The European Commission has announced the results of the competitive 2026 Erasmus+ European Universities call for proposals, awarding €7.2 million to the EU GREEN Alliance to support the next phase of its development between 2026 and 2028. The decision represents a strong endorsement of the Alliance’s vision and recognises the progress achieved since its creation in 2023, positioning EU GREEN among the European University Alliances selected to continue driving the transformation of higher education across Europe.
More than a continuation of an existing project, this new investment reflects the European Commission’s confidence in a mature alliance that has successfully demonstrated its capacity to connect universities, territories and people around a shared vision of sustainability, innovation and European cooperation.
Since its launch, EU GREEN has been guided by a clear ambition: to create a new model of European higher education rooted in sustainability and committed to serving both its students and its regions. Bringing together nine universities across Europe, the Alliance has worked to strengthen cooperation in education, research, innovation and regional engagement, while promoting sustainability in its environmental, social, economic and cultural dimensions.
During its first four years, EU GREEN laid the foundations of a shared European university ecosystem. The Alliance established common governance structures, expanded student and staff mobility through Erasmus+ exchanges and Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), created the EU GREEN Student Council to strengthen student participation in governance, and fostered collaborative research, challenge-based learning, entrepreneurship and joint academic initiatives across the nine partner universities.
The next phase represents an important evolution: moving from building collaborative structures towards embedding them permanently within the institutions themselves. The Alliance will consolidate a truly interconnected European inter-university campus by expanding joint educational programmes, lifelong learning opportunities, micro-credentials and flexible mobility pathways, while strengthening research collaboration, digital infrastructures and cooperation with regional innovation ecosystems. This new stage will transform successful pilot initiatives into long-term institutional practices, ensuring that collaboration becomes an integral part of university life.
Raquel Pérez-Aloe Valverde, General Manager of the EU GREEN Alliance, welcomed today’s announcement:
“This is an important milestone for EU GREEN. It reflects the trust placed in our Alliance and motivates us to continue transforming collaboration into lasting opportunities for our university communities and the regions we serve.”
Today’s announcement confirms the European Commission’s confidence in EU GREEN’s long-term vision: a European University Alliance capable of combining academic excellence, sustainability and regional transformation. As the Alliance enters this new chapter, it will continue working to educate future generations of European citizens, strengthen collaboration across borders and contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient Europe.
