ALMA Network 2025: Results, Reflections and the Road to 2026
A total of 28 participants from 13 EU Member States gathered for the 13th ALMA Network Meeting, which took place in Brussels on 3 December 2025. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress made in 2025, identify areas for continuous improvement and contribute to shaping the 2026 Work Programme.
The strong engagement and committed participation of ALMA Network members once again demonstrated ALMA’s vitality as a community, as well as its leading role in driving the ongoing success of the programme.
Key achievements of the ALMA Network in 2025
In 2025, the ALMA Network delivered tangible progress across its thematic priorities and strengthened cooperation among Member States and regions. Its thematic subgroups proved highly effective in deepening collaboration, fostering peer learning and accelerating the production of practical outputs. During the meeting, each subgroup presented its results and engaged in a joint dialogue with all participants.
ALMA Partner Search Database subgroup: a major achievement was the successful integration of ALMA into the Social Innovation Match (SIM) database in November 2025, which will facilitate partner search and increase the visibility of ALMA’s successful projects in the overall database. A guidance note will be issued in early 2026, accompanied by a dedicated information webinar to support users.
Communication and dissemination subgroup: extensive work was undertaken to raise ALMA’s visibility and promote participation across Europe. Key achievements include the organisation of the High-Level Event on 2 December 2025; contributions to the recent update of the ESF+ SI+ ALMA website, which now includes a complete overview of all ALMA calls in Europe and a newly developed Q&A section; and the development of a dissemination strategy to encourage additional Member States and regions to join the ALMA Network.
Evaluation subgroup: focusing on the assessment of soft skills in mobility, the subgroup collected and shared a wealth of case studies and information on the evaluation of soft outcomes across Europe. They presented a comparison of the main evaluation tools and methodologies used in different Member States implementing ALMA, as well as a proposal for an ‘ALMA evaluation tool characteristics’ aimed at supporting greater harmonisation and strengthening evaluation capacities.
Finance / Simplified Cost Options (SCO) subgroup: the group focused on the use of SCOs, and Financing Not Linked to Costs (FNLC) for ALMA, with the support of several experts. They also examined the ALMA Delegated Act and identified areas for improvement.
ALMA Network members confirmed the positive impact of these efforts in the annual survey, rating their overall satisfaction with the 2025 Work Programme at 8.9 out of 10. The meeting enabled collective reflection on these achievements while acknowledging the substantial contributions of all sub-thematic groups.
End-of-Year Network Meeting: insights and added value
The final ALMA Network meeting of the year offered members a fully interactive space to exchange views on the programme’s progress, challenges and future direction. The on-site format enabled members to share subgroup results, engage in structured discussions and establish a shared understanding within the community.
The meeting employed participatory methods, such as the Gallery Walk and the Harvest Dotting exercises which encouraged joint analysis of the 2025 results and co-creation of priorities for the 2026 Work Programme.
Several topics that were addressed throughout the year were explored in more depth, including the essential role of evaluation in demonstrating ALMA’s success and long-term sustainability; the opportunities and constraints linked to the use of SCOs and FNLC; and the need to review and improve the ALMA Delegated Act. Clarifying the ALMA target group and the role of the validation process in the SIM database also emerged as key areas to address. A dissemination strategy to support the deployment of ALMA in additional Member States and regions remains a central priority.
A substantial part of the discussion focused on ALMA’s long-term outlook, notably the potential integration of ALMA into Erasmus+ beyond 2027. The ALMA Network Steering Group’s Draft Position Paper, which proposes this integration, is currently under consideration by the ALMA Network members.
In this context, reinforced political outreach and a strengthened dissemination strategy will be crucial for building long-term support for ALMA.
Shaping the 2026 Work Programme: priorities and next steps
Development of the goals, priority topics and working methods for 2026 stemmed from a review of activities in 2025, the Network survey and interactive sessions held during the meeting. Members expressed a continued strong interest in the topics addressed in 2025, including SCOs, NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training) as a target group, the evaluation of soft outcomes, ALMA’s wider impact and dissemination. Discussions on ALMA’s future beyond 2027 – expected to influence all these topics – will be a major priority in 2026.
ALMA Network members emphasised the value of practical examples, joint preparation of guidance materials and a balanced approach which combines on-site meetings for study visits with online meetings for preparatory or subgroup work. The survey also highlighted significant interest in collaborating with other ESF+ Communities of Practice and networks.
Proposals for deeper involvement include presenting projects, hosting study visits and contributing to subgroup activities. Next steps involve thematic experts developing the 2026 Work Programme.
Conclusion
The end-of-year ALMA Network meeting confirmed the strong commitment of Member States and regions to advancing ALMA’s objectives and shaping its long-term future.
The achievements of the thematic subgroups, the high level of participation and the forward-looking discussions on ALMA’s post-2027 prospects demonstrate a dynamic and resilient community. The inputs collected during the meeting will directly inform the development of the 2026 Work Programme, ensuring that it responds to the needs, priorities and ambitions of the ALMA Network.
As ALMA continues to grow, sustained collaboration, political engagement and strategic dissemination will remain essential for ensuring its long-term impact and visibility across Europe.
