Beyond the Bubble: VET, AI & the Future of EU Funding

The EVBB Policy Camp is the annual convening for European VET leaders, funded project practitioners, policymakers, and institutional partners who want to move beyond conference rhetoric and into real engagement with EU policy and funding realities.

This year's edition arrives at a defining moment. The new Multiannual Financial Framework is being finalised, artificial intelligence has entered the project development process at every level, and the VET sector faces growing expectations with growing complexity. Beyond the Bubble is designed to cut through the noise, by bringing participants into direct contact with the institutions, the data, and the people shaping the next funding cycle.

Over the policy camp duration, participants will engage with expert speakers and structured ecosystem networking; spend a full day at CEDEFOP working with VET policy from the institutional level; visit Greek VET schools to see innovative practice firsthand; and connect with peers at a welcome reception on the Thessaloniki waterfront.

Participation fee*:
€150 early bird until 18 May 2026
€200 standard rate from 19 May 2026
*Participants are encouraged to use Erasmus+ mobility funds to support travel costs.

Places are limited. Register now to secure your spot.

• Get inside the EU funding negotiation, not just the summary!
  EVBB sits at the table in Brussels. At this policy camp, our Secretary General shares what is actually being discussed in the Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations: the priorities, the trade-offs, and what they mean for VET organisations planning their next project portfolio. This is not a Brussels briefing from a distance.

• Learn how the best proposals are written and how evaluators read them
  Two sessions, two perspectives. In the morning, practitioners share how they are using AI in proposal development in 2026:  what works, what the Commission now requires you to declare, and what experts recommend. In the afternoon, a senior EU project evaluator gives you the other side: what a proposal looks like from the evaluation panel, and how AI-assisted applications are being assessed.

• A full day with CEDEFOP
  One day of the programme takes place at CEDEFOP, the EU Agency for Vocational Education and Training. Working directly with CEDEFOP’s teams, participants will engage with the institution’s current research priorities, explore how European VET policy is built from the ground up, and discuss how institutional direction translates into opportunity for VET providers and project developers. Full programme details for this day will be published shortly.

• ETF and the new strategic partnership framework
  The European Training Foundation will present the Strategic Partnership Agreement and what it means for VET organisations seeking to engage in international cooperation and COVE-linked activities. This session is directly relevant for organisations active in or planning COVE partnerships.

• Structured ecosystem networking, not just coffee breaks!
  The afternoon of Day 1 is structured as facilitated networking by sector: Tourism & Food, Construction & Land, Digital & Tech, Maritime, Society & Global Skills. Participants are grouped by their field, facilitators run a structured exchange, and the B2match platform lets you book bilateral meetings with the people you want to meet before, during, and after the event.

• VET schools study visits in Thessaloniki
  One day is dedicated to visits to both public and private VET schools in the Thessaloniki region, including schools at EQF Level 4. See how Greek VET institutions are operating, meet teaching teams, and draw comparisons across systems.

• 150 participants maximum: quality over scale
  The policy camp is deliberately capped at 150 participants. The format is designed for real exchange, not passive attendance. Most participants come with active EU projects or proposals in development,  the room is full of peers who share your challenges.

Key Topics addressed:

• New MFF and EU funding priorities

• AI in project writing from both practitioner and evaluator perspectives

• CEDEFOP and ETF strategic partnerships

• Sector-based ecosystem networking

• COVE opportunities

• VET school study visits