Interreg Aurora Programme 2021-2027 (formerly Northern Periphery and Arctic)

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Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 13:41

Cross-border cooