The Interreg programme supports cooperation across borders through project funding. The aim is to tackle common challenges and find shared solutions in various fields such as health, environment, education and transport.
Interreg is divided into 3 main strands of cooperation, which are:
- Cross-Border Cooperation
- Transnational Cooperation
- Interregional Cooperation
You can access all the different Interreg programmes on https://interreg.eu.
In this article, we will delve deeper into one of the sub-programmes within the Transnational Cooperation strand: Interreg North-West Europe.
The aim of the Interreg North-West Europe programme (Interreg NWE) is to strengthen cooperation between regions and cities to reduce existing disparities.
The programme includes the following countries:
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- (Parts of) France
- (Parts of) Germany
- Switzerland
The total budget for 2021-2017 is 310,480,455 Euro, with a co-funding rate of up to 60% for all projects.
Although Switzerland is eligible, it does not get funding from the ERDF. However, Swiss applicants may receive funding from the Swiss federal government to co-finance their share of the budget.
The map below shows which regions are eligible to take part in the programme.
Programme priorities
- Climate and Environment
- Energy Transition
- Circular economy
- Innovation and resilience
- Inclusive society
You can read more about the programme priorities here: www.nweurope.eu/programme-2021-2027/about-the-programme-2021-2027
Upcoming call for small-scale projects
Earlier this year, Interreg North-West Europe launched its latest call for small-scale projects. Applicants can submit their proposals until Thursday, 12 July 2023.
Small-scale project calls are especially attractive since they allow projects with reduced scope, size and duration, they propose a simplified project application and implementation process, and they also offer a stepping-stone to regular calls.
Therefore, if you would like to apply for an Interreg call but you feel daunted by the normal project application process, small-scale projects are the way to go!
As mentioned in the information session held in February 2023, the specified target groups are as follows:
- Local / regional / national authorities
- Universities, public research centres
- SMEs and business support organisations
- Sectoral associations, NGOs
However, for this particular call, as explained during the information session, the involvement of public authorities and NGOs is being prioritised. Therefore, these must be included in the proposal. In fact, the lead partner who will be drafting the application form needs to be a non-profit or public organisation. This means that SMEs and other profit-making organisations can only be project partners.
The above criteria is important to keep in mind when searching for possible partners. Incidentally, to make matters easier for project applicants, Interreg NWE has its own online community platform, a place where any potential applicant can register and post their project idea. You may access it here.
In order to get more information about this upcoming call by Interreg NWE, we recommend that you check out the full recording of the information session that was held on 28th February 2023. Interreg NWE have also provided the slides used, which contain all the details needed to start thinking about preparing an application.
I’m interested in learning more about Interreg NWE and how to apply. What should I do next?
Here at AcrossLimits, we have over 20 years of experience writing proposals, having participated in 80+ successfully funded EU projects, ranging from Erasmus+, Horizon, Interreg, and many more. We have a dedicated team of experts from a broad range of sectors that can guide proposal writing and help you apply for EU funds. Furthermore we are well connected with industry, academia and public authorities across Europe and beyond, making sure that we can bring together the perfect consortium for your project.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you make your project idea a reality, contact us at: [email protected].
