UNESCO Regional Centre for Education Projects 2026 and Application Deadlines
The UNESCO Regional Centre for Quality and Excellence in Education , based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced a comprehensive package of quality projects and programs planned for implementation in 2026. This strategic step comes within the framework of the Centre’s tireless efforts to enhance the quality of education and improve its outcomes at the national, regional and international levels, in line with the rapid global changes in the education sector .
Strategic context and sustainable development goals
This step is particularly important as it activates the center's mission to support educational policies in Arab countries and contributes directly to achieving the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) of the United Nations, which stipulates ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The center serves as a regional center of expertise, striving to bridge the gap between the current state and desired outcomes in educational systems by providing innovative solutions and in-depth studies.
The center explained that the projects proposed for 2026 were carefully designed to align with modern strategic directions, focusing on policy development, enhancing financial and institutional sustainability, and improving the efficiency of education systems. These initiatives also directly aim to support the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 , specifically the Human Capital Development Program, by building national and regional capabilities that can compete globally.
List of high-quality projects proposed
The center revealed details of the projects that will be put out to competition, which cover multiple aspects of the educational and administrative process, namely:
- Financial Sustainability Program Project: To ensure efficient spending and diversify income sources for educational institutions.
- The “Teacher We Want” project: This is a fundamental project that focuses on professionalizing education and raising the competencies of teachers in accordance with the requirements of the twenty-first century.
- The Sustainable Learning Cities Quality Standards Project: To promote the concept of sustainable and smart learning cities.
- Joint and pioneering business incubators project: To support innovation and entrepreneurship in the education sector.
Timetable and application deadlines
In order to ensure transparency and provide an opportunity for all relevant parties and institutions, a precise timetable has been set for the tendering and awarding phases as follows:
- Application start date: Applications will be accepted starting Sunday, February 8, 2026.
- Inquiry period: Thursday, February 15, 2026, has been set as the deadline for receiving inquiries about the brochures.
- Purchasing notebooks: The deadline for sending a copy of the receipt for transferring the notebook purchase fees via email is Thursday, February 19, 2026.
- Application Closing: Monday, March 2, 2026 will be the deadline for submitting competition bids.
The UNESCO Regional Centre concluded its statement by affirming its firm commitment to supporting all initiatives that would expand the circle of strategic partnerships and promote innovation in educational policies and practices, calling on companies and specialized institutions to review the terms and specifications and participate effectively in these ambitious national and regional projects.
