Problem addressed

The eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres project addresses the structural gap between emergency humanitarian assistance and sustainable, long term integration of Ukrainian refugees within European host societies. While immediate responses have ensured safety and access to basic services, many refugees continue to face persistent barriers to social, economic, and psychosocial inclusion.

Evidence gathered through a cross country Needs Assessment conducted in Germany, Romania, and Slovakia shows that language barriers significantly limit access to employment, education, and public services. Despite high levels of educational attainment, many refugees experience unemployment or underemployment due to non recognition of qualifications, lack of local experience, and limited access to tailored employment pathways. In parallel, prolonged displacement has generated psycho emotional strain, while access to psychological support remains fragmented and poorly understood.

Service provision is often sector based and geographically uneven, particularly disadvantaging refugees living in rural or semi rural areas. Uncertainty regarding future legal status and settlement prospects further reinforces the need for coherent, long term integration pathways. The absence of holistic, coordinated, and locally anchored models represents a critical barrier to durable inclusion.

Innovative solution

The eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres model introduces an integrated, community based approach to refugee integration that combines fixed hubs with mobile service delivery. The innovation lies in the coordination of multiple support dimensions into a single, accessible ecosystem rather than in the creation of isolated services.

Fixed eDU Hubs serve as trusted entry points within local communities, while Mobile Centres extend outreach to underserved and rural areas. Through this dual structure, the model ensures continuity of support regardless of geographical context. Services include language learning, employment guidance, psychosocial support, childcare facilitation, and community engagement, designed to function as interdependent components rather than standalone interventions.

The model is grounded in a Theory of Change that links identified needs to expected outcomes at individual, community, and system level. It was refined through a participatory process involving refugees, practitioners, and cross sector stakeholders. Collaborative innovation labs and stakeholder mapping exercises further strengthened local ownership and alignment with existing ecosystems.

A Pilot Roll Out Plan guides the phased implementation of the model, allowing for testing, adaptation, and learning in real life contexts. Continuous monitoring and feedback loops are embedded to ensure responsiveness to contextual differences across countries and communities.

Key results and benefits

At beneficiary level, the model improves access to coordinated integration pathways, reducing fragmentation and lowering barriers to participation. Refugees benefit from personalised support that strengthens employability, social participation, and psychosocial wellbeing.

At community level, the project enhances cooperation between civil society organisations, public authorities, employers, and educational actors. This contributes to improved service coordination, increased intercultural interaction, and stronger social cohesion.

At system level, the project generates transferable knowledge on integrated integration models. The Needs Assessment findings, refined intervention logic, and pilot learning support evidence based planning and inform policy relevant discussions.

The project engages approximately 6,000 Ukrainian refugees and host community members, with at least 1,500 individuals expected to experience substantive improvements in their social, economic, or psychosocial situation. Additional benefits include strengthened professional capacity among practitioners and wide indirect reach through communication and dissemination activities.

Potential for mainstreaming

The eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres model demonstrates strong potential for mainstreaming within national and European integration frameworks due to its systemic, evidence based, and adaptable design. The model responds to widely recognised structural challenges in refugee integration, including fragmented service provision, unequal territorial access, and the separation of social, educational, and employment related interventions.

The approach aligns with existing policy priorities at EU and national level, particularly those related to labour market integration, access to essential services, social inclusion, and community based support. By organising services through a coordinated local ecosystem rather than parallel sectoral programmes, the model complements and strengthens existing public and civil society structures without duplicating mandates.

A key factor supporting mainstreaming is the model’s flexibility. The combination of fixed community hubs and mobile service delivery allows public authorities and service providers to adapt the approach to both urban and rural contexts. This makes the model suitable for integration into municipal or regional strategies where service accessibility and outreach remain critical challenges.

The project’s Theory of Change provides a clear causal logic linking needs, interventions, and outcomes, which supports policy adoption and institutionalisation. Furthermore, the use of structured needs assessment, stakeholder mapping, and piloting creates a replicable process that can be embedded into standard planning and funding cycles.

Mainstreaming is further enabled by the model’s emphasis on cross sector cooperation. By facilitating collaboration between local authorities, employment services, education providers, health and psychosocial support actors, and civil society organisations, the approach supports coordinated governance and shared accountability. This reduces reliance on short term project funding and increases the likelihood of long term uptake.

Overall, the eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres model offers a viable pathway for transitioning innovative, project based practices into regular integration systems. Its alignment with policy objectives, adaptability to diverse contexts, and focus on sustainable coordination position it as a strong candidate for mainstreaming within European and national integration frameworks.