EuroAccess

EuroAccess Macro-Regions is an online information and search tool on EU-funding available in four EU Macro-Regions:

- Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR)
- Danube Region (EUSDR)

- Adriatic Ionian Region (EUSAIR)
- Alpine Region (EUSALP)

Its target is to help people with project ideas find suitable sources of EU funding.
EuroAccess contains data from more than 200 EU funding programmes and calls for project proposals within those programmes.

EuroVienna, as affiliated entity to the City of Vienna, was entrusted with the implementation of the EuroAccess.


Structural Funds

EU Cohesion Policy contributes to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union. It aims to correct imbalances between countries and regions. It delivers on the Union's political priorities, especially the green and digital transition.

What’s new for 2021-2027 ?

  • Support to EU priorities: 5 policy objectives focused on key objectives and thematic concentration on those most relevant for a competitive and future-proof Europe
  • Climate targets: weighted climate and environmental contribution of investments, minimum targets for funds, climate adjustment mechanism
  • Greater empowerment of local, urban & territorial authorities in the management of the funds: dedicated policy objective implemented only through territorial and local development strategies
  • Simplification: The new cohesion policy introduces one set single of rules for the eight Funds and a significant reduction in the amount of secondary legislation. This entails notably:
    • Lighter and more frequent reporting
    • Lighter controls for programmes: sharp reduction of management verifications, “single audit principle”, proportionate arrangements for audits
    • Faster delivery: extended possibility to use simplified cost options (SCOs) and financing not linked to costs schemes
    • End of Commission approval for major projects
    • No more designation of management and control bodies
  • Creating conditions for success: streamlined and clear enabling conditions to be respected throughout the whole programming period for reimbursement from the Union budget.
  • Flexible programming adjusted to new challenges and emerging needs: allocation of flexibility amount only after mid term review of socio-economic situation and possible new challenges
  • Reinforced visibility and communication provisions: requirements for beneficiaries and operations of strategic importance


INTERACT

The European Union is a mix of cultures and economies that will reach its full potential through mutual understanding and close cooperation. That is why the European Union supports cooperation in many ways. One of them is Interreg, an initiative specifically dedicated to helping European regions work together to find solutions to common economic, environmental, social and cultural challenges. There are more than 100 Interreg programmes managing thousands of cooperation projects throughout Europe who are dealing with these issues.

The Interact programme’s specific mission is to support these programmes in their daily work. So to help them successfully navigate the Interreg world, we provide advice, organise learning events and develop a wide range of tools on:

  • How to manage a European cooperation programme or project and comply with EU rules on finance and controls.
  • How to communicate funding opportunities, as well as programme and project results.
  • How to use new cooperation tools.


Urban Innovative Actions (UIA)

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) is an Initiative of the European Commission that provides urban areas throughout Europe with resources to test new and unproven solutions to address urban challenges. Based on article 8 of ERDF, the Initiative has a total ERDF budget of EUR 372 million for 2014-2020.

Although research on urban issues is well developed, potential solutions are not always put into practice because urban authorities are reluctant to use their money to test new, unproven and hence risky ideas.
Urban Innovative Actions offers urban authorities with the possibility to take a risk and experiment the most innovative and creative solutions. The main objective of UIA is to provide urban areas throughout Europe with resources to test innovative solutions to the main urban challenges, and see how these work in practice and respond to the complexity of real life.


EEA and Norway Grants

The EEA and Norway Grants are funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Grants have two goals – to contribute to a more equal Europe, both socially and economically – and to strengthen the relations between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and the 15 Beneficiary States in Europe. The objective of the Grants is to reduce social and economic disparities and strengthen bilateral relations. This strengthens the internal market, leading to a more prosperous Europe.  


ESPON 2030

ESPON is an EU funded programme that bridges research with policies. It provides territorial analyses, data and maps to:

  • support EU development policies –and particularly Cohesion Policy- with facts and evidence.
  • help public authorities to benchmark their region or city, identify new challenges and potentials and shape successful development policies for the future.


The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund

The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund supports the development of promising project ideas and the start-up phase of new projects with a clear development perspective. Particular attention will be given to exchange and cooperation for network building between young people to promote social cohesion, creativity, innovations and the formation of new enterprises.
Anyone can apply to the Sweden - Lithuania Cooperation Fund – individuals, working groups associations, organisations, companies, etc. Swedish or Lithuanian citizenship is not a requirement, but you must reside in either of the countries.


Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is set up for the period 2021-2027, with a total of EUR 9.88 billion.

The Fund aims to further boost national capacities and improve procedures for migration management, as well as to enhance solidarity and responsibility sharing between Member States, in particular through emergency assistance and the relocation mechanism.

AMIF will contribute to the achievement of four specific objectives:

  -  to strengthen and develop all aspects of the common European asylum system, including its external dimension
-    to support legal migration to the Member States, including by contributing to the integration of third-country nationals
-    to contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effectiveness of return and readmission in third countries    
- to enhance solidarity and responsibility sharing between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum challenges


INTERREG Europe

Interreg Europe is an interregional cooperation programme, co-funded by the European Union. The European Union strives to reduce disparities in the levels of development, growth and quality of life in and across Europe’s regions. Our programme contributes to this objective and runs from 2021 to 2027.

With a budget of MEUR 379 it is designed to help local, regional and national governments across Europe to develop and deliver better policy.

The programme contributes to all EU priorities and strives for better regional governance through capacity building.


URBACT IV

For the period 2021-2027, URBACT IV builds on the legacy of past Programmes and includes even more opportunities for cities to make positive change. The current Programme integrates the crosscutting EU priorities of digital, green and gender-equal policy-making into its activities.

Previously successful types of Networks like Action Planning and Transfer will continue, while a new type of Network will be developed to strengthen the connections between the European Urban Initiative and the URBACT Method.

For the first time, URBACT provides support to towns and cities in EU pre-accession countries – Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. Their participation in the URBACT programme is financed by the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).

The programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with a budget of EUR 79 769 000 and by the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance with a budget of EUR 5 000 000 for the period 2021-2027.


EU Youth Strategy

The EU Youth Strategy is the framework for EU youth policy cooperation for 2019-2027. EU youth cooperation shall make the most of youth policy's potential. It fosters youth participation in democratic life; it also supports social and civic engagement and aims to ensure that all young people have the necessary resources to take part in society.

The EU Youth Strategy focuses on three core areas of action, around the three words: Engage, ConnectEmpower, while working on joined-up implementation across sectors.


Funding opportunities for young people

Education, training, youth and sport

Erasmus+ is the EU programme that aims to improve the skills and employability of young people, promote their social inclusion and well-being, and foster improvements in youth work and youth policy at local, national and international level.

Funding activities are managed centrally by the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) or by national agencies in each country.

Fellowships for researchers

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions are open to researchers in all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to ‘blue-sky’ science. The activities are implemented by the Research Executive Agency (REA).

Young entrepreneurs

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is an exchange programme for entrepreneurs offering the opportunity to work alongside an experienced entrepreneur in another participating country for a period between one and six months.

Young volunteers

The European Solidarity Corps aims to strengthen solidarity in European society, engaging young people in accessible and high-quality solidarity activities. It is an opportunity to learn and develop their potential as well as to bring fresh and inspiring ideas to the organisation they are engaging with. The programme supports activities in the fields of volunteering, jobs, traineeships and local Solidarity Projects.

Funding activities are managed centrally by the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), by national agencies in each country and by the SALTO-YOUTH network.

Young farmers

Young farmers may be eligible for a top-up payment worth 25% of the direct payment they receive. The top-up payment applies to farmers under the age of 40 and is provided by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund.

Young people may also be eligible for funding under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Each rural development programme contains measures for which the fund can provide assistance to young people, depending on the priorities of each country or region.

Young unemployed

The Youth Employment Initiative supports unemployed young people who are currently not enrolled in education or training in regions with a youth unemployment rate above 25%. For the period 2021-2027, the Youth Employment Initiative was integrated into the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), while preserving the focus on youth employment.

The reinforced Youth Guarantee is a commitment by all Member States to ensure that all young people under the age of 30 receive a good quality offer of

  • employment
  • continued education
  • apprenticeship
  • traineeship

within four months of leaving education or becoming unemployed. These schemes are set up by the managing authorities in EU countries and can provide more details on both the Youth Employment Initiative and the Youth Guarantee.


Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies.

The Innovation Fund will provide around EUR 38 billion of support from 2020 to 2030 (at EUR 75 / tCO2), depending on the carbon price, for the commercial demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies, aiming to bring to the market industrial solutions to decarbonise Europe and support its transition to climate neutrality.

The goal is to help businesses invest in clean energy and industry to boost economic growth, create local future-proof jobs and reinforce European technological leadership on a global scale.

