Interregional cooperation in Europe; application for funding

Purpose

"Interreg VI Europe" supports policy learning processes to exchange experience, knowledge and best practices between relevant policy institutions and improve the performance of regional development policies and programs. The program enables regional and local authorities and other relevant actors at regional level across Europe to exchange practices and ideas on public policy approaches and thus find solutions to improve their strategies for local citizens.

Subject

The program addresses six broader themes, each of which is closely linked to the development of local solutions through the exchange of experiences:

• "A smarter Europe" (focus)
• "A greener and_low-carbon Europe" (focus)
• "A more connected Europe"
• "A more social Europe" (focus)
• "A Europe that is closer to its citizens"
• "Better regional governance structures"

Recipients of funding

The program area consists of the 27 EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and 7 EU candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine), which have joined the Interreg Europe program since 2023. The funding programme is aimed at national, regional and local authorities, institutions under public law (e.g. regional development agencies, business support institutions, universities) and private non-profit organizations.

Eligible costs

The program finances two types of activities:

1. Projects of interregional cooperation between relevant political institutions from different European countries, in which cooperation on a specific policy area takes place for approximately four years and the lessons learned from this cooperation are transferred into practice.
2. Creation of online platforms for continuous learning, in which institutions can find solutions and policy approaches in the four thematic areas as well as contact with relevant experts

Eligible costs include personnel, administration, travel & accommodation and external consultancy/external services and, in justified exceptional cases, equipment and implementation of pilot projects.

Type and amount

Funding is provided in the form of a grant, the amount of which depends on the type and scope of the project. The funding rate is between 70% and 80% of the eligible project costs.

In addition to deadlines and formal criteria (completeness and correctness of applications), sufficient coverage of European sub-regions and the involvement of relevant public administration actors must be ensured (including managing authorities of Structural Fund programs and regional development instruments and programs).

Applications must be submitted in English on the program's online portal by the deadline for the respective call for applications.

In the two-stage selection process, the first step is to check whether the technical requirements and eligibility criteria of the program are met. Projects that meet these requirements are checked for quality in the next stage. This is again a two-stage process. The joint secretariat examines

1. the project contribution to achieving the program objectives based on the
   • Relevance of the proposal
   • Quality of the intended results
   • the quality of the partnership;
2. the coherence and feasibility of the proposed project and its monetary value based on the
   • Coherence of the proposal and quality of the approach
   • Communication and management
   • Finances and budget.

• Information point for Bavarian project partners

  Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
  Division 73, Programs and Plans
  Prinzregentenstraße 28
  80538 Munich
  E-Mail: Referat73@stmwi.bayern.de

In the current funding period, the program covers the period 2021 to 2027. Projects must be completed by 2029 at the latest. Projects must be completed by 2029 at the latest
There will be no more open calls for project proposals in Interreg Europe until 2027(Will there be a fourth call at Interreg Europe?). However, the application for the Peer Review is still open. Further information on the peer review can be found on the Interreg Europe website.

Information office for Bavarian project partners

Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
Alessa Merz
Prinzregentenstraße 28
80538 Munich
Phone: +49 (0)89 2162-2009
Fax: +49 (0)89 2162-3009
E-mail: alessa.merz@stmwi.bayern.de

Bavarian Contact Point Interreg Europe

EUREGIO EGRENSIS, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Bayern e. V. Advisory office
Lucie Jírovská
Phone +49 (0)9231 6692-21
E-Mail: Lucie.Jirovska@euregio-egrensis.de

Advisory office Lower Bavaria

Trägerverein Europaregion Donau-Moldau e.V.
Julia Hartl
Phone: +49 170 2310 752
E-mail: j.hartl@euregio-bayern.de

Joint secretariat of the program

"Les Arcuriales", 5th floor, 45 rue de Tournai, Entrée D
59000 Lille, France
Phone: +33 328 144 100