The Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (IPL) is a public institution of higher education, at the service of society, dedicated to the production and diffusion of knowledge, creation, transmission and diffusion of culture, science, technology and arts, oriented research and experimental development. IPL has a traditionin working with the community in the area of sustainability and environmental management. It is extending its expertise in Education for Sustainability.

Presently, IPL has about 12000 students, 915 teachers, 316 non-teaching staff and modern facilities and equipment. The institution comprehends 5 Schools (Education and Social Sciences, Technology and Management, Arts and Design, Tourism and Maritime Technology and Health Sciences), an Institute for Research, Development and Advanced Studies (with 13 R&D units, plus 2 delegations of R&D units from other national institutions), a Centre for Transference and Valorisation of Knowledge, a Distance Learning Unit, a Training Centre for Technological Specialization Courses, a Research Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development (evaluated as “Excellent” by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), and Student Support Services.

The institution’s training offer comprises first cycle and second cycle degrees, post-graduate studies, specialization courses, post-secondary non tertiary education, continuous training, distance learning and preparatory courses for access to higher education, covering almost all areas of knowledge.

IPL also develops activities in the scope of research, transference and valorisation of scientific and technological knowledge, provision of services to the community, development support and cooperation in areas of educational, cultural and technical extension.

The development of R&D and cooperation activities is a strategic priority for IPL. Its teachers/researchers are involved in several R&D projects at national, European and international context, strengthening partnerships with companies and other education and research institutions. At international level we can underline the participation in projects developed under 7FP, Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), ALFA, Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, among others.

In what concerns to environmental sustainability, besides the promotion of actions that changed the behaviours on the school community, IPL has made a particular effort in order to adapt its buildings, not only on the production and consume of electric energy (by using new solar energy systems), but also adapting equipment’s to reduce the consumption of water, and even promoting important awareness initiatives. On the respect of the institutional partnerships, IPL gives great importance to those who are directly connected to the local and regional environment management, namely: SimLis (water issues); Valorlis (solid waste treatment); Oikos (ONG for environmental protection) – and CIA (Environmental Interpretive Center. Counting on these partners IPL has developed several environmental projects involving teachers, students and community, with whom will have privileged contacts for this Erasmus network.

IPL will have an active role in the proposed project. As a partner institution, IPL will promote in its schools initiatives aiming at incorporating sustainability objectives in the management of its campuses and the curricula of the degrees it offers, as well as in the projects and activities carried out in them. Considering environmental sustainability, IPL will also identify and disseminate innovative good practices and methodologies in its schools/ degrees, in the surrounding community, and its network of institutional partners, focusing on the school network of primary and secondary education, local authorities, professional associations and companies in its sphere of influence. IPL will potentiate its resources, including the Distance Learning Unit, disseminating and making available to the entire community the materials/information produced by the project partners.

In IPL, the project will be operationally managed by the involved professors and some staff of the International Office. The financial management of the project will be performed by IPL’s Financial Management of Projects Office, which has already experience in the financial management of international projects.

Role of IPL in the project:

• Contribute to the mapping exercise in Portugal.
• Assist in the development of an online platform of resources as well as get familiarised and review the online tool.
• Contribute to the bi-annual newsletters.
• Provide feedback to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework.
• Translate project materials into the national language.
• Contribute to the dissemination and exploitation of the project outputs, outcomes and future network activities.
• Participate and actively contribute to the discussions generated in regional and annual meetings, seminars and conference.

Operational and financial management:

• The project team will coordinate the above administrative and academic project activities.
• Financial administration will be handled by project team who will liaise internally with the institution’s finance department.