International funding

Aurora programme area

Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme Area

Baltic Sea Programme Area

Aurora

Interreg Aurora 2021-2027 is a new cross-border cooperation programme. Aurora will replace the previous Interreg North and Botnia Atlantica programmes and the regions included in the programme area from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Sápmi.

The Interreg Aurora programme covers the following NUTS III regions:

Sweden: Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Västernorrland
Finland: Lapland, Kainuu, North Karelia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia and South Ostrobothnia
Norway: Troms og Finnmark and Nordland
Sámi Area: In Finland, Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia. Sweden: Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Västernorrland, Jämtland and Dalarna: Idre Sameby. In Norway Troms and Finnmark, Nordland and Tröndelag and part of Innlandet (Elgå Reinbeitedistrikt).

Priorities

The selection of priorities for the programme has prioritised the themes on which the programme can best Influencing and which provide cross-border added value. In the preparation of the programme, the emphasis was placed on sustainable development from a broad perspective, both environmental and social.

Aurora programme priorities:

• Policy objective 1: a more competitive and smarter Europe
• Policy Objective 2: a greener Europe
• Policy Objective 4: a more social Europe; and
• Interreg specific objective: improving the governance of cooperation.

You can find more detailed information about the programme and the dates of the funding applications Interreg Aurora programme website.

Aurora's administrative authority is the the Board of the Regional Assembly of Norrbotten in Sweden. Three of its secretariat members work in Finland, in the Regional Assemblys of Ostrobothnia, Northern Ostrobothnia and Lapland. Niko Auer in the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region and Anna-Mari Auniola the Regional Assembly of Lapland help in cooperation in cooperation with questions related to the programme and funding applications. National matching funding is granted in Finland by the Regional Assembly of Lapland.

Northern Periphery and Arctic

The Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Interreg programme builds vibrant, competitive and ecologically sustainable communities. NPA (Northern Periphery and Arctic) is a transnational cooperation programme whose programme area in Finland comprises eight different regions.

The Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) 2021-2027 programme supports cooperation projects that enable regional stakeholders to make sustainable use of the region's own opportunities and strengths and to develop solutions to common challenges in the region. NPA cooperation increases the prosperity of regions and improves their adaptability.

The programme area has been revised. There are seven different countries involved in the cooperation. Finland is represented by eight regions of Northern, Eastern and Central Finland. In Sweden, the programme area covers the regions of central and northern Norrland. In Norway, the programme area includes the northernmost regions of the country. Northern and Western regions are included in Ireland. In addition, the whole of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands are involved in the programme.

NPA 2021-2027 themes of the programme:

1.Strengthening innovation capacity:
1.1 Research and innovation capacity building and the introduction of new technologies.
1.2 Utilising digitalisation for the benefit of the stakeholders in the region.
1.3 Promoting sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and creating new jobs.

2. Climate change adaptation and resource efficiency:
2.1 Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases
2.2 Adapting to climate change and reducing the risks posed by climate change by developing the business environment.
2.3 Transition to a circular economy and resource-efficient activities.

3. strengthen organisations' capacity to benefit from opportunities for transnational cooperation:
3.1 Developing the capacity of officials and other stakeholders to implement macro-regional, sea-basin and regional strategies.

You can find more detailed information about the programme and the dates of the funding applications NPA 2021-2027 website.

The managing authority for the NPA programme is Västerbotten County Administrative Board in Sweden and the Secretariat is based in Copenhagen. Each participating state has its own national contact person and Finland's contact person is Maiju Jolma-Taylor the Regional Assembly of Lapland. He or she can help you in cooperation in cooperation with questions related to the programme and funding applications. National matching funding is granted in Finland by the Regional Assembly of Lapland.

Baltic Sea

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme provides new funding for public and private stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region who want to develop the region through smart cross-border solutions. The programme seeks innovative, smart and climate-neutral solutions that improve quality of life in the Baltic Sea Region. The programme covers nine Baltic Sea countries.

Funding for the programme is focused on four themes (priorities):

1. An innovative society
   1. A resilient economy and community
   2. Responsive public services
2. A water-wise society
   1. Sustainable waters
   2. Blue economy
3. A carbon neutral society
   1. Circular economy
   2. Energy transition
   3. Smart green transition
4. Management of cooperation
   1. Project platforms
   2. Governance of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

The programme comprises four types of projects:

• Regular cooperation and development projects, ‘Core Projects’
• Small cooperation and development projects, "Small Projects" (total cost estimate up to EUR 500.000, duration up to two years, to be financed by simplified cost models)
• Project platforms
• Supporting the governance of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

The target groups of the programme are local, regional and national public administration, educational decision-making bodies, higher education decision-making bodies, universities, research institutes, business development organisations, organisations, international cooperation stakeholders and companies.

You can find more detailed information about the programme and the dates of the funding applications Baltic Sea Programme website.

The managing authority for the Baltic Sea programme is the Schleswig-Holstein Investment Bank. The national contact person is Matti Lipsanen the Regional Assembly of Pirkanmaa. He or she can help you in cooperation in cooperation with questions related to the programme and funding applications. National matching funding is granted in Finland by the Uusimaa Regional Assembly.

Interreg Europe

Interreg Europe provides funding for regional and local governments to develop and implement better regional policies across Europe. The aim is to improve the implementation of regional development by promoting the exchange of experience, innovative approaches and good practices among regional policy stakeholders.

The activities and funding of the programme will be implemented through interregional cooperation projects and the Policy Learning Platform. Interregional cooperation projects comprise two phases; the actual implementation phase (3 years) and the monitoring phase (1 year). The policy learning platform serves as an information centre and provides information on previous projects, expert support and networking assistance.

The programme area is the European Union and Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia. The managing authority for the programme is the Region Hauts-de-France in Lille, France. As National Contact Points Annukka Mäkinen from the Regional Assembly of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and Pasi Rantahalvari from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment serve as. National matching funding is granted in Finland by the Regional Assembly of Lapland.

You can find more detailed information about the programme and the dates of the funding applications Interreg Europe website.