This is done through calls for large and small-scale projects focusing on:

  • innovative low-carbon technologies and processes in energy-intensive industries, including products substituting carbon-intensive ones
  • carbon capture and utilisation (CCU)
  • construction and operation of carbon capture and storage (CCS)
  • innovative renewable energy generation
  • energy storage


EUROPEAN CITY FACILITY – EUCF

The EUCF is a European initiative to support municipalities, local authorities and their groupings across Europe to develop investment concepts to accelerate investments in sustainable energy. In form of a € 60k grant, the EUCF finances services and activities to support the development of the investment concept, such as (technical) feasibility studies, market analysis, stakeholder analysis, legal, economic and financial analysis, risk analysis and the coordination and organization activities. The grant is hence not meant to directly finance investments. It is used to access services and develop an investment concept, which might become a door-opener for many follow-up investments.

Successful applicants to the EUCF will use the lump sum to develop their investment concepts, which represents an initial step towards a fully-fledged business and financial plan. The ultimate objecvtive is to build a substantial pipeline of sustainable energy investment projects across municipalities in Europe.


Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5 billion.

It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies.

It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent pool, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact within a strengthened European Research Area.

Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate.


LIFE Programme

The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The budget of the LIFE Programme 2021-2027 increased to €5.4 billion.

The new LIFE programme will cover the following areas:

  • Nature and biodiversity
  • Circular economy and quality of life
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Clean energy transition.


Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.

It has an estimated budget of €26.2 billion. This is nearly double the funding compared to its predecessor programme (2014-2020).

The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.

It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, Digital Education Action Plan and the European Skills Agenda. The programme also

  • supports the European Pillar of Social Rights
  • implements the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027
  • develops the European dimension in sport


European Cultural Foundation

The European Cultural Foundation facilitates the European sentiment by developing and supporting cultural initiatives that let us share, experience and imagine Europe.

The Foundation supports cultural change-makers and their projects through grants and exchange programmes, e.g. the Europe Challenge for Libraries, Culture of Solidarity Fund.


Creative Europe

The Creative Europe programme 2021-2027 has a budget of € 2.44 billion, compared to €1.47 billion of the previous programme (2014-2020). Creative Europe invests in actions that reinforce cultural diversity and respond to the needs and challenges of the cultural and creative sectors.

The main objectives of the programme are to:

  • safeguard, develop and promote European cultural and linguistic diversity and heritage
  • increase the competitiveness and economic potential of the cultural and creative sectors, in particular the audiovisual sector

The novelties of the programme will contribute to the recovery of these sectors, reinforcing their efforts to become more inclusive, more digital and environmentally more sustainable.

The Creative Europe programme is divided in 3 strands: CULTURE, MEDIA, CROSS-SECTORAL.


Nordic Culture Point

Nordic Culture Point is an institution of the Nordic Council of Ministers which works to support Nordic co-operation within the area of culture and to increase awareness of Nordic culture in Finland. Its vision is that everyone should be able to participate in socio-cultural life on equal terms.

Nordic Culture Point has three different elements – the management of funding programmes, a library, and cultural events. The key target groups are: practitioners of art and culture in the Nordic and Baltic regions; Finns who are interested in culture and society; and Finnish schools, daycare centres, and universities.

The funding programmes are categorised by target group. Some forms of funding are aimed solely at professional cultural practitioners, while others are designed to support broader projects that help to strengthen the Nordic dimension in both culture and society at large. Every year, almost EUR 5 million is granted via the funding programmes.

Nordic Culture Point administers four grant programmes, which are divided into six different funding options. The programmes provide the opportunity to create culture, conduct projects and create meetings between artists and cultural workers in the Nordic region and Baltic states. The shared feature of all supported projects is that they have a strong Nordic dimension and are culturally innovative. There are grant programmes for children, young people and adults.


SI Baltic Sea Neighbourhood Programme

The SI Baltic Sea Neighbourhood Programme is a programme which provides funding to projects in which Swedish organisations work on cross-border challenges and opportunities together with organisations from the EU countries around the Baltic Sea and countries in the EU’s Eastern Partnership.

There are two different types of grants: seed funding and funding for cooperation projects.

Seed funding

Seed funding aims to lay the foundation for cooperation. For example, projects can use seed funding to:

  • Prepare applications for new funding (mainly EU).
  • Develop concepts and identify partners for future cooperation.

