Proposals for innovation development should respond to an innovation pressure (gaps in VET systems or processes) that several countries have in common and should lead to brand new solutions and therefore result in a clear benefit in VET of European scope.

The teamwork of a variety of European partners will bundle different approaches, lead to cross-fertilisation and creativity, and will facilitate the development of new solutions and know-how. Development of Innovation projects typically plan a lot of time for development but will also foresee enough time for testing. They will have to consider international property rights (IPR) during the project so that there is an agreement amongst partners before the project has finished. An innovation development can come from any organisation that is innovative. Therefore Development of Innovation projects will rather involve specialist developers. Thus, these projects can be the vehicle for improving quality and for promoting innovation in vocational training. Both aims should be integrated in the proposal in such a way that tools, methods or concepts, and also concrete materials which are developed during the project can be used in, or adapted for, changing environments.

The principles for the implementation of Leonardo da Vinci Development of Innovation projects are given below:

• EU support is intended for the production of tangible materials, products, methods and approaches in the field of vocational training and guidance, and not for training activities as such
• Proposals must put the innovative dimension of the project in context and in relation to the needs of the target groups or the problem to be solved
• The development of innovation may apply equally to institutional contexts and to formal, informal or non-formal practices, as well to initiatives promoted at the local, regional or sectoral level
• Maximum benefit must be drawn at European level from the results by making use of the expertise and experience of the various European bodies and/or other qualified organisations active in this field
• In order to make best use of the results and obtain feedback enabling the product, material, approach or method to be adapted and transferred, valorisation (= dissemination and exploitation of results) must be an integral part of the project’s work programme
• In disseminating and exploiting the results of projects, the European dimension must be enhanced by making vocational training and guidance materials, products, methods and approaches available, where possible, in the languages of all partners.

The general call 2011 also covers the specific ECVET and EQAVET development projects which have been subject to individual calls in the previous years. Further to the strategic priorities for Development of Innovation projects in 2011 and the principles described above, the project proposals should address the following issues:

ECVET (European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training)

Projects should combine two types of activities, namely:

• 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) in the field of mobility and/or lifelong learning;
• actions in the field of ECVET, as set out in the technical specifications annexed to the Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council , in order to apply and implement it in concrete terms.

Applicants should give special attention to the scope of the project, both with regard to qualifications (or qualification systems) and the VET programme directly concerned by the project as well as with regard to the commitments and schedule to extend or generalise the project’s results.

Main expected results:

• methodology for the application of ECVET to qualifications, procedures and provisions (including regulatory provisions) in order to make qualifications  compliant with ECVET, qualification standards or lists of units of learning outcomes (with associated ECVET points);
• operational arrangements, procedures and tools for evaluation of learning outcomes, for the transfer of learning outcomes from one country to another or from one learning context to another, for the recognition of learning outcomes (including non-formal and informal validation of learning outcomes) and the award of qualifications.

EQAVET (European Quality Assurance in vocational education and training)

The applicant has to ensure that the new project coordinator, once selected, will be in contact with the current network for Quality assurance in VET and follow its latest works in order to maintain the coherence with actions undertaken at European level.

Special attention will be given to projects dealing with initial vocation education and training.