globalskillsnetwork

What globalskillsnetwork does

Global Skills Network OÜ is a Tallinn-headquartered social innovation enterprise and research & technology organization that operates as a consortium partner and coordinator for European Commission-funded projects. Founded in 2003, the company positions itself as a "Fourth Sector" entity that combines private-sector market approaches with public and non-profit social and environmental aims. Its core function is to design, manage, and communicate EU-funded research and innovation projects—drawing on Horizon, Erasmus+, COSME, LIFE, and European Social Fund programming—targeting schools, SMEs, NGOs, universities, and public bodies across Europe, with newer engagement in Africa and Asia.

The company's underlying technology is methodological rather than software-centric: a Living Labs framework combined with socio-constructivism pedagogy supports experiential and citizen science-based learning. Product outputs include the Blue Anew water literacy curricula for K-12 students (delivered as flip books, PDFs, MOOCs), the Learning Pills e-learning platform, the Sustainability Academy (with specialized SME circularity training and the ECO SEAL certification), the One Plan 4 One Planet collaboration platform (currently in BETA), and the Zero Food Waste Hub. The Media Lab division provides English-language project management, communications, dissemination, and exploitation services for consortium work. Distribution is direct via field engagement and partner networks (Living Labs Network, EU Blue Schools Network, Molinara Innovation Living Lab in Italy).

The revenue model is primarily grant-driven: the company captures work-package shares within multi-partner EU consortia and supplements this with professional services for communications and project management. There are no publicly disclosed commercial pricing details, and the organization reinvests surpluses into its mission. End-user beneficiaries include Estonian schools, Western Balkans VET institutions, agrotourism operators, and youth/adult learners engaged through transnational mobility and community-of-practice programming.

Name

globalskillsnetwork

Legal name

Global Skills Network OÜ

Website

https://globalskillsnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Skills Network OÜ is a Tallinn-based social innovation enterprise that designs, coordinates, and communicates EU-funded research and innovation projects for schools, SMEs, NGOs, universities, and public bodies across Europe and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Innovation Consulting & EU Project Management

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher Training, Professional Development & Education Leadership (BPADAKAC), Academic Support, Tutoring & Language Support for Enrolled Overseas Secondary Students (EDAIAHAK)

Keywords

• EU project management
• Social innovation consulting
• Education program design
• Sustainability training services
• Research consortium coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EU Project Funding: Global Skills Network generates revenue through European Commission programming including Horizon, Erasmus, COSME Single Market Program, LIFE, European Social Fund, and other multilateral funders. As a social enterprise, they reinvest profits back into their mission while maintaining financial sustainability.
2. Project Management Services: Strategic and project management services including Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plans provided to consortium partners and funded projects. Staff are native English speakers offering multilingual communications support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Global Skills Network operates as a consortium partner and coordinator for EU-funded research and innovation projects, delivering project management, communications, dissemination, and exploitation services to schools, SMEs, NGOs, universities, and public bodies. The company also designs and delivers educational curricula and training programs (water literacy, sustainability, entrepreneurship) and operates Living Labs for citizen-science-based experimentation across Europe and beyond.

Product overview

Global Skills Network is a social innovation enterprise think tank and research & technology organization that operates as a Fourth Sector entity combining private sector market-based approaches with public and non-profit social and environmental aims. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and projects including educational platforms (Blue Anew, Learning Pills, Sustainability Academy), living lab networks for experimentation (Living Labs Network, Blue Baltic Ecosystem, Molinara Innovation Living Lab), collaboration platforms (One Plan 4 One Planet, Zero Food Waste Hub), and communication services (The Media Lab Communications, Zootys E-Publishing). These products serve various target audiences from K-12 students to SME owners, delivered through formal and non-formal learning environments, with funding from European Commission programs (Horizon, Erasmus+) and multi-lateral funders. The organization specializes in project management, training, and impact storytelling across education, climate action, entrepreneurship, and economic development sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Baltic Ecosystem: Innovation platform for news, insights, communication and professional networking around Baltic Sea Ecosystem health and sustainability
• The Creativity Portal
• One Plan 4 One Planet
• Blue Anew
• Zero Food Waste Hub
• Living Labs Network
• Sustainability Academy
• The Media Lab
• Molinara Innovation Center

