The EIT is welcoming applications from Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) for Degree Programmes (Masters, Doctoral), Non-Degree education and Fellowship schemes to be awarded the EIT Label.
One of the EIT’s unique features is to integrate entrepreneurial education into the Europe’s innovation ecosystem. The EIT champions education and training activities that have strong entrepreneurship components in order to train the next generation of talents and learners.
Its Degree Programmes at Master’s and PhD levels combine technical and business courses and equip students with creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship skills. The EIT Label model as a certificate of quality is only awarded to excellent educational programmes that focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and leadership and are based on the knowledge triangle paradigm – the integration of business, education and research.
The EIT Fellowships are KIC-specific schemes that equip learners with a similar experience and learning outcomes as the EIT-Labelled Degree Programmes while enabling individual learning pathways including recognition of prior learning. In practice, EIT Fellowships are focused on schemes of shorter duration than Degree Programmes. The Fellowship may include inter-sectoral and cross-organisational mobility and/or an opportunity to attend an EIT Labelled Summer/ Winter School which focus on solving societal challenges on the KIC thematic area and developing and putting ideas into action through entrepreneurial competencies.
In addition to Degree and Fellowship Programmes, EIT’s education and training offer comprises a rich portfolio of professional (non-degree) education, based on partnerships between universities and other education providers, companies, public bodies, NGOs, and research centres that collaborate closely to offer leading-edge hands-on education and training in innovation and entrepreneurship.
The information below outlines the main characteristics of the process for preparation, submission, evaluation, and selection of proposals in response to the 2023 assessment call launched by the EIT for awarding the EIT Label to all three segments.
The call is open from 11/05/2024 (TBD), 17.15 (CET) to:
07/07/2024, 23.45 – CET (only for new applications and for renewal of the EIT Label)
02/09/2024, 23.45 – CET (only for programs with provisional EIT Label award)
The basis for awarding the EIT Label
All submitted applications shall comply with the provisions and requirements set by the EIT Label Handbooks and the QALE system:
- EIT Label Handbook for Degree Programmes
- EIT Label Handbook for Fellowship schemes
- EIT Label Handbook for Non-Degree Education
The EIT Quality Indicators and Quality Requirements (EIT QALE System)
The EIT QALE system is based on a set of quality indicators (Qi1-Qi4), divided into different assessment fields, that – with minor adaptations – apply to all Programme types.
- Only two indicators – Qi1 and Qi2 – are used for the labelling of new programmes
- The first quality indicator (Qi1) addresses a number of compulsory requirements on a yes/no basis whereas the quality indicator Qi2 is evaluated on a four-grade scale
The transition of the existing degree (Masters/Doctoral) programmes due for relabelling to the new model
All existing EIT Label Degree Programmes at Master’s and Doctoral level (awarded the EIT Label before 2021 which have limited duration) are required to submit the application to receive the new Label upon the expiry of the existing award as follows:
- Standard full application as laid down in the new EIT Label Handbook, following the templates for Quality indicator 1 – Compulsory requirements and Quality indicator 2 – Qualitative requirements.
- Report on past performance following the transition templates Oi3 (the results) and Qi4 (stakeholder experiences) – for links see below.
Please note, that if the programmes due for relabelling have less than 30 graduates four months prior to the deadline for submitting the application, they shall submit in this round only Qi1 and Qi2 (according to the new model) and the transition templates Qi3 and Qi4 in the following year or in the year when they reach 30 graduates.
Submission of applications: general rules
Registrations and proposals can be submitted through the designated Innovation Community’s Single Point of contact (S.P.O.C.).
1. It is suggested to applicants to register the intention to submit a proposal and contact Innovation Community staff prior to submitting their application, to receive further advice.
2. Each application must be submitted online, and a link will be provided at a later stage by the EIT to the designated SPOC via email.
3. Each application must consists of:
- applicant details
- a fact sheet for communication purposes
- contextual information
- a self-assessment report of the programme, prepared in line with the requirements stipulated in the Handbook
- a list of attachments for supporting evidence
- the attachments which document fulfilment of particular requirements
4. Frontpage page with applicant details shall include: (a) the title of the programme (b) the name of the KIC, (c) administrative information i.e. identification of the submitting partner (leading HEI) and the names of the partner HEIs, and other partner organisations, each followed by the country code and a link to the website, and (d) contact details of the applicant.