Level Up Project
Level Up is a flagship European initiative co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme, designed to bridge the digital skills gap across Europe by equipping citizens with the practical knowledge and confidence needed to thrive in the digital economy. Launched in 2023, it brings together a consortium of leading organisations from across Europe under the coordination of GrantXpert Consulting (Cyprus).
The project targets a wide range of beneficiaries—young people, professionals, job seekers, and vulnerable groups—with the ultimate aim of increasing the number of EU citizens who possess at least basic to intermediate digital skills. Over 15,000 individuals from 3,000 SMEs across Europe are expected to benefit from the initiative. The courses, designed within its scope, are tailored to sector-specific needs (e.g. healthcare, agritech, energy) and developed by expert providers from Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and Poland—ensuring relevance, quality, and wide European reach. The initiative was created in response to the persistent digital divide in Europe, especially among underrepresented or underserved populations.
About this initiative
Level Up aims to train 15,000 individuals and engage 3,000 SMEs across Europe through over 100 sector-relevant digital training courses. As of June 2025, the project has delivered 188 courses, surpassing the initial course target. These trainings focus on core digital competencies—cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, cloud services, digital marketing, and e-commerce—tailored to the evolving needs of sectors like healthcare, agritech, energy, and manufacturing. The courses are co-designed with industry experts and aligned with micro-credentialing frameworks, ensuring both recognition and career value. Our labour market needs analysis ensures training relevance, while our multi-channel dissemination strategy guarantees accessibility and wide uptake. The project also strengthens business resilience, digital readiness, and workforce adaptability, directly contributing to the Digital Decade targets for digital skills and ICT workforce development.
Despite the growing demand for digital competencies in nearly all sectors, millions of Europeans still lack even basic digital literacy. This limits employability, social participation, and access to essential digital services. Level Up addresses this by offering high-quality training courses in key areas such as cybersecurity, data management, AI, cloud computing, and digital marketing.
Why is this a good practice?
By June 2025, Level Up has delivered 188 training courses, surpassing its original goal of 100. The project has already reached 13,084 participants and 3,989 SMEs, exceeding key engagement targets. Training impact is evidenced by high satisfaction, strong sectoral uptake, and skills acquisition aligned with EU digital competency standards. These milestones signal substantial progress toward closing the digital skills gap across Europe.
A key innovation is the project's online platform, which acts as a one-stop shop for skills assessment, learning, tracking progress, and gaining certification. With the backing of 14 partners from 9 EU countries, the project combines European scale with local impact, adapting resources to national and regional contexts.
Since its launch, Level Up has reached over 12,000 learners, and by the end of 2025, it is projected to support more than 50,000 Europeans in boosting their digital competences. Beyond training, the project inspires a mindset shift—encouraging lifelong learning and digital inclusion. Importantly, Level Up actively promotes gender balance and diversity, addressing the gender gap in tech and prioritising access for people from marginalised communities.It also supports the upskilling of educators and trainers, multiplying the long-term impact of the initiative. Ultimately, Level Up is not just a project—it’s a movement. It aligns with the goals of the Digital Decade by fostering a more digitally capable, inclusive, and resilient Europe.
Level Up is designed for cross-border scalability and is already being replicated across seven EU countries: Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and Poland. The next phase foresees an expanded consortium including additional EU Member States to widen impact and knowledge transfer. Training content is being translated and adapted to local contexts, with pilot use of translated courses underway. The project’s structure and open-access methodology enable easy replication by training providers, business associations, and public bodies across Europe.