Products and services

• The Media Lab Communications English-language specialists providing project management, communications, dissemination, exploitation, and impactful storytelling with data for European projects and fourth-sector organizations.
• Blue Anew Water literacy education framework for K-12 students (ages 7-18) exploring solutions for oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes with age-appropriate curricula, teacher training, and focus on the Blue Economy.
• Sustainability Academy Sustainability education for all ages offering coursework and training for children and adults, with specialized curriculum for SME owners on circularity, digital literacy, and climate action.
• Learning Pills Efficient, flexible and engaging learning experiences based on socio-constructivism, supporting teachers to integrate innovative approaches and digital tools aligned with UNESCO ICT Competency Framework.
• Living Labs Network Testing ground for experimentation in adaptation to Triple Transitions (decarbonization, digitalization, resilience) using the living labs model.
• Zero Food Waste Hub Online resource center targeting food chains across industries that connects four key pillars of food waste via an information-sharing platform.
• One Plan 4 One Planet Beta-stage platform bringing people and ideas together for collaboration towards addressing the UN Global Sustainability Goals.
• Sustainability Toolkit / ECO Seal Platform supporting knowledge transfer and sustainability actions in non-urban industries with ECO SEAL certification for operators demonstrating commitment to circularity and sustainability.
• Blue Baltic Ecosystem Living Lab Innovation platform for news, insights, communication and professional networking around issues impacting the Baltic Sea ecosystem health and sustainability.
• Molinara Innovation Living Lab Rural makerspace research venue in Italy offering multidisciplinary approaches to problem-solving in agrifoods, agrivoltaics, soil science, aquaponics, and alternative energy, hosting Erasmus+ mobility and Summer Ag Institute.
• Zootys E-Publishing Digital publishing department providing e-publishing via Kindle Publishing Platform and preparing submissions to journals for research articles, essays, and conference proceedings.
• Global Philanthropy Strategies Promoting sustainable development and climate action in rural communities through impactful storytelling with data and grant assistance for small towns and villages.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to €10,000 in funding available per school for Blue School Projects through open calls
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Horizon SHORE Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner14-partner consortium funded under HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-08 establishing living labs for Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas and Rhine/Danube Rivers. Global Skills Network serves as Estonian partner delivering Blue Anew water literacy curricula for K-12 education with teacher training, school twinning, and up to €10,000 funding for Blue School Projects.
• GS4S (Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner14-partner consortium led by Radboud University funded under Horizon CL2-2023-TRANSFORMATIONS-01. Partners include Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. Project seeks to understand global skills shortages in Digital, Care, and Construction sectors and foster skills development through innovative analyses and digital tools.
• BalVET Erasmus+ PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner30-month Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity-Building project bringing together partners from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro. Core partner and workpackage leader for instructional design focusing on EntreComp curriculum infusion, student mobility across borders, teacher training module, and Community of Practice via virtual innovation hub.
• RURALITIES Project ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon-funded project 'Climate smart, ecosystem-enhancing and knowledge-based rural expertise and training centres' with 52 partners across Europe and Africa. Global Skills Network is member of grantwriting team and pre-funding consortium administrators, responsible for preparing partners to participate in 60-month ecosystem-enhancing and climate action-driven framework organized in living lab hubs.
• Blue Baltic Ecosystem Living LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts of innovation platform for news, insights, communication and professional networking around Baltic Sea ecosystem issues. Partners include Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden working on reducing nutrient inputs, wastewater treatment, sustainable fishing, invasive species control, and climate change mitigation. Funded by Horizon.
• Molinara Innovation Living LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace research venue for ruralities in center of Italy covering agrifoods to agrivoltaics, soil science to experimental gardens, aquaponics to protein production. Hosts Erasmus+ KA1 mobility for students and teachers in soil sciences, forest resources and alternative energy. Venue for Sustainability Academy and summer institute for hands-on agricultural education.
