- The call will provide €511,839 to support the development of 40 VET projects, the highest amount in its ten editions.
- The projects will involve 2,541 students, 264 teachers and 70 partner organisations, with 68 VET institutions receiving financial support.
- Artificial intelligence, drones, accessibility, the circular economy, smart industry and sustainability are among the main trends in this edition.
The 10th Dualiza Grants Call, promoted by CaixaBank Dualiza and the Association of Vocational Education and Training Centres FPEmpresa, with the collaboration of Fundación Deloitte, has selected the 40 most innovative VET projects in Spain, which will receive financial support for their development during the 2026–2027 academic year. This edition has once again broken records in both participation and funding, exceeding half a million euros allocated to project support for the first time and becoming the most ambitious edition in the programme’s history.
The full list of selected projects is available at www.caixabankdualiza.es.
The projects are led by 40 coordinating institutions, together with a further 28 participating institutions, bringing the total number of Vocational Education and Training institutions receiving financial support to 68, ten more than in the previous academic year. Altogether, the selected initiatives involve 2,541 students, including 299 enrolled in Intensive Dual VET, and 264 teachers, reinforcing the role of Vocational Education and Training as a driver of applied innovation and as a source of solutions to the challenges faced by productive sectors.
Trends: AI, smart industry, sustainability, accessibility and new circular economy solutions
Thematic diversity is once again one of the most notable features of the call. The selected projects show how Vocational Education and Training is incorporating emerging technologies and developing applied solutions to address challenges related to the green transition, digital transformation, accessibility and the improvement of production processes.
Artificial Intelligence applied to industry, health and accessibility
AI is playing an increasingly prominent role in this edition. The selected projects include industrial quality control systems using computer vision and 5G, platforms to support the interpretation of clinical analyses, tools to adapt administrative documentation into accessible formats, and intelligent voice solutions designed to improve digital accessibility. Other noteworthy initiatives combine AI with IoT, predictive modelling or digital twins to optimise production and construction processes.
Industry 5.0, automation and digital twins
The digital transformation of industrial environments is present in numerous projects. These include autonomous infrastructure inspection systems using mobile robotics, digital twin-based learning environments, smart inventory management systems using RFID, connectivity platforms for emergencies powered by renewable energy, and advanced solutions for digitising manufacturing and quality control processes.
Sustainability, circular economy and new materials
Sustainability continues to consolidate its position as one of the main areas of work. The selected projects include the development of construction materials made from waste, bio-resins produced from renewable raw materials, systems for compacting and reusing industrial waste, biodegradable substrates for hydroponic crops, and new applications aimed at making use of agricultural and food by-products. There are also initiatives focused on transforming agricultural surpluses into new value-added food products.
Environment, biodiversity and smart monitoring
Another major trend is the use of technology to understand and protect the environment. The projects range from environmental monitoring and water quality control systems to ecological restoration initiatives, soil health monitoring, green infrastructure for sustainable water management and atmospheric analysis platforms for assessing environmental impacts.
Drones and new observation technologies
Drones continue to gain prominence as both an educational and technological tool. The selected initiatives include developments related to environmental restoration through aerial seeding, devices designed to facilitate safe take-off and landing operations, and systems for capturing and analysing environmental data using instrumented aerial platforms.
Health, well-being and assistive technology
The call also includes projects focused on healthcare and social care, with initiatives centred on the development of clinical simulators, devices for monitoring physiological parameters, applied research into biomarkers and gut microbiota, and personalised orthopaedic solutions manufactured using 3D printing technologies.
Overall, the selected projects cover a broad range of vocational fields, with particular prominence given to Electricity and Electronics, Information Technology and Communications, Mechanical Manufacturing, Agriculture, Sociocultural and Community Services, and Healthcare, reflecting the growing connection between Vocational Education and Training, technological innovation and the sustainability challenges faced by companies and public administrations.
Among the 40 selected projects, 11 are collaborative network initiatives, which together receive €247,200 in funding and continue to strengthen cooperation between educational institutions in order to develop shared solutions to common challenges. The projects also involve 70 partner organisations, including companies, associations, public administrations and social organisations. In fact, more than 10% of the selected projects stem from a specific need identified by a company.
In selecting the projects, the evaluation committee placed particular emphasis on the innovative and applicable nature of the proposals, their transferability, the diversity of stakeholders involved and their social impact. The long-term sustainability of the initiatives, the quality of their work plans and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals were also taken into account.
In this context, Paula San Luis, Director of CaixaBank Dualiza, highlighted “the growing importance of the call as a tool for supporting teachers and educational institutions; an importance reflected in the fact that one in ten VET institutions across Spain has submitted a project to take part, and that a large proportion of these projects respond directly to the needs of companies”.
For his part, Luis García, President of FPEmpresa, stressed that this tenth edition once again demonstrates that “VET institutions are spaces for talent, innovation and responses to the challenges of their surroundings. Through this call, we want to continue supporting them so that their ideas can become real projects with an impact on students and the productive sector”.
The Dualiza Grants Call is therefore consolidating its position as one of the main drivers of support for innovation in Spanish Vocational Education and Training. Over its ten editions, it has promoted more than 340 educational initiatives and has already distributed close to €4 million to support projects developed by VET institutions across the country.
