Deadline: 14 June 2019
The Interreg North-West Europe Programme is inviting public and private organisations to submit applications in the framework of the ninth call for proposals for the 2014-2020 period.
The Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) Programme is one of the fifteen 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 improving the economic, environmental, territorial and social development of Europe’s regions. 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, evaluate, disseminate and roll-out the results of their project.
Thematic Priorities
The current call for proposals is only open to priority 1 and priority 3 of the NWE Programme.
- Priority 1: Innovation Specific Objective 1: To enhance innovation performance of enterprises throughout NWE regions.
- Within priority 1, and without excluding in any way other relevant topics for this priority, the NWE programme would welcome in particular projects dealing with: – Social innovation, including projects adressing the migration related challenge, focusing on the integration of recognised refugees on the mid and long-term, in particular in the domain of entrepreneurship, employment and access to the labour market. – Innovative products, processes and technologies contributing to CO2 reduction and the green economy, including green transport, in line with the big societal challenges addressed by the Paris Agreement.
- Priority 3: Resource and materials efficiency Specific Objective 5: To optimise (re)use of material and natural resources in NWE.
- Within priority 3, the NWE programme is specifically interested in projects focusing on circular economy.
Funding Information
- Over the lifetime of the programme, €372 million of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) will be allocated to the most qualitative and innovative projects.
- No ceiling is set for this call.
- All projects need to be match-funded. The maximum ERDF grant rate for partners is 60% of the total project budget. The partnership will need to provide the remaining 40%.
Type of Projects
Based on the conclusions of the gap analysis conducted in 2018, the NWE programme is particularly interested in :
- Projects which will make a strong contribution to reducing territorial disparities, reaching out to peripheral and weaker regions, and which aim at ‘closing a gap’ between leaders and followers within a relevant field. This implicates projects with strong territorial justification (why a particular region was selected, why cooperation is essential).
- Projects with a strong representation of public authorities, SMEs / private companies, and NGOs within their partnerships. The NWE programme will not fund projects which are too research oriented.
- Projects which have a substantial demonstration and roll out phase.
- Projects which can have complementarities or synergies with previously approved projects, in terms of scope or approach taken.
- Projects which focus on a niche within a theme, where the approach chosen and the need for the transnational project is clearly identified and justified.
Eligibility Criteria
- The programme targets all or parts of 8 participating countries, including 7 EU Member States (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) and the non-Member State Switzerland. A wide range of bodies are entitled to take part in NWE project partnerships including national, regional and local authorities, universities, R&D agencies, non-profit organisations as well as private partners, including profit-making partners (e.g. SMEs). Projects should bring together partners from at least three different countries (usually more) of which two need to be from within the NWE area.
- In duly justified cases partners from outside the programme area are welcome
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via given website.
For more information, please visit http://www.nweurope.eu/news-events/latest-news/ninth-call-for-projects-now-open/