Topic updates

18 December 2025
Call presentations for potential applicants available

Potential applicans are invited to consult the 2 powerpoint presentations that are available on this page of the EACEA website: CBHE Info Sessions for the 2026 Erasmus+ Call for proposals - European Education and Culture Executive Agency

https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/cbhe-info-sessions-2026-erasmus-call-proposals-2025-12-18_en

The 1st presentation summarises the novelties of the 2026 CBHE call.
The 2nd presentation provides guidance on how to prepare/submit an application.
Potential applicants are reminded to always refer to the final call conditions presented in the call document (Programme Guide).

05 December 2025
The topic names under the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) 2026 call have been updated.

Regional labels previously shown as plain region names (e.g., “Western Balkans,” “Latin America”) now follow a standardised nomenclature using REGION codes (e.g., CBHE-REGION-1, CBHE-REGION-10).

This is an administrative update only; eligibility rules and call content remain unchanged.

Central Asia

TOPIC ID: ERASMUS-EDU-2026-CBHE-REGION-6

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme:

Call: Capacity Building in Higher Education (ERASMUS-EDU-2026-CBHE)

Type of action: ERASMUS-LS ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants

Type of MGA: ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant [ERASMUS-AG-LS]

Status: Forthcoming

Deadline model: single-stage

Planned Opening Date: 04 December 2025

Deadline dates: 10 February 2026 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

Objective:

CBHE funds international higher-education partnerships that strengthen universities and systems in eligible third countries not associated to the Programme. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, it supports quality, modernisation, and responsiveness in higher education to address socio-economic recovery and global challenges. The action is expected to contribute to the overarching priorities pre-defined by the European Commission.

It also contributes to broader EU external policy goals, including Global Gateway initiatives and the Pact for the Mediterranean.

For more information, please consult the call document (Programme Guide).

For Region 6, the indicative 2026 CBHE budget (in EURO) and the indicative number of projects to be funded are defined below.

Please also note that there is a flexibility of transferring budgets between the Strands.

Scope:

The action is structured in regions and strands.

In Region 6 – Central Asia, the below overarching priorities apply. For Strands 1 and 2, the applicable priorities are further detailed in the regional context as follows:

• Green Deal: One of the objectives of the EU in the Region is to accelerate the transition towards a green and circular economy, as Central Asia has a great potential for green energy. Projects should thus accelerate the transition towards a green and circular economy and tackle trans-regional environmental challenges through accompanying links with the private sector as well as enhanced study and educational capacities.
• Digital transformation: The EU’s Central Asia strategy - re-affirmed in the 2025 EU-Central Asia Summit - is built around cooperation on digital connections, transport, energy and people-to-people contacts. Projects should focus on improving the digital economy and digital infrastructure for skills development and job creation.
• Sustainable growth and jobs: The development of skills will be key to Central Asia’s competitiveness and social cohesion. Projects should promote knowledge-based economies and enhance synergies between education systems and the labour market, and should be linked with promoting digital literacy and skills.

For those proposals that also refer to an Erasmus+ Global Gateway relevant priority, applicants should select the ‘Global Gateway’ fixed keyword in the relevant field, alongside any other fixed keyword options relevant to their proposal.

For Strand 3 and given the nature of the strand, which aims at supporting structural reforms in the third countries not associated to the Programme, proposals must address the needs of higher education in the country(ies) concerned at large. In this Region, Strand 3 proposals must be aligned with the Erasmus+ Global Gateway-related priorities defined at country (or cluster of countries) level - see hyperlink below.

These priorities are available under the corresponding table of the following link: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/erasmus-global-gateway-priorities_en

Applicants submitting proposals in this Strand under Region 6 – Central Asia should propose academic capacity building aspects that well align with the Global Gateway investment priorities and projects for the country/region concerned. This requirement is essential and will be carefully evaluated as part of the Relevance award criterion.

In addition, each applicant will need to identify in Part A of the application form one of the overarching priorities, which are defined by the European Commission and reflected in the Programme Guide. This is compulsory. Please note multiple priorities cannot be selected.

Beyond the applicable overarching priorities of Erasmus+ and Global Gateway-related priorities, and in order to respond to the various challenges in the third countries not associated to the Programme, the CBHE action in Region 6 is composed of three specific strands:

Strand 1: Fostering access to cooperation in higher education

This Strand is designed to attract less experienced HEIs and small-scale actors to the CBHE action to facilitate access to newcomer organisations, through small-scale projects and primarily focusing on the following areas within third countries not associated with the Programme:

• HEIs from least developed third countries not associated to the Programme
• HEIs located in remote regions/areas of third countries not associated to the Programme
• Newcomers or less experienced HEIs and Faculties from third countries not associated to the Programme
• Students and staff with fewer opportunities.

