Q-Cert-VET was the European research project for the quality certification (Q-Cert) of vocational education and training (VET) and was co-funded by the European Commission. It was a two-year long project, ended in December 2012.The European initiative Q-Cert-VET developed a new quality standard and supports a related certification scheme for the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Portugal - Quality Standard NP 4512:2012 “Training Management System, Including Technology-enhanced Learning – Requirements”. The Quality Standard 4512:2012 is available in 5 languages: in Portuguese, English, Spanish, German and Romanian.The project Q-Cert-VET developed a national quality standard and initiates the development of required tools for professional quality certification. The reference framework QPL (short for Quality Platform Learning), developed in Germany, provided the basis for the new quality standard and related instruments and tools for the certification scheme, including the first training course for lead auditors. A strong desire from the Q-Cert-VET consortium members went beyond a national quality standard: the evaluated and optimized quality certification standard will be submitted to the European standardization CEN TC 353 in order to become an official European Norm (EN) for Quality and Certification in vocational education and training.The creation of the related accredited certification scheme OEC010 by the Portuguese Institute for Accreditation (IPAC) provides all interested certification bodies with the possibility of applying for certification in NP4512. Certification bodies thus accredited can certify training institutions with the new standard NP 4512:2012.The consortium of Q-Cert-VET was coordinated and led by Portuguese Centre for Research and Innovation in Business Sciences and Information Systems (CIICESI). It included nine partners from four countries: Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Romania. The University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, one of the Q-Cert-VET project partners and the project co-coordinator, is author and auditor of QPL, thereby providing its long-term expertise in learning quality.More information about Q-Cert-VET is available online at www.edu-certification.eu.