The financial sector is changing rapidly. Digital transformation, new sustainability requirements, demographic shifts, and growing expectations from employees and customers are forcing organisations to rethink how they operate. Alongside these changes, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has emerged as one of the most important strategic challenges facing financial institutions across Europe. While awareness of DEI has increased considerably in recent years, many organisations still struggle to transform good intentions into concrete actions. It is precisely this gap that the DEIMAN4FINANCE project seeks to address.
DEIMAN4FINANCE, short for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as an Asset in the Financial Sector through the Creation of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager, is a European cooperation project funded under the Erasmus+ KA220-VET programme. The project was designed to respond to a growing need within the financial services, insurance and asset management sectors: the need for professionals capable of leading inclusion strategies in a structured, measurable and business-oriented way.
The project starts from a simple but important observation. Although many financial organisations have introduced diversity initiatives, the level of implementation remains highly uneven. Research carried out during the preparation of the project showed that larger organisations and multinational financial groups tend to have more developed DEI policies, while smaller institutions often lack the expertise, resources and internal structures needed to manage these issues effectively. As a result, a significant gap continues to exist between organisations that actively promote inclusion and those that are only beginning their journey.
To address this challenge, DEIMAN4FINANCE aims to create a new professional profile for the European financial sector: the DEI Manager. While similar roles already exist in some large corporations, there is currently no common European training pathway specifically designed for professionals working in finance. The project therefore seeks to define the competences, knowledge and skills required for this role and to provide a structured learning programme that enables middle managers and financial professionals to acquire them.
At the heart of the project is a strong international partnership bringing together organisations from six European countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Cyprus and Bulgaria. The consortium combines expertise from the financial sector, vocational education and training, digital learning, accessibility and social inclusion. It is coordinated by FALCO&ASSOCIATI from Italy and includes organisations such as the Institut d’Estudis Financers from Spain, Cooperation Bancaire pour l’Europe and the European Union of the Deaf from Belgium, IDEC from Greece, Emphasys Centre from Cyprus and Inter Art Foundation from Bulgaria. This diverse partnership reflects the multidisciplinary nature of DEI itself, bringing together financial expertise, educational innovation and the perspective of groups directly affected by inclusion policies.
The project’s ambition extends far beyond the creation of a training course. The consortium is developing a complete ecosystem that includes a European methodology for DEI management in finance, a series of specialised training modules, a Moodle-based learning platform, a micro-credential system and a set of stackable Open Badges that allow participants to demonstrate and validate the competences they acquire.
The training programme itself covers five key areas that are particularly relevant for today’s financial institutions: disability inclusion, gender equality, multicultural competence, inclusive language and cognitive bias reduction, and European regulations on workplace inclusion. Together, these modules provide participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical tools that can be directly applied within their organisations.
One of the most innovative aspects of DEIMAN4FINANCE is its use of micro-credentials. Rather than requiring professionals to commit to long and inflexible training programmes, the project adopts a modular approach that allows learners to build their competences progressively. Each completed course leads to the award of an Open Badge aligned with European vocational education standards and the European Qualifications Framework. The badges are stackable, meaning that participants who complete all five courses can progressively build a recognised DEI Manager professional profile.
This approach reflects a broader shift occurring across Europe. Labour markets are changing more rapidly than ever before, and traditional education pathways often struggle to keep pace with emerging professional needs. Micro-credentials offer a more flexible solution, enabling professionals to update their skills continuously while receiving formal recognition for their achievements. DEIMAN4FINANCE applies this concept directly to one of the fastest-growing competency areas within the financial sector.
The project also recognises that inclusion is not only a matter of social responsibility. Increasingly, it is a matter of organisational resilience and business performance. Financial institutions that succeed in creating inclusive workplaces are often better positioned to attract talent, foster innovation, understand diverse customer needs and adapt to changing market conditions. For this reason, DEIMAN4FINANCE approaches DEI not as an isolated human resources initiative but as a strategic capability that can strengthen the competitiveness of financial organisations.
By the end of the project, the consortium expects to have trained hundreds of professionals, developed a fully operational online learning environment, created a recognised micro-credential framework and established the foundations for the widespread adoption of the DEI Manager role across Europe. The long-term vision is even more ambitious. The project aims to contribute to a cultural shift within the financial sector, where diversity, equity and inclusion become integrated into leadership, governance, talent management and organisational strategy rather than being treated as standalone initiatives.
Ultimately, DEIMAN4FINANCE is not only about training professionals. It is about preparing financial institutions for the future. As Europe continues to evolve socially, economically and technologically, organisations will need leaders who understand how inclusion influences performance, innovation and sustainable growth. By creating a new generation of DEI professionals specifically trained for the realities of the financial sector, DEIMAN4FINANCE seeks to ensure that inclusion becomes a practical business asset rather than simply an aspiration.