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EUROPEAN EDTECH POLICY MAP

5.1. Opportunities for learning and (knowledge) exchange among stakeholders

5.1.2 Strengthen and fund collaboration through EdTech support organisations (e.g. associations, fellowships)

Summary of suggested actions

Strengthen existing EdTech support organisations to foster trust, co-creation, and collaboration among educators, developers, investors, and policymakers, ensuring they can act as neutral and sustainable facilitators of innovation within the education ecosystem.

Description

Independent EdTech support organisations, such as national or European EdTech alliances, incubators, accelerators, and fellowship programmes, are essential to developing a coherent and collaborative EdTech ecosystem. These intermediaries build bridges between research, policy, and market actors, helping to establish trust, co-creation, and evidence-informed development. They provide a neutral space where educators and developers can engage on equal terms, investors can access contextualised knowledge, and policymakers can receive grounded feedback on regulatory and funding priorities.
Currently, many of these organisations operate on short-term project or voluntary membership funding, which constrains their capacity to coordinate long-term cooperation, host neutral knowledge-exchange fora, or contribute to policy dialogue. Sustainable and transparent funding structures are needed to enable them to act as enduring intermediaries and “knowledge brokers” for the digital education ecosystem.
By supporting these organisations through predictable funding streams, formal recognition, and integration into European and national digital education strategies,  Europe can create a resilient layer of trusted intermediaries. These would ensure that EdTech development and implementation are inclusive, pedagogically aligned, and compliant with European values and standards

Major enabling factors

  • Political recognition of EdTech support organisations as legitimate ecosystem actors, integrated into European and national policy frameworks (e.g. under the Digital Education Action Plan or European Innovation Council mechanisms).

  • Established national and European networks such as the European EdTech Alliance (EEA), or other national contact points, which already facilitate dialogue and cross-border collaboration.

  • Rising demand for trusted intermediaries to mediate between governments and market actors amid increasing scrutiny under the AI Act and Data Governance Act.

  • Proven value of fellowship and accelerator programmes (e.g. EEA Female EdTech Fellowship, Emerge Education, HolonIQ accelerators) in fostering leadership, cross-sector learning, and shared standards.

  • EU programmes encouraging cooperation — Horizon Europe’s Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) and Erasmus+ Policy Experimentation projects provide funding templates for cross-sector initiatives.

Major roadblocks

  • Fragmented and unstable funding models: Many alliances rely on membership fees and limited project grants, leaving them vulnerable to fluctuations in participation and policy focus.

  • Lack of formal recognition in funding calls: EdTech associations are often ineligible or insufficiently recognised under research or SME-funding categories.

  • Perceived conflicts of interest: Without clear governance models, some organisations are viewed as industry representatives rather than neutral facilitators.

  • Geographical imbalance: Western and Northern Europe host most mature associations; Central and Eastern Europe lack institutional support for similar structures.

  • Short-term policy cycles that limit investment in long-term relationship-building or trust-based co-creation.

Suggested actions:
Defining EdTech and consistently including definitions

WHO (Potential actors)

European Commission; National ministries of education, economics, and digitalisation; National innovation agencies and funding bodies

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WHAT (Goal of suggested activities)

Create a co-funded, multi-annual programme that supports EdTech associations, incubators, accelerators, testing environments, and other support organisations in providing long-term ecosystem services that contribute to increasing trust between stakeholder groups

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HOW (Suggested activities)

  • Introduce a dedicated funding stream under existing education or innovation programmes (e.g. Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe).

  • Require funded organisations to demonstrate cross-sector collaboration (e.g. partnerships between educators, EdTech companies, and research institutions).

  • Embed structured educator participation within EdTech support organisations’ activities (e.g. advisory panels, innovation fellowships, pilot projects)

Existing steps in the right direction
European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP)

The ECCP represents a multi-level, co-funding model and supports over 1,000 industry clusters across Europe in sectors such as manufacturing, clean tech, and health. It operates as part of the EU’s Single Market Programme and co-funds national or regional cluster initiatives through public-private partnerships. Each cluster typically combines public seed funding (Ministry or regional authority), membership fees, and project-based EU top-ups (Horizon Europe or COSME).
This model demonstrates how ecosystem organisations can receive recurring EU support through a “meta-platform” that certifies quality, facilitates cross-border collaboration, and measures impact.

