Green Skills Award 2026 – Call for applications now open

After wrapping up an inspiring 2025 edition, the ETF is proud to launch the Green Skills Award 2026.

We are now looking for the next generation of initiatives that are driving real change in the green transition in classrooms, workplaces, communities, and online.

The Green Skills Award, organised annually by the European Training Foundation, recognises and amplifies outstanding initiatives that help people develop green skills and contribute to a fair, sustainable and resource‑efficient future.

Why take part?

Every year, we discover powerful stories from across the world: schools integrating sustainability across the curriculum, VET providers modernising training for green jobs, NGOs supporting vulnerable workers through the transition, employers reshaping job profiles, and creators bringing climate knowledge to new audiences.

Many of these initiatives are transformative, yet their impact often remains local.

The Green Skills Award gives them a global stage.

Finalists and winners benefit from:

• International visibility across ETF, European Commission and EEAS channels
• Professional storytelling films showcasing their work to global audiences
• Promotion during major EU events, including EU Green Week and the ETF Skills Summit
• New partnerships and networking opportunities with peers and policymakers

For 2026, a special #ForOurPlanet Prize will also celebrate exceptional initiatives in nature restoration and preservation.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from a wide range of organisations and actors involved in developing or promoting green skills. Each category will have its own winner:

• Employers & SMEs integrating green skills into real work.
• Social partners & NGOs supporting vulnerable groups in the transition.
• VET providers translating decarbonisation into hands‑on training.
• Schools teaching sustainability in age‑appropriate, whole‑school ways.
• Employment services opening pathways to fair green jobs.
• Creators & influencers making sustainability engaging and accessible.

Whether your initiative is a local project or part of a national reform, if it helps people learn, apply or improve green skills, we want to hear from you.

What we look for

Applications are evaluated on:

• Impact — real, measurable changes already achieved
• Originality and innovation — fresh approaches others can learn from
• Scalability — potential to be replicated or adapted in other contexts

Only completed initiatives are eligible. Results must be concrete, specific and verifiable.

How to apply to Green Skills 2026

The process is designed to be clear and accessible. Applications are submitted through EU Survey and can be written in English or any other language (we will translate them using AI for assessment).

Three steps:

1.     Choose your category
 Select the option that best represents your organisation.

2.     Describe your initiative clearly
 Tell us who did what, where, when — and the results achieved.
 Include numbers, dates, partners, technologies used, and concrete outcomes.

3.     Submit your application by 27 March 2026
 A few strong references or links are sufficient. Use clear, factual language.

Help shape the future of the green transition

If your work strengthens green skills, supports a fair transition, or helps people thrive in a sustainable economy, this is your opportunity to share it with the world.

Apply now — or encourage an organisation you know to take part.

→  EU Survey application form
 → Learn more about past winners