Deadline: January 30, 2026
Applications are open for the UNESCO-UNEVOC Global Awards for Innovation in TVET 2026. UNESCO-UNEVOC is launching the Global Awards for Innovation in TVET to celebrate outstanding initiatives that are reimagining how technical and vocational education and training empowers individuals, societies and economies.
The Awards are coordinated by the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) as part of the initiative “Towards a global TVET agenda”.
The Global Awards for Innovation in TVET aim to:
- Enhance quality and innovation by recognizing exemplary TVET institutions and initiatives.
- Increase global awareness of TVET’s contribution, elevating the profile of TVET.
- Strengthen partnerships by fostering deeper engagement across the global TVET community.
- Promote knowledge sharing by facilitating the dissemination of best practices.
- Improve equity and inclusion by spotlighting efforts that address the needs of marginalized groups.
- Support lifelong learning by emphasizing programmes that foster lifelong and adult education.
Categories
- Innovative Use of technology: Pioneering solutions (digital, pedagogic or systemic) that prepare learners for rapidly changing job markets and societies
- Inclusive Excellence in TVET: Initiatives that enhance opportunities for marginalized groups and promote gender, social and economic inclusion in TVET
- Green and Sustainable TVET: Programmes that embed sustainability, climate action and green skills
- Resourceful Innovation: Impactful TVET solutions that are successful despite financial, infrastructural or contextual constraints
Prizes
Award winners will receive:
- Trophy and certificate
- Invitations to UNESCO-UNEVOC events to present the initiative or practice
- Publication in UNESCO-UNEVOC’s database of innovative and promising practices in TVET
- Opportunities for global visibility and dissemination of their practice
- Support for scaling up and replicating the initiative (subject to availability of funds)
Eligibility
- Open to training providers and research institutes.
- Eligible candidates include self-nominated institutions and those nominated by ministries or national TVET bodies.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation framework emphasizes fairness, inclusivity and contextual relevance — recognizing excellence across diverse resource settings.
Key criteria:
- Innovation and originality: assesses the creativity and uniqueness of the approach.
- Impact and results: measures qualitative and quantitative improvements in TVET outcomes relative to local and regional challenges.
- Sustainability, scalability and replicability: evaluates the potential for long-term and broader application in the same country and in other countries.
- Multistakeholder engagement: focuses on the participation of key stakeholders, including local and community groups, in the planning, decision-making and implementation process.
- Resourcefulness: recognizes achievements accomplished under financial, infrastructure or other resource constraints.
- Relevance and responsiveness: assesses how well the initiative addresses identified skills gaps, labour market needs and the lived realities of learners.
Application
For more information, visit Global Awards for Innovation in TVET.