Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 13:40

Transnational cooperation programme for the North Sea Region. Supports green transition, climate adaptation, maritime spatial planning, biodiversity protection, and sustainable blue economy. Partners: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden. Funds marine/coastal innovation and environmental management projects.

Source: https://interregnorthsea.eu/

Funding Details

Funder

Interreg North Sea Programme

Funding Goal

The Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027 funds transnational cooperation projects that help the North Sea Region transition to smart, green, and inclusive economies. It supports projects across four priorities: robust and smart economies, green transitions, climate resilience and biodiversity protection, and better governance. Priority areas include circular economies, sustainable blue economies, green energy transitions, climate adaptation, maritime spatial planning, biodiversity protection, and digital transformation. Projects must involve partners working together across at least three countries in the North Sea Region.

Funding Amount

Total programme budget of €158 million (2021-2027); programme provides 60% co-funding of total project budget (50% for Norwegian partners). Individual project budgets vary.

Deadline

Call 6 is currently open (deadline not specified on page; rolling within Call 6 period) (periodic)

How to Apply

Apply through the Interreg North Sea online application portal at interregnorthsea.eu. Build a transnational partnership with organisations in at least three North Sea Region countries. Select a single specific objective that aligns with your project. Contact National Contact Points or programme advisors for guidance. Application support available at https://interregnorthsea.eu/steps-to-apply

Target Region

North Sea Region: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (and UK coastal areas)

Contact

National Contact Points available per country; programme advisors listed at https://interregnorthsea.eu/get-in-touch

Last Checked

2026-05-07 08:34

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organisation must be based in the North Sea Region (BE, DK, DE, NL, NO, SE)
• Partnership must include organisations from at least three North Sea Region countries
• Partners outside the region only eligible in special circumstances if based in one of the seven member countries

Project Scope

• Project must align with one specific objective under the four programme priorities
• Project should include tangible activities: pilots, network building, citizen engagement, or upscaling

Required Documents

• Apply through official Interreg North Sea online application portal during open Call 6

Constraints

• Applicant must secure 40% co-funding from own/other sources (60% covered by programme; 50% for Norwegian partners)
• Project must demonstrate transnational added value — not purely national activities

Summary

The Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027 is a European territorial cooperation programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and national contributions. It supports transnational cooperation projects across the North Sea Region, aiming to drive transformations that help the region become more economically robust, climate-resilient, and environmentally sustainable. The programme is currently in Call 6. The programme operates under four main priorities: (1) Robust and smart economies — supporting innovation, digitalisation, and new market development; (2) Green transitions — focusing on circular economies, sustainable blue economies, green energy, and sustainable farming; (3) Climate resilience, pollution, and biodiversity — supporting nature-based solutions, ecosystem protection, water governance, and pollution reduction; and (4) Better governance — improving institutional capacity and cooperation frameworks. Each priority contains multiple specific objectives under which projects must apply. Eligible activities include pilots and demonstrations, network building, citizen engagement, capacity building, and upscaling of successful innovations. Projects may also involve infrastructure investments if directly linked to the specific objective. Activities must contribute to measurable outcomes within the chosen specific objective. The programme is geographically limited to the North Sea Region, covering Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden (with some provisions for UK coastal areas). Partner organisations must be based in these countries. Projects must involve at least three countries from the region, making transnational consortium building a prerequisite. Eligible applicants include a broad range of public and private organisations: public authorities, research institutes, NGOs, businesses, and other bodies based in the North Sea Region. No specific minimum size for organisations is stipulated, but applicants must demonstrate they can contribute to transnational cooperation goals. The total programme budget is €158 million for 2021-2027. The programme provides 60% co-funding of the total eligible project budget, meaning applicants must secure 40% from other sources (Norwegian partners receive 50% co-funding). There is no stated maximum project size, but typical projects involve multiple work packages and multi-year timelines.

Historical Context

The Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027 is in its sixth call for applications (Call 6). The programme is part of the broader Interreg EU territorial cooperation framework. Previous calls (1-5) have already funded projects across all four priorities. The total programme allocation is €158 million for the 2021-2027 period.

Why it was added

Primary EU territorial cooperation programme for North Sea marine/coastal projects including MSP, blue economy, and climate adaptation

Sources

• https://interregnorthsea.eu/
• https://interregnorthsea.eu/apply-in-call-6
• https://interregnorthsea.eu/calls-applications
• https://interregnorthsea.eu/available-funds
• https://interregnorthsea.eu/apply

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