Context: This contribution uses the concept of ‘excellence’ within Vocational Education and Training (VET) and aims to identify the meaning of ‘excellence’ at the crossroads of ‘innovation’ within VET. Approach: The papers refers to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's funding initiative ‘InnoVET’ as a case study. Findings: The findings highlight a gap in the meaning of what constitutes excellence and innovation in VET. Unlike higher education, which benefits from widely accepted frameworks and metrics (such as research output in terms of publications, talks, teaching quality, institutional reputation etc.), VET lacks such a cohesive understanding of ‘excellence’. Conclusions: Discussions around the two notions in VET remain nebulous, with various stakeholders applying differing interpretations and criteria.