• SustainAgro ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ KA2 small partnership between Italy and Portugal promoting sustainability in agrotourism and non-urban industries. Includes ECO SEAL certification scheme for non-urban industry operators to demonstrate commitment to circularity and sustainability. Available in English, Italian and Portuguese. Sponsored by INDIRE, Italian National Agency of Erasmus+.
• EUREKA Eurostars NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network fostering European competitiveness and R&D collaboration. Projects must involve development of new products, processes or services with SME-led consortium, minimum two entities from different countries, and focus on civil applications with maximum 36-month duration.
• Living Labs NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesting ground for experimentation in adaptation to Triple Transitions (decarbonization, digitalization, resilience). Fostering environmental education across society with living lab personnel serving as key points of contact for interdisciplinary learning around sustainability education topics.
• EU Blue Schools NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network Global Skills Network assists schools with membership for blue sustainability education and projects. Connected to Horizon SHORE project activities.
• Zero Food Waste HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline resource center connecting four key pillars of food waste via information-sharing platform targeting food chains of various industries. Part of ocean literacy initiative to reduce food waste.
• One Plan 4 One PlanetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration platform bringing people and ideas together for addressing UN Global Sustainability Goals (currently in BETA). Information site dedicated to driving sustainability.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EUCLID Network: European network of associations and research organisations supporting transnational collaboration and innovation, particularly for SMEs and education; comparable European funding-bridging coordinator role to GSN.
• EURICE — European Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence: EU-funded research and innovation project management office that supports universities, RTOs, and SMEs with proposal writing, project coordination, communication and dissemination — directly comparable consortium-support service portfolio to GSN's Media Lab offering.
• ENoLL — European Network of Living Labs: International federation of Living Labs across Europe and globally; GSN's Living Labs Network mirrors ENoLL's open-innovation lab methodology and citizen-science orientation with direct overlap on sustainability education programming.
• EARMA — European Association of Research Managers and Administrators: European network of research managers and administrators from universities, RTOs, and SMEs providing training and representation for Horizon and Erasmus+ participants — directly comparable as a research-management support organization with EU-programme focus.
• AEIDL — Association Européenne pour l'Éducation et la Diffusion des Languages: Brussels-based association coordinating Erasmus+ and Horizon projects in education and lifelong learning; comparable profile to GSN as a transnational education-focused consortium coordinator with EU-programme funding.
• Greenovate! Europe: Sustainability-focused European innovation cluster participating as core partner and workpackage leader in Horizon and LIFE projects — closely mirrors GSN's sustainability projects (SustainAgro, SHORE) and EU project management service model.

Broad incumbents

• Ecorys: Large European research and consulting company providing project management, policy analysis, and evaluation services for EU institutions; comparable EU-funding project management service line at significantly larger scale.
• European University Foundation (EUniWell-style) / EUF: Luxembourg-based university alliance supporting mobility, curriculum innovation, and transnational education projects funded by Erasmus+ and Horizon — comparable education programme coordination footprint.
• ICLEI Europe — Local Governments for Sustainability: Large incumbent network of European cities and municipalities working on sustainability, with deep EU funding ties and education programming — comparable operating space to GSN, but at much larger scale.

Regional players

• ERRIN — European Regions Research and Innovation Network: Brussels-based network of regional research and innovation organisations engaging with EU programmes and partners; comparable EU-programme engagement facilitator role to GSN, but operating at regional-government scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Global_Linkages
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalSkillsNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-skills-network

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about globalskillsnetwork