EAEA Grundtvig Award 2025

Every year, EAEA seeks out adult learning and education (ALE) projects that stand out for their innovation and excellence. The EAEA Grundtvig Award will highlight these projects in 2025, under the theme of “Flexible Learning Pathways in Adult Learning and Education.”

Share your innovative adult learning projects for the 2025 Grundtvig Award! This year’s theme is all about flexibility in the learning pathways. Since adults have different backgrounds, needs, and expectations, learning must be flexible and diverse. Adult learning thrives on variety, and we want to celebrate creative approaches that push the boundaries. Submit your project and inspire us with your ideas—we’re excited to learn from you!

We invite projects, initiatives and organisations that resonate with this theme to step forward. This is an opportunity to showcase initiatives that are not just about adult learning, but about how ALE can be made more inviting, inclusive, and generally flexible to society’s diverse needs.

Main aims

We are looking for projects that:

  • Increase the flexibility of the educational offer, helping to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in ALE – for example through flexible financing, grants, blended or self-paced learning.
  • Support blended learning opportunities, modular learning and other flexible learning structures.
    Show readiness to adjust to individuals’ and groups’ needs and demands during the learning process
  • Encourage adult learners to take ownership over their learning process through determining the time, space and pace of their learning.
  • Assure high transferability of learning outcomes in ALE, through alignment with quality assurance procedures such as the European or National Qualifications Framework
  • Support key EU initiatives in terms of Flexible Learning Pathways, such as Individual Learning Accounts and micro-credentials.

Why participate?

All participants gain:

  • Certificate of attendance
  • Appearance in the EAEA Grundtvig Award publication, which will be distributed on EAEA’s website, newsletter and social media channels (applicants filling the application criteria)

Winners gain:

  • International visibility for the project on EAEA’s communication channels
  • A unique and tangible award
  • An exclusive invitation to the EAEA General Assembly 2025 and the Award Ceremony
  • A prominent feature in the EAEA Grundtvig Award publication
  • Appearance in EAEA’s media release, amplifying the project’s impact on an international scale

How to participate?

Categories:

You may apply under either of the categories below. 

  • Local, Regional, or National
    Projects, initiatives, or partnerships delivered on a local, regional, or national scale that have demonstrated strong and innovative approaches supporting flexible learning pathways
  • Transnational
    Projects, initiatives, or partnerships carried out transnationally that have successfully demonstrated strong and innovative approaches supporting flexible learning pathways

Eligibility

Projects, initiatives, or partnerships can but need not be supported by the European Commission.

The initiative, programme or partnership should be up and running for at least 3 months at the time of application. It must present evidence of outputs such as a reports, website, or any other form of verification.

We also accept finished projects, but they should have ended within two years of the Grundtvig Award ceremony (June 2025).

Projects, initiatives or partnerships can cover any relevant topic in adult education.

Criteria

The applications will be checked against the following criteria:

  • Outstanding creativity and innovation
  • Transferability of the project and its outcomes to other regions and contexts
  • Plans and capacity to upscale (where relevant)
  • Excellence in project presentation in terms of writing, summarising, and supporting with visuals
  • Effectiveness of the project in reaching outcomes
  • Demonstration of positive impact on learners and communities
  • Presentation of testimonials from learners or trainers

What do we expect?

Please fill in the application form below with the following information:

  • A description of the project/initiative, including objectives, outcomes, and a breakdown of project facets.
  • Explanation of impact, tracking success, benefits to target groups, transferability to other providers/regions, and lessons learned.
  • Plans to continue, upscale, or improve in the future.

How to apply?

You may submit a description of your project, initiative, or partnership in English. Entries must be received by filling in an application form for the Grundtvig Award up until 31 March 2025. It is possible to send attachments (maximum file size 20 M) with the form.

For inquiries, contact ivan.tsapiuk (at) eaea.org.