. The project delivers targeted training for VET educators to teach AI topics effectively in online, blended and distance formats. Implementation involves a wide international cooperation of organisations with high expertise in digital education and AI.

Expected Results

  • An AI VET curriculum with theoretical background and real-world machine learning applications
  • An Interactive Online Platform with AI learning tools, codes and exercises
  • Large-scale impact on VET students’ Artificial Intelligence competences
  • Enhanced competences of VET educators for digital and online teaching of AI topics
  • A new innovative VET curriculum model promoting AI literacy across European VET systems

PAIC places Artificial Intelligence at the centre of VET, ensuring that tomorrow’s workforce is equipped with the skills to thrive in an AI-driven economy.

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EXCEED – Excellence in green and digital manufacturing

EXCEED
Excellence in Green and Digital Manufacturing

Preparing the Advanced Manufacturing sector for the twin green and digital transitions

Programme: Erasmus+ – European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
Project ID: 101103982 | CUP E31B23000120004
EU Grant: € 2,582,433
Duration: 4 years
Countries: Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Greece, Finland
Lead Organisation: Centoform SRL – Via Nino Bixio 11, 44042 Cento (FE), Italy
Website: www.exceed-cove.eu

Project Overview

EXCEED — Excellence in Green and Digital Manufacturing — prepares the Advanced Manufacturing sector for the disruptive changes driven by the simultaneous green and digital transitions. The project assumes these two forces are synergistic and mutually reinforcing, representing powerful levers to accelerate innovation in Advanced Manufacturing. Through a large international consortium of universities, VET institutions, industry clusters and companies across five European countries, EXCEED develops joint, individualised lifelong learning programmes and updates curricula for Higher VET (EQF 4–5). A particular focus is placed on low-skilled adults at risk of marginalisation, in line with the “leave no one behind” principle of the European Green Deal.

Objectives

  • Equip current and future workers with the competences needed to master the twin green and digital transitions in Advanced Manufacturing
  • Provide lifelong learning pathways enabling workers to remain employable and keep pace with rapidly evolving skill demands
  • Ensure no one is left behind, with a focus on upskilling and reskilling low-skilled adults
  • Establish an International Talent Factory to attract, develop and retain talent in Advanced Manufacturing

Implementation

EXCEED operates through four interconnected work streams: a joint international lifelong learning offer (flexible and individualised), new and updated Higher VET curricula (EQF 4–5), an International Talent Factory connecting education and industry, and capacity building for VET professionals. Over four years, partners will involve at least 600 learners directly and reach over 26,000 beneficiaries through a multichannel communication strategy.

Expected Results

  • A joint, international and individualised Lifelong Learning offer for Advanced Manufacturing
  • New and updated Higher VET curricula at EQF 4 and 5
  • An International Talent Factory supporting skilled workforce development across Europe
  • Upskilled VET professionals translating green and digital innovation into education
  • At least 600 learners directly involved; over 26,000 beneficiaries reached

EXCEED drives the twin transition in Advanced Manufacturing, building a skilled European workforce ready to lead the green and digital economy.

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SEE-VET

SEE-VET
Social and Emotional Education in VET

Improving VET educators’ and learners’ social and emotional literacy through the five SEE lenses
Programme: Erasmus+
Duration: 24 months
Focus: Social and Emotional Education (SEE) in Vocational Education and Training
Target: VET teachers, trainers, mentors and students
Project Overview
SEE-VET is a 24-month Erasmus+ project designed to improve VET teachers’ and students’ emotional and social literacy, as well as their self-awareness, empathy, resilience and assertiveness. Under five SEE lenses — social and emotional competences — SEE-VET positively influences VET teachers’ professional growth and helps them develop their own skill sets. At the same time, the project supports students’ social and emotional wellbeing and fosters a proactive attitude toward the VET system. By making Social and Emotional Education a natural part of VET provision, SEE-VET creates more inclusive, engaging and effective learning environments.
Objectives
  • Help VET professionals understand and implement the Social and Emotional Education (SEE) framework in their daily practice
  • Create a repository enabling VET professionals to experience a SEE environment first-hand and continue generating a culture of SEE in their institutions
  • Provide VET teachers with innovative knowledge and competences to increase students’ motivation to learn, practise and work
  • Contribute to increasing achievement levels among VET students through SEE-informed pedagogy

Implementation

SEE-VET develops training resources, a digital repository of SEE tools and methodologies, and practical learning experiences that allow VET educators to apply Social and Emotional Education approaches in their classrooms. The project builds capacity at institutional level, creating a culture of SEE that goes beyond individual professional development and becomes embedded in VET providers’ everyday practice.

Expected Results

  • A practical SEE framework adapted for the VET context
  • A digital repository of tools and methodologies for Social and Emotional Education in VET
  • VET educators equipped with innovative competences to foster student motivation and achievement
  • An enhanced culture of social and emotional wellbeing across VET institutions

SEE-VET brings the human dimension to VET, building educators and learners who are not only technically skilled but emotionally intelligent and socially aware.

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Erasmus+: Share your skills

Erasmus+ – Share your skills
Skills for Repair, Recovery and Recycling in the Context of Ecological Transition

Valorizing informal repair skills to support lifelong learning, ecological transition and inclusive societies

Programme: Erasmus+ – Adult Education
Project code: 2021-1-FR01-KA220-ADU-000026628
Duration: 2 years (from 2021)
Lead partner: France
Focus: Skills in the repair sector, ecological and digital transition, lifelong learning

Project Overview

Share Your Skills is an Erasmus+ project for adult education, funded by the European Commission for a duration of two years. The project focuses on the repair sector as a testing ground for developing and strengthening technical and transversal skills—both formal and informal—for adults. Drawing inspiration from successful experiences across Europe—such as the “Repair Cafés” widely established in France and Germany and growing in Italy as well—the project explores how repair skills can be integrated into lifelong learning pathways. The objective is to support ecological and digital transition while fostering more inclusive and participatory societies.

Objectives

  • Raise awareness among communities about the importance of sustainable behaviors and the challenges of ecological and digital transition in the repair sector
  • Identify, develop and valorize repair, recovery and recycling skills in formal and informal learning contexts
  • Develop and promote skills within a lifelong learning framework, making informal repair skills visible and transferable
  • Identify and characterize beneficiaries in the repair sector and understand their diverse needs

Implementation

The project uses innovative experiences such as Repair Cafés as learning environments, analyzing the skills practiced informally in these community spaces. It develops a skills passport to make transparent and portable the competencies acquired by adults through informal repair activities. A training toolkit on recovery, repair and recycling themes is also created and tested in partner countries.

Expected Results

  • Greater awareness among target groups and partners of the challenges of ecological and digital transition in the repair sector
  • A skills passport for transparency and recognition of repair, recovery and recycling competencies acquired informally
  • A training toolkit for adult education on recovery, repair and recycling
  • A stronger link between informal learning in the repair sector and formal lifelong learning pathways

Share Your Skills places repair at the heart of lifelong learning, transforming everyday sustainability practices into recognized pathways for adult education and social inclusion.

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