The Lifelong Learning Programme is the successor of the former versions of Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and e-Learning programmes.

The Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) seeks to reinforce and substantiate the contribution of education and training to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy goals - making the EU the most competitive knowledge-based economy, with sustainable economic development, more and better jobs, and greater social cohesion. It also aims to foster interaction, cooperation and mobility between education and training systems within the Community.

The areas highlighted as priorities for action in 2007 under the LLP are:

• Supporting implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme, especially by promoting coherence between all stages of lifelong education and training systems, starting from an early age.
• Strengthening the role of education and training both at European and national level not only to promote competitiveness but also sustainable economic growth and social cohesion in particular through continued development of peer learning activities and the European qualification framework.
• Reinforcing the role of universities in boosting competitiveness and facilitating access to knowledge for all by creating and disseminating knowledge and innovation, particularly through action focusing on system reform, strengthening management in higher education institutions and promoting excellence and equal opportunities.
• Improving the quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET) and promoting recognition of non-formal and informal learning.
• Improving the low levels of participation in adult learning in many Member States; these are an obstacle to employment and people’s capacity to adapt to rapidly changing working environments.
• The promotion of greater efficiency and equity in education and training systems, particularly high-quality provision for the disadvantaged and high-quality pre-school approaches.
• Improving the quality of education and training staff, in particular of teachers and trainers and to develop synergies between areas of education and vocational training on the one hand and culture on the other.

Moreover, priority will be given in parts of the programme to projects aiming at promoting intercultural dialogue in preparation of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 and, more generally, to exploring the interaction between education and culture.

LLP 2007 – 2013 Structure

The LLP is a framework programme built on four thematic sub-programmes and two supporting cross-cutting programmes. Grants and subsidies will be awarded to individuals and to projects under each of these to support the trans-national mobility of individuals, to promote bilateral and multilateral partnerships, and to improve quality in education and training institutions and systems.

The four sub-programmes are:

• Comenius
• Erasmus
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Grundtvig 

These four pillars are further supported by a ‘transversal programme’, which consists of four key activities:

1.      policy cooperation and innovation in lifelong learning;

2.      promotion of language learning;

3.      development of innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning;

4.      dissemination and exploitation of results of actions supported under the Lifelong Learning Programme and previous related programmes

Moreover, the LLP is further assisted by another programme – the new Jean Monnet programme, which supports university teaching and research in the field of European integration worldwide.

Eligible Countries

Applicants must be located in:

·         The EU-27

·         Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway

·         Turkey