INTERREG Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014–2020
The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014–2020 supports integrated territorial development and cooperation for a more innovative, better accessible and sustainable Baltic Sea region. Partners from countries around the Baltic Sea work together in transnational projects on common key challenges and opportunities. The Programme is an agreement between EU member states Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and the northern parts of Germany as well as partner countries Norway, Belarus and the northwest regions of Russia.
The Programme offers funding for four thematic priorities: Capacity for Innovation, Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Transport and EU Strategy support. Projects have to involve at least three partners from three different countries from the Programme area. Total project budgets typically range between EUR 1.5 and 4.5 million for seven or more partners working together for two to three years.
More about the thematic priorities:
- Priority 1, “Capacity for innovation”, offers support for e.g. development of innovation infrastructures, implementation of smart specialisation strategies and development of non-technological innovations.
- Priority 2, “Efficient management of natural resources”, highlights the need to manage natural resources more efficiently. Resource efficient blue growth, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and clear waters are areas that receive support.
- Priority 3 concentrates on “Sustainable transport”. Here projects covering themes such as interoperability, accessibility of remote areas, maritime safety, environmentally friendly shipping and urban mobility are supported.
- Priority 4, offers funding to Seed Money projects of the EU Strategy. In addition it supports the coordination of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region the stakeholders of the Strategy: here assistance to the Priority Area Coordinators and Horizontal Action Leaders, organisation of Strategy Forums and other implementation tasks are co-financed.
The Programme funds come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) and Norwegian national funding. Project partners co-finance activities with their own resources.