Interreg North West Europe Programme ninth call for project proposals is now open.  The deadline for Step 1 applications is Friday 14^th June 2019.  The application form and support documents are now available online.

The current call for proposals is only open to priority 1 and priority 3 of the NWE Programme. The Programme is looking for transnational cooperation projects that can deliver concrete results for the North-West Europe area and its citizens under its two priorities of Innovation and Resource and Materials Efficiency.

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 (please see guidance note on our website), including projects addressing the migration-related challenge, focusing on the integration of recognised refugees on the mid & 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.

The Programme encourages public, scientific, private and civil society organisations to come together to improve the economic, environmental, territorial and social development of the regions in the North-West Europe area.

The application process is in two steps.  Step 1 focuses on the project need, its objectives and expected results.  If approved, it is developed into a full Step 2 application and success at this stage means full approval and a grant award of up to 60%.

For complete information about Call 9 please visit: http://www.nweurope.eu/  Please contact Rita McGarvey, National Contact Point for Ireland for further information:

 

Email: ei.yl1747040417bmess1747040417anreh1747040417tuos@1747040417yevra1747040417gcmr1747040417
Tel: +353 51 860700
Twitter: @interreg_nwe

 

Interreg NWE is one of the fifteen transnational cooperation programmes financed by the European Union. It is financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).  The Southern Regional Assembly and the Eastern & Midlands Regional Assembly represent the Member State on the Programme’s Monitoring Committee. 

 

Eligible Countries and Map of Programme Area

Ireland (All counties), UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, parts of France, Germany and the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

On 11 February 2019, the European Alliance Group held a meeting in Mohill, County Leitrim (Ireland) which focussed on ways how towns and villages could be helped to drive rural revival in the European Union.

Cllr Enda Stenson, Member of Leitrim County council initiated the meeting to show delegates from across the European Union (EU) the difficulties faced by local, in particular rural and border communities and send a clear message that EU programmes need to be adapted to let those communities invest in connectivity, energy and other projects which will help them prosper.

Along with the representatives of Europe’s local and regional authorities, keynote speakers included:

Sean Canney TD, Irish Minister of State for Rural Affairs and Natural Resources;
Mairi Gougeon MSP, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment of Scotland;
Marian Harkin, Member of the European Parliament;
David Minton, Director, Northern & Western Regional Assembly;
Joe Lowe, Trinno Project Stakeholder;
Gerry Kiely, Head of the European Commission representation in Ireland.

The meeting also examined the importance of inter regional cooperation at a pivotal time coming up to the BREXIT deadline as well as the forthcoming European Parliament elections. The special role of the European Union and cross border cooperation was outlined by Gina McIntyre, Special EU funding body. Good practice examples including the Trinno Project were discussed and delegates also adopted the Leitrim declaration “Helping towns and villages drive rural revival in the European Union” which, among other things, calls the EU to provide a framework and concrete guidelines for the development of rural territories, stresses the importance of greater cooperation between urban and rural areas and calls for a greater focus on and funding for cross-border cooperation and territorial cooperation projects.