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There are many ways the European Union supports collaboration with non-EU Countries, the most known is its external action and its central pillar, the Development cooperation. 

The European Union, with its Member States, is the most significant global donor for development, but there are other funding that the European Commission promotes to support and create connections with non-EU Countries.

For instance, the EU Commission allows non-EU Countries to participate in some programmes and calls as eligible partners. This is a possibility to create networking and collaboration with Countries outside Europe in critical fields like research, innovation and education.

Another interesting example is the Capacity building projects in the framework of the Erasmus Plus programme.

Such actions support international cooperation between EU and no-EU actors involving 11 different Regions in the world (Western Balkans, Neighbourhood East, South-Mediterranean, Russian Federation, Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Caribbean).

These projects aim to foster those countries’ growth and development, thanks to an exchange of practices, boosting modernisation and socio-economic recovery and growth. 

Such projects focus mainly on developing critical skills in third countries, like green, digital, soft, and active citizenship skills, to build specific expertise in areas such as democracy, human rights and multilateralism.

They are relevant for developing skills as they offer an opportunity for professionals to enhance their knowledge, expertise, and competencies while promoting innovation, intercultural learning, and lifelong learning. They can also be a powerful tool for addressing skills gaps and promoting social inclusion.

Capacity-building projects impact at least four different fields:

-Higher education with a focus on boosting the quality, modernisation and responsiveness of higher education in third countries;

-Sport as a vehicle to promote values as well as an educational tool to promote the personal and social development of individuals and build more cohesive communities;

-VET (vocational and educational training) with a focus on increasing the capacity of VET providers, especially in the fields of management, governance, inclusion, quality assurance, and innovation;

-Youth to support the international cooperation and policy dialogue in youth and non-formal learning.

According to the different fields, such projects may involve different types of organisations and pursue different specific objectives, but with a precise common scope and vision: foster cooperation across different regions of the world while increasing the capacity and skills of participating organisations.
Capacity-building projects usually have an annual deadline. 

In the first quarter of 2024, we expect the next one.  

Written by: Cristina Ceccarelli