Funding programme

The Interreg North-West Europe Programme fosters transnational cooperation to make Northwestern Europe a key economic player and an attractive place to work and live, with high levels of innovation, sustainability and cohesion.

Seven countries belong to the Interreg North-West Europe Programme area: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland.

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Call overview

This call aims to promote a green, smart and just transition for all NWE territories with the aim to support a balanced development and make all regions more resilient.

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Factsheets

To deliver this ambition, the Programme has identified five thematic priorities, each of which is sub-divided into Specific Objectives (SO).

The Programme developed factsheets for each SO with a summary of the territorial challenges and opportunities, objectives, target groups, activities, and results.

The factsheets provide for each Specific Objective (SO) a summary of the territorial challenges and opportunities, objectives, target groups, activities, and results. These are designed to help potential applicants understand what is expected from projects under each topic.

Find all factsheets here.

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Aim of the programme

The Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) Programme is one of the fourteen transnational cooperation programmes financed by the European Union. It is financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). ERDF is one of the funds designed to improve EU Cohesion.

The Programme encourages public, scientific, private and civil society organisations to cooperate with a view to promote a green, smart and just transition for all NWE territories. The aim is to support a balanced development and make all regions more resilient. The Programme co-finances these organisations to work together in transnational projects on specific themes.

All projects financed by the Programme will need to demonstrate high transnational cooperation intensity throughout their lifetime with a clear focus on results. This means that partners must work together to deliver, disseminate and roll-out the results of their project.

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Thematic priorities

To deliver its aim, the Programme has identified five thematic priorities, each of which is sub-divided into Specific Objectives (SO). These priorities and Specific Objectives are:

Priority 1 - Smart climate and environmental resilience for NWE territories

• Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience taking into account ecosystem-based approaches (SO 2.4)
• Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution (SO 2.7)

Priority 2 – Smart and just energy transition for NWE territories

• Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (SO 2.1)
• Promoting renewable energy in accordance with Directive (EU) 2018/2001, including the sustainability criteria set out therein (SO 2.2).

Priority 3 - Transition towards a place-based circular economy

• Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy (SO 2.6).

Priority 4 – Improving territorial resilience in NWE through innovative and smarttransformation

• Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies (SO 1.1).

Priority 5 –Transition towards a socially inclusive and resilient society

• Enhancing the effectiveness and inclusiveness of labour markets and access to quality employment through developing social infrastructure and promoting social economy(SO 4.1).
• Ensuring equal access to health care and fostering resilience of health systems,including primary care, and promoting the transition from institutional to family-and-community-based care (SO 4.5).
• Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development,social inclusion and social innovation (SO 4.6).

The current call for proposals is open to all five thematic priorities. Transnational partnerships are invited to submit their project application under one priority, and within this chosen priority, under one Specific Objective.

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Eligibility

The Programme targets all or parts of seven participating countries, including six EU Member States (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) and the non-Member State Switzerland.

A wide range of public and private (non-profit and profit making) organisations are welcomed to take part in NWE project partnerships including national, regional and local authorities (or EGTC’s, or public equivalent organisations), universities, R&D centres, SMEs and business support organisations (BSOs), sectoral associations, NGOs, lobby organisations and citizens groups.

Projects should bring together at least three partners from three different countries (usually more) of which two need to be from within the NWE Programme area.

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Lead partner principle

The ‘lead partner principle’ will apply to the project management system, meaning that one partner takes the lead in the project. The lead partner must be an organisation which is public, non-profit or governed by public law, and it must be located in the NWE Programme area.

The lead partner is the link between the project partnership and the Joint Secretariat, Programme bodies, the European Commission and other interested parties. Furthermore, it will supervise the administrative and financial management of the project and bear legal responsibility and liability for them.

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Funding available

Over the lifetime of the Programme, € 287 million of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) will be allocated to projects. No ceiling is set for this call.

All projects need to have a partner contribution (provide match-funding). The maximum ERDF grant rate for partners is 60% of the total project budget. The partnership needs to contribute the remaining 40%.

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