The proposed activities and project results under any of these areas should have a clear added value for the targeted beneficiaries. A non-exhaustive list of possible activities is provided below:

Activities aiming at enhancing the management/administrative capacity of the targeted HEIs, such as:

• reforming and modernising the university governance, including the enhancement of services in particular for the benefit of students (student guidance, counselling and job orientation etc.);
• establishing or strengthening international relations offices and elaborating internationalisation strategies;
• establishing new or developing existing quality assurance units and processes/strategy within HEIs;
• creating or increasing the capacity of planning and evaluation units;
• enhancing mechanisms for communication and dissemination of results from international cooperation projects;
• building capacities to support students and staff mobility activities.

Activities aiming at ensuring high quality and relevant education,such as:

• modules or study programmes, technical or professional orientations of programmes;
• establishing intensive study programmes bringing together students and teaching staff from participating HEIs for shorter study periods;
• developing capacities for postgraduate students and academic staff as well as promoting their mobility;
• implementing training courses for HEI academic staff;
• creating synergies and strengthening the links with the business sector and with private or public organisations active in the labour market and in the fields of education, training and youth;
• developing or strengthening relevant study programmes that align with the Global Gateway strategy and which inform the country and/or regional priorities.

Activities aiming at increasing the accessibility of the students/staff with fewer opportunities,such as:

• developing remote and inclusive learning pathways and opportunities by relying on digital technology and e-learning for vulnerable students;
• updating the digital technology to develop specific services aiming at ensuring equal and fair learning opportunities to students with disabilities;
• promoting initiatives aiming at positive discrimination by empowering women and ethnic/religious minorities;
• developing initiatives addressing and reducing barriers faced by disadvantaged groups in accessing learning opportunities;
• contributing to creating inclusive environments that foster equity and equality, and that are responsive to the needs of the wider community.

Strand 2: Partnerships for transformation in higher education

This Strand shall introduce new approaches and initiatives in higher education having a significant and long-term impact on the targeted HEIs beyond the projects' lifetime and as such benefit society as a whole. Projects should pursue:

• Innovation in higher education and
• Reform in HEIs.

The proposed activities and project results under any of these areas should have a clear added value for the targeted beneficiaries. A non-exhaustive list of possible activities is provided below:

• development, testing and adaptation of innovative curricula in terms of content [key competences and transversal skills, (entrepreneurship, problem-solving, green jobs etc.)], structure (modular, joint…) and teaching/learning methods [including the use of open and flexible learning, virtual mobility, open educational resources, blended learning, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), etc.];
• development, testing and implementation of new learning methods, tools and materials (like new multidisciplinary curricula, learner-centred and real problem-based teaching and learning) through practical training and placements of students;
• introduction of Bologna-type reforms (three-level cycle system, transparency tools such as credit systems and Diploma Supplement, quality assurance, evaluation, National/Regional Qualification Frameworks, recognition of prior and non-formal learning, etc.) at institutional level;
• introducing practical training schemes, internships and study of real-life cases in business and industry, which are fully embedded in the curriculum, recognised and credited;
• introducing dual learning systems bridging tertiary studies with upper secondary VET as a means to boost the employability of graduates;
• development of solutions for challenging issues, product and process innovation (students, professors and practitioners together);
• development and testing solutions to pressing social demands not addressed by the market and directed towards vulnerable groups in society; addressing societal challenges or relating to changes in attitudes and values, strategies and policies, organisational structures and processes, delivery systems and services;
• support the creation of centres, incubators for innovation, technology transfer and business start-ups, and the integration of education, research and innovation at institutional/regional/national level;
• development and testing of continuous education programmes and activities with and within enterprises;
• set-ups to trial and test innovative measures; exchanges of students, researchers, teaching staff and enterprise staff for a limited period; providing incentives for involvement of enterprise staff into teaching and research;
• reform of governance and management systems and structures at institutional level (incl. quality assurance methods and systems, financial management and HEI autonomy, international relations, student services and counselling, career guidance, academic and research boards, etc.);
• development of strategies and tools for the internationalisation of HEIs (international openness of curricula, interinstitutional mobility schemes), and their capacity to network effectively in research, scientific and technological innovation (scientific cooperation and knowledge transfer, etc.);
• development, adaptation and delivery of tools and methods for the upskilling, evaluation/assessment, professionalisation and professional development of academic and administrative staff, for the initial training of teachers and continuous career development;
• developing or strengthening relevant study programmes, new training schemes and learning methods that align with the Global Gateway strategy and which inform the country and/or regional priorities

Strand 3: Structural reform projects

This Strand shall support efforts in third countries not associated to the Programme to develop coherent, inclusive and sustainable systems of higher education to meet their socio-economic needs and broad ambition to create a knowledge-driven economy, including in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), through Structural Reform projects that involve the competent National Authorities (notably Ministries of Education) of third countries not associated to the Programme as well as HEIs, research institutions and other relevant authorities/bodies and stakeholders.

For additional guidance and complete information on the CBHE call, applicants are invited to consult the Call document (Programme guide).

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The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

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