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Specific support required to achieve the Goal: 

A similar mechanism could fund national EdTech alliances through a European umbrella (e.g. via EEA), ensuring long-term continuity and recognition as part of the EU’s innovation ecosystem.

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)

EIT KICs provide long-term blended financing (e.g. EIT Digital, EIT Health, EIT Raw Materials) and bring together academia, business, and government to foster innovation through seven- to fifteen-year funding cycles. They combine EIT grants (up to 25%) with mandatory co-funding from members and project partners, ensuring gradual financial independence.
KICs institutionalise collaboration between education, research, and industry through structured governance and clear performance metrics

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Specific support required to achieve the Goal: 

A “KIC-style” EdTech support community could coordinate EU and national funding for alliances, incubators, and fellowships with a progressive sustainability requirement, ensuring both stability and accountability.

Creative Europe

Creative Europe funds European networks and platforms in the creative industries (e.g. literature, design, film, and media education) for multi-annual periods (up to four years). Networks like EDN – European Dance Network or Media Desks receive operating grants covering coordination, communication, and knowledge exchange activities rather than only project delivery.


This programme demonstrates how EU-level operating support, distinct from project grants, can sustain sector-specific networks that facilitate dialogue, professionalisation, and cross-border learning.

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Specific support required to achieve the Goal: 

Introduce an equivalent operating grant line for digital education and EdTech support organisations under Digital Europe or Erasmus+, to provide recurrent funding for coordination, mapping, and training activities.

Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)

EEN is a vast network supporting SMEs’ internationalisation, co-financed by the European Commission (Single Market Programme) and national host organisations such as chambers of commerce, innovation agencies, and universities. Funding is typically 60% EU contribution, 40% national or institutional co-funding, ensuring shared ownership and local engagement. EEN provides a practical precedent for sustainable financing of intermediary networks, balancing EU-level strategic direction with national relevance.

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Specific support required to achieve the Goal: 

A similar co-financing mechanism could be applied to national EdTech clusters or alliances, where each Member State co-funds a local node of a European EdTech Network that provides SMEs and schools with coordinated support, resources, and evidence-based advice.

European Network of Innovation Hubs / Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)

Funded under the Digital Europe Programme, EDIHs act as regional innovation intermediaries offering testing, training, and matchmaking services for SMEs and public administrations. Each hub is co-funded by the European Commission, national ministries, and private contributions, ensuring regional autonomy and alignment with European goals.
The EDIH model has already been replicated in adjacent domains such as AI, cybersecurity, and manufacturing. Its co-financing structure and open-access mandate provide a robust template for scaling EdTech Innovation and Test Hubs.

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Specific support required to achieve the Goal: 

Adopt a EDIH-like approach for EdTech support hubs, allowing associations, living labs, or fellowships to operate as accredited intermediaries under Digital Europe, with partial EU co-funding tied to performance and inclusivity criteria.

Public sector supported alliance initiatives

In some countries, EdTech associations are either fully publicly funded or operate with a mixed funding model that combines membership fees and public sector support.

  • EdTech Austria is fully publicly funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (including its Salzburg branch), and the state government of Salzburg. The initiative supports Austrian entrepreneurs in developing innovative educational technologies, helps EdTech organisations create, test, and validate new educational ideas, and represents Austria’s EdTech sector at the European level.

  • Etkim in Turkey is funded by the World Bank as well as the Turkish Ministry of Education and it is developing a national EdTech hub and cluster model. 

  • EdTech Poland is funded by its 14 member organisations and a small number of sponsors. It sometimes receives financial support from the Polish government (Polish Investment and Trade Agency) to participate in international events (e.g. BETT Asia) and the organisation of EdTech conferences.

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