Although EQAVET has been published as a European recommendation a decade ago, its adoption by the VET market has yet to fulfil its potential. Reasons for this seem to rely in a self-feeding vicious circle of interrelated causes, such as difficulties of users in understanding the EQAVET Criteria; unavailability of practical tools in the market to facilitate their implementation; absence of capacity-building programmes to qualify EQAVET professionals; and non-integration of EQAVET in a quality infrastructure that would dynamize a whole market around it. (International Accreditation Forum, 2018, European Commission, 2016, 2017)In this context, the objectives of “A standardized practical toolkit to implement the European Quality Assurance Framework for Vocational Education and Training” are to provide the market with solutions that will mitigate these issues, in order to increase EQAVET adoption by VET and Higher VET (HVET) organisations.The project will be implemented by a consortium composed of six formal partners from four countries – Italy, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia - of which four are VET/HVET providers (EPA (AEVA), ERIFO, IPTrans (AETPL), MCAST), one is a VET/HVET Association (SKUPNOST VSS) and one is an SME specialised in quality in education and knowledge transfer (KIC). Supporting the consortium from the beginning are also three external associated partners: One National Agency responsible for the implementation of EQF and EQAVET (ANQEP), one National Standardization Body (IPQ) and one International Standardization Workgroup specialized in education (ISO/PC288/WG1).Together, these partners will collaborate to:- identify clearly the difficulties felt by EQAVET users in interpreting and/or implementing the EQAVET criteria; - determine the adequate competence profiles for EQAVET professionals; - design curricula for capacity-building of those professionals; and - develop a standardized practical toolkit that will facilitate and support EQAVET criteria implementation by VET/HVET organisations. Taking advantage of its professional-oriented nature, the consortium will use action research as a method to carry out the project activities, as this is one of the most adequate methods for professional practice development and promotion of continuous improvement (Thomas, 2013). It follows an iterative process, based on an action-reflection-action cycle, with the aim of causing positive impact to organisations and societies, beyond the mere literary academic production, insufficient to produce sustainable positive changes (Lewin, 1946, cited by Thomas, 2013), such as the envisaged by the EQAVET+ project. The consortium has high expectations in terms of results and its positive impacts, such as increased curiosity, awareness, understanding and mastery of the EQAVET criteria by management of VET and HVET organizations; launch of national accredited certification schemes for EQAVET and ISO 21001, supported by ISO standards such as the 17021 series; simplified peer-recognition between European and non-European VET, HVET/PHE providers; internationalization of European branded products such as EQAVET and EQF; growth the national qualification catalogues database and its usage; and increased mobility of EQAVET professionals across Europe and beyond, through facilitated recognition of their competences. Altogether, these impacts have the potential to sustainably dynamize the market, conducing to a widen adoption of the EQAVET criteria, which will contribute to the continuous improvement of European VET and HVET services and its worldwide recognition as a brand of excellence.References:European Commission (2017). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - The annual Union work programme for European standardisation for 2018. European Commission: Brussels. Accessed at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52017DC0453European Commission (2016). Joint Initiative on Standardisation: responding to a changing marketplace. European Commission: Brussels. Accessed at: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/joint-initiative-standardisation-responding-changing-marketplace-0_enInternational Accreditation Forum (2018). 12 international organizations renew their commitment to promote quality through a global network. International Accreditation Forum: Cherrybrook. Retrieved from: https://www.iaf.nu/articles/INetQI_Meets_in_Geneva/604Thomas (2013). How to do your Research Project. SAGE: London