Autumn Call for Preparatory projects

The autumn call for preparatory projects is open from 23rd August to 22nd September 2023 12:00 (noon) CET. The Monitoring Committee will decide on the successful project applications in the second half of November 2023. Approved projects shall be ready to start on 1st December 2023.

 

In order to support the development of high-quality applications, the Monitoring Committee of Interreg NPA would like to encourage project applicants to submit their preparatory project ideas, to explore potential partnership and investigate match funding sources for main project application calls. The experience from previous years has shown that preparatory projects are an important tool for development of strong and well-balanced project partnership. 

The purpose of preparatory projects is to develop project ideas in a more specific and focused direction, to examine the need for the project outputs among end users and stakeholders and to build up transnational partnerships.

Both, experienced and inexperienced project partners are encouraged to apply and use the preparatory projects for establishing new connections and discussing the project ideas.

 

Expected outcomes

Preparatory projects applicants are expected to address their chosen specific objective with actions such as:

• feasibility studies
• stakeholder mapping 
• recommendations with the purpose of developing project ideas

The projects will ideally conclude with the presentation of a main project application addressing the forthcoming calls for main projects.

 

Priorities

The Monitoring Committee is looking to fund projects in the following Priorities:

PRIORITY 1: Strengthening the innovation capacity for resilient and attractive NPA communities

1.1 - Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies
1.2 - Reaping the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities
1.3 - Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs,

PRIORITY 2: Strengthening the capacity for climate change adaptation, and resource sufficiency in NPA communities

2.1 - Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
2.2 - Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system-based approaches 
2.3 - Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy

All projects are expected to make a special effort to include end-users in their project proposals. In all activities that are approved by the Interreg NPA programme, there should be an integration of the horizontal criteria and the activities should strive for sustainable development, with gender equality, non-discrimination and accessibility and inclusion of underrepresented groups, including indigenous peoples and other culturally and linguistically distinct groups originating from the NPA area.

 

Project Budget & Structure

Interreg NPA is funding two types of preparatory projects:

1. Up to 50.000 EUR for a 6-months long preparatory project
2. Up to 100.000 EUR for a 12-months long preparatory project

The support to the beneficiaries will be handled as a lump sum based on a draft budget. In case of approval, the draft budget will be converted to a lump sum budget in Jems. The NPA eligibility rules and intervention rates outlined in the Programme Manual apply.

Preparatory projects involve at least 2 programme partner countries, at least one of which from an EU Member States. Partnerships are recommended to include at least 2 of the 3 geographical zones of the programme area: Finland-Sweden-Norway; Ireland; Faroe Islands-Greenland-Iceland.

Lead Partners must be public organisations based in the NPA Programme area (unless they have a national remit that covers the Programme area). Project partners can be either public or private. Project partners are expected to be located inside the NPA area and can be either be public or private organisations.

Note: Applicants from Non-Member states are strongly advised to check if there are any national restrictions to budget levels, for example by checking national information websites, or by contacting their Regional Contact Point.

 

Mandatory supporting documents

All applications must be submitted with attached the Lead partner and Partner statements (templates available at the right side of this page) signed by the organisations' legal representative.

 

Project Development Support

Terms of Reference and other supporting documents can be downloaded from this webpage, see the section in the right side. General information about the Interreg NPA 2021-2027 can be found at this link.

 

Further information

If you are interested in applying, we recommend that you are in touch with the Regional Contact Point in your region. Alternatively, you can contact Christopher Parker at the Programme Secretariat, christopher.parker{at}interreg-npa.eu.