You and your partners can apply for up to SEK 400,000 for a project you complete within 15 months from the start of the project.

Cooperation projects

Funding for cooperation projects aims to deepen and further develop cooperation. For example, you can use the funding to:

  • Build networks and platforms.
  • Develop and test models and methods.
  • Provide input to policy and strategy.
  • Build/spread knowledge and competence.

These are larger projects that will contribute to in-depth, long-term cooperation. You and your partners can apply for up to SEK 1,000,000 for a project you complete within 24 months from the start of the project.


CBSS Project Support Facility

The CBSS Project Support Facility was created to co-finance projects around the Baltic Sea Region to foster sustainable partnerships.

PSF in Brief:

  • Projects must involve partners from at least three CBSS Member States including a lead partner.
  • The maximum amount of co-financing granted is 65 000 euros.
  • The project proposals may be initiated by individuals, groups, organizations, institutions, associations and companies in the CBSS Member states, as well as members of CBSS Expert Groups and CBSS Networks.
  • The granted projects should have the potential to become a basis for a network, partnership or cooperation model that would become viable beyond the duration of the project life itself.


INTERREG Estonia-Latvia

The Estonia-Latvia programme is one of the 60 cross-border cooperation programmes operating along EU internal borders. The programme is funded under the goal of the European Territorial Cooperation, better known as Interreg, and aims at strenghtening cooperation among regions across the borders of Estonia and Latvia. 35 million euros are made available by the European Regional Development Fund for funding cooperation projects among Estonian and Latvian partner organizations. The Estonia-Latvia programme is a continuation of the 2007-2013 cross-border cooperation programme.


INTERREG Aurora

Interreg Aurora is a brand new programme in the European Interreg community for cross-border cooperation 2021-2027.

The programme offers great opportunities and enables new and exciting cross-border cooperation in the northernmost part of Europe and Sápmi. The Interreg Aurora has a unique feature, the Programme is integrated with Sápmi and the indigenous Sami people.

Great ideas know no borders
The overall goal of the Interreg Aurora Programme 2021-2027 is to encourage cross-border collaboration and thereby strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability and attractiveness of the Programme area through social inclusion, digitalisation and green transition.

Sustainable development is an overarching goal in Interreg Aurora. The three dimensions of sustainable development – social, ecological and economic sustainability – will therefore be taken into account as horizontal principles.

Budget
The total funding for the Interreg Aurora Programme is approximately 165 million Euro, including EU-funding, Norwegian IR-funding and national co-funding.


INTERREG Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak

Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak provides support for joint Scandinavian projects developing society. The areas of support are innovation, low-carbon economy, transport and employment.

Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak adresses the most important cross-border challenges linked to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy in this dynamic cross-border region, which includes the metropolitan regions of Copenhagen-Malmö, Gothenburg and Oslo as well as rural areas.


INTERREG Central Baltic Programme

The Central Baltic Programme 2021-2027 is a EU cross-border cooperation programme. Its scope is to finance high quality projects with European Regional Development Funds in Finland (including Åland), Estonia, Latvia and Sweden, that aim at solving common challenges together and across borders. The programme budget for 2021-2027 is EUR 118 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which can be applied for in the calls.


INTERREG South Baltic Programme

The Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021-2027 enters a new era of multilateral cross-border cooperation between the coastal regions of five EU Member States: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, and Poland.

Even after more than 30 years of territorial collaboration the Programme demonstrates its relevance, timeliness, and pertinence to the development of the South Baltic area. The future priority and direction of growth is reflected in the motto of the new programming perspective: United by the sea into action for blue and green future – Innovative, Sustainable, Attractive and Active South Baltic”.

Actions with the focus on economic, environmental, and social development, natural and cultural heritage, and cooperation of different actors in the area are supported by the Programme foremost aiming above all at improving the quality of life of its residents through the blue and green growth of the area.


INTERREG Baltic Sea Region Programme

Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021-2027 is about to offer new funding to public and private players around the Baltic Sea who want to shape the region with their smart ideas. These smart ideas will turn into innovative, water-smart and climate-neutral solutions; solutions that will improve the life of people around the Baltic Sea. The Programme is structured along four priorities, which in the years 2021-2027 guide partners in achieving the most when cooperating across borders:

  • Innovative societies
  • Water-smart societies
  • Climate-neutral societies
  • Cooperation governance

The budget is around 250 mln eur.
Deadline for submitting Project Idea Forms (core projects) is 17 April 2024.