First call Interreg North Sea Region 2021-2027 is now open!
As of 16 December 2022, interested parties can apply under the first call of the EU programme Interreg North Sea Region (NSR). Parties from (parts of) several EU countries that are situated along the North Sea are able to cooperate under this programme. So are you working on an innovation that will strengthen the North Sea coast and contribute to a better environment and society? Then read more on the first call of Interreg NSR 2021-2027.
- For whom?
- What kind of projects are eligible?
- Budget & grant contribution
- When to apply
- Priorities of Interreg NSR
- Further information on Interreg NSR
For whom?
Any organisation in the programme area (see the figure below) is welcome to apply!
Source: Interreg NSR 2021-2027
What kind of projects are eligible?
You are able to submit an application for demonstration and test projects; novelty is a (slight) shift of emphasis towards rollout and scaling up. Interreg NSR is a result-oriented programme. A distinction is made between small-scale projects and regular projects. In the table below you will find a clear explanation of the difference between these two types of projects.
| Small-scale project | Regular project |
| Total project budget: maximum € 500.000; recommended minimum € 200.000 |
Total project budget: € 1 – 6 million |
| Project duration: maximum 1.5 years | Project duration: between 2 and 4 years |
| 3 – 7 partners (from 3 NSR countries) | Around 10 partners |
Budget & grant contribution
The programme budget of Interreg NSR is approximately € 180 million (2021-2027). You are able to receive a grant of 60% of the eligible costs (for Norwegian parties, the grant rate is 50%).
More information on Interreg NSR? Contact us
Or call us directly: 088 495 20 00
When to apply
Interested? Then you need to apply by the following dates:
- Small-scale project applications: 7 March 2022;
- Expressions of interest for regular projects: 7 March 2022;
- Full applications for regular projects: 22 April 2022.
For regular projects, there are two options:
- Parties may submit an expression of interest, followed by a full application (after approval);
- Parties may only / directly submit a full application.
This is an exception from the standard two-step procedure for regular project applications. In subsequent calls, parties will need to have an expression of interest approved before they can submit a full application.
Priorities of Interreg NSR
The programme consists of four priorities (with one or more corresponding specific objectives):
- Robust and smart economies in the North Sea Region:
- Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies;
- Developing skills for smart specialization, industrial transition, and entrepreneurship;
- A green transition in the North Sea Region:
- Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- Promoting renewable energy;
- Developing smart energy systems, grids, and storage outside the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E);
- Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy;
- Promoting sustainable multimodal urban mobility, as part of transition to a net zero carbon economy;
- A climate resilient North Sea Region:
- Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches;
- Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution;
- Other actions to support better cooperation governance;
- Better governance in the North Sea Region:
- Other actions to support better cooperation governance.
In addition, there are three so-called ‘spotlight themes’: digitalisation, rural-urban linkages and strengths & challenges in the North Sea basin. These themes are considered relevant in all four priorities.
Further information on Interreg NSR
A webinar on the 1st Interreg NSR call took place on 2 December 2021. The recording and presentations can be found here.
Hezelburcht was involved in several Interreg applications in the recent past. We can therefore adequately guide your organisation in preparing and submitting your application. If you would like to know more about this, do not hesitate to contact one of our grant specialists!
Contact us for personal advice
Or call us directly: 088 495 20 00
