Objective:

The purpose of the funding is to develop existing programs and services relating to professional training and continuing education through regional and needs-targeted projects as well as to establish new and creative programs and suitable parameters. An additional goal is to strengthen the resilience of vocational education, relying in particular on the digitalization of courses and methods to be able to react more adaptively to transforming labor market demands.

These current challenges to professional training should be considered particularly closely:

• Digitalization
• Environmental protection, climate protection and adaptation as well as resilient, low-carbon economic development
• Structural change
• Specific and individualized qualification needs, including business-focused or sector-specific measures for education preparation and support or for improving employment prospects for low-skilled workers
• Increased diversification of specialist potential and an education and labor market influenced by matters of gender equality
• Occupational educational and training capacities and conditions (esp. SMEs)
• Essential need for qualification on the part of the training/teaching staff (in conjunction with vocational education)
• Establishment of an uninterrupted dual course of education (potential for linking the dual education with continuing education/training for a direct transition from school to training to advanced vocational training/dual degree)

Project areas:

• Regional and needs-based projects for professional education and training (creation/development of programs and services relating to professional training and continuing education – individual projects in Professional Training)
• Procurement of additional practical qualifications (augmented expertise for trainees)
• Projects for future-oriented Professional Training (calls for projects in Professional Training from the SMWA)
• Scientific monitoring of the above-mentioned funding initiatives (notice of funding published by the SMWA)

Eligible expenditure:

The following expenses/costs are granted as a lump sum:

• Personnel expenses
• Travel and transportation allowance for participants
• Expense allowance for participants per day of attendance
• 20% residual costs (all other eligible expenses and costs) of the direct eligible personnel costs
• For expert opinions, studies, scientific support, coordination and all remaining projects, the residual costs amount to 40% of the direct eligible personnel costs

The own contribution amounts to at least 20% of the total eligible expenditure (depending on the relevance of the aid). Contributions in kind, municipal funds, federal funds and also private funds can be used to provide the own contribution. Furthermore, all income related to the purpose of the grant and generated during the implementation of the project can be used to cover the costs.

Recipients of the grant:

Eligible applicants are natural persons with entrepreneurial status and/or legal entities or associations of persons under private and public law that have their registered office or branch office in the Free State of Saxony.

Target groups:

The content of the projects must be aimed at the following persons:

• Employees
• trainees
• retrainees
• dual students
• working students
• Interns
• People close to the labor market or capable of training/young parents in direct transition to work or training
• Small and micro enterprises and medium-sized companies
• Entrepreneurs and the self-employed

Project-specific conditions:

• Participants must have their main place of residence or place of work or training in the Free State of Saxony
• Participating companies must have their registered office or branch in the Free State of Saxony
• A positive selection decision has been made by the SAB and the relevant regional network players

Proposals can be sent to Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB) for approval. The approval process involves multiple steps.

1. Formal review of project outline

Once the project outline is submitted (electronically), the SAB will begin its formal review.

2. Evaluation of the project outline’s technical content

Certain criteria are defined for the evaluation of the technical content (SAB form VD 60716). In addition to the SAB, regional specialists’ alliances are involved as jury members in the selection process according to location.

3. Invitation to submit a proposal or disapproval

An accelerated start of the measure at the applicant’s own risk is approved by the SAB in writing upon submission of the proposal. If the jury does not issue a positive selection decision, the project outline will be rejected.

The technical evaluation takes about six weeks between the steps.

Project outlines may be submitted to the SAB on a continual basis for the project areas “Individual projects for professional training” (“Einzelprojekte Berufliche Bildung”) and “Additional qualification” (“Zusatzqualifikation). Separate funding announcements will be issued by the SMWA for proposals in the project areas “Calls for projects for professional training” (“Projektaufrufe Berufliche Bildung”) and “Scientific oversight” (“Wissenschaftliche Begleitung”).

Proposals must be submitted via the EPC. Since the directive is new, a joint consultation with the EPC and the SAB in advance is strongly recommended.

• SAB Website "The Future of Professional Training
• Funding module "The Future of Professional Training"
• ESF Plus Directive on the Future of Professional Training
• Notification from the Vice-Rector Research 2/2023
• Presentation SMWA/SAB from 8. May 2024

*only in German available