Search
The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has opened the 9th Digital Europe Call for Advanced Digital Skills (DIGITAL-2026-SKILLS-09) to support projects that strengthen advanced digital skills across the EU and associated countries. The main focus is the creation of ELEVATE – the European League of Advanced Digital Skills Academies – a coordinated framework that connects existing EU initiatives in AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum, Virtual Worlds and Semiconductors, and reduces fragmentation across the digital skills ecosystem.
The call targets universities, training providers, research institutes, public administrations, industry partners, HR organisations and NGOs. Projects should establish a governance model, develop certification and micro-credentials frameworks, build mentoring and alumni networks, conduct labour-market analysis and implement a communication and knowledge-sharing strategy through the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform.
With a budget of EUR 7.2 million, each project can be funded at 100% for up to 48 months, with consortia requiring at least three organisations from three eligible countries. The call is open until 3 March 2026.
The Western Balkans are eligible to participate in this call because several of them are formally associated with the Digital Europe Programme, giving them the same rights to apply as EU Member States. Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina all have agreements in place that allow their organisations to join or lead proposals under Digital Europe funding schemes, including actions supporting generative AI development. As a result, research institutions, SMEs, start-ups and other qualified organisations across the region can access European high-performance computing resources and contribute to large-scale AI innovation projects, provided they meet the call’s technical and administrative requirements.
More info can be found here: https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/opportunities/funding/elevate-european-league-advanced-digital-skills-academies-digital-2026-skills