Conceptual Framework for Assessment Entrepreneurial Education FERNANDO ALMEIDA University of Porto & INESC TEC, Portugal MARCELO AMARAL Federal Fluminense University, Brazil Received 26 October 2019; received in revised form 25 December 2019; accepted 30 December 2019 Abstract Purpose: This paper aims to presents a conceptual framework for entrepreneurial edu- cation assessment composed of five levels and thirty sub-dimensions. Design/Methodology: The framework was instantiated and developed through four case studies with public and private higher education institutions located in Portugal and Brazil. Findings: The degree of maturity of a higher education institution in entrepreneurial education can be assessed in a similar way to maturity models in software engineering, in which entrepreneurial teaching practices can be organized considering their scope, relevance, and impact on the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Conclusion: Academic entrepreneurship is part of the strategic plan of the most suc- cessful universities in the world. It is fundamental for those universities to develop their third mission and promote an entrepreneurial environment that stimulates aca- demic entrepreneurship. In this sense, the formulated conceptual framework can con- stitute a fundamental element for higher education institutions to evaluate their degree of maturity in entrepreneurial education. Limitations: The framework was only evaluated and applied considering four case studies located in two countries. It is necessary to disseminate it for other geographical contexts. Implications: From a practical perspective, this framework is relevant for higher edu- cation institutions to be aware of the practices they can adopt in the promotion of en- trepreneurship education and how to bring it to their strategies. Originality: This study presents an innovative conceptual framework that explicitly focuses on the process of measuring the maturity of a higher education institution in the adoption of entrepreneurial education practices. Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial University; Maturity Model; Higher Education; Third Mission 1. Introduction Entrepreneurship provides a new view of the world based on knowledge and innova- tion, from the development of creative people and processes that together promote the appearance of new ideas, the assessment of opportunities, the mobilization of re- International Journal of Knowledge, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Volume 7 No. 3, 2019, pp. 5—25 Print: ISSN 2054-3662 | Online: ISSN 2054-3670