What is the Education for Competitiveness Operational Programme?
The Education for Competitiveness Operational Programme (ECOP) is a multi-year thematic programme under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR (MEYS), within which it is possible to draw financial means from the European Social Fund (ESF), one of the structural funds of the European Union (EU), in the programming period 2007–2013.
What does the ECOP focus on?
The ECOP focuses on the area of the development of human resources through education in all its various forms with an emphasis on the comprehensive system of lifelong learning, creation of an appropriate environment for research, development and innovative activities and stimulation for cooperation among the entities involved.
What are the goals of the ECOP?
The global goal of the ECOP 2007–2013 is the development of an educated society for the purpose of strengthening the competitiveness of the CR through modernisation of the systems of initial, tertiary and further education, their incorporation into the complex system of lifelong learning and improvement of the conditions in research and development.
Some specific goals of the ECOP are ways which lead to the achievement of the global goal:
1. The development and improvement of initial education with an emphasis on improving the key competencies of graduates to raise their ability to enter the labour market and increase their motivation for further education.
2. Innovation in the area of tertiary education towards incorporation with the research and development activities, greater flexibility and creativity of graduates able to find a position in knowledge economics, making the conditions for research and development more attractive and forming complex and effective instruments that would support the innovation process as a whole.
3. The strengthening of the adaptability and flexibility of human resources as the fundamental factor in the ability of the economy to compete and in the sustainable development of the CR through the support of further education on both the supply and demand sides.
4. The creation of a modern, quality and effective system of lifelong learning through the development of a system of initial, tertiary and further education including the incorporation of these individual parts into the system of lifelong learning.
Which activities does the ECOP support?
An overview of the priority axes and areas of support:
Priority Axis No. 1: Initial Education
Areas of Support:
1.1 Increasing quality in education
1.2 Equal opportunities for children and pupils, including the children and pupils with special educational needs
1.3 Further Education for the employees of schools and school facilities
Priority Axis No. 2: Tertiary Education, Research and Development
Areas of Support:
2.1 Higher vocational education
2.2 Tertiary education
2.3 Human resources in research and development
2.4 Partnerships and networks
Priority Axis No. 3: Further Education
Areas of Support:
3.1 Individual further education
3.2 Support for the offer of further education
Priority Axis No. 4 (a, b): System Framework for Lifelong Learning (Convergence Goal, Regional Competitiveness and Employment Goal)
Areas of Support:
4.1 System framework for initial education
4.2 System framework for tertiary education and the development of human resources in research and development
4.3 System framework for further education
Priority Axis No. 5 (a, b): Technical Assistance (Convergence Goal, Regional Competitiveness and Employment Goal)
Areas of Support:
5.1 Management, control, monitoring and assessment of the programme
5.2 Awareness and publicity of the programme
5.3 Absorption capacity of the entities implementing the programme
Which kinds of projects does the ECOP distinguish between?
- Individual projects may be submitted within the calls announced by the MEYS for priority axes 1, 2, 3 and 4. National individual projects are implemented on the entire territory of the CR, whereas other individual projects have a regional or non-regional character. The amount of the support and length of the individual projects are set in the call.
- Grant projects may be submitted within global grants which are announced by the regions of the CR for priority axes 1 and 3. Grant projects are implemented on the territory of the relevant region. The amount of the support for a grant project submitted within a global grant is 400,000–25,000,000 CZK or according to the conditions of the call. The maximum length of a grant project presented within the global grant is 3 years.
Who can apply for support within the ECOP?
Receivers of support within the ECOP depending on the individual areas of support are:
- central organs of public administration (including the organisations directly managed by them)
- regions
- towns and villages
- schools and education facilities (including colleges of higher education and higher education institutions)
- school association consortium
- employers
- professional organisations of employers and employees, entrepreneurs
- professional union, employee, employer and field organisations
- organisations active in education and career consulting
- organisations active in the area of leisure time of children and youths
- institutions providing consulting for the area of further education
- science and research institutions
- development and innovation centres
- non-governmental not-for-profit organisations
- health-care facilities
How much money is allocated to the ECOP?
The total amount intended for financing the ECOP in the programme period 2007–2013 is 2,151.4 mil. € (i.e. ca 53.8 billion CZK at a rate of 25 CZK/€), of which EU (ESF) resources comprise 85 % (1,828.7 mil. €, i.e. ca 45.7 billion CZK at a rate of 25 CZK/€) and national resources from the state budget of the CR the remaining 15% of the overall allocation.
The degree of co-financing for individual and global projects reaches up to 100% of the eligible costs of the project (85 % from ESF resources and 15 % from the state budget of the CR).
Where can you find more information on the ECOP?
Information on the ECOP can be found on the website of the MEYS (www.msmt.cz) as
well as the websites of the regions of the CR, or on the central website of the ESF in the CR (www.esfcr.cz). Any further questions can be sent electronically to opvzdelavani@msmt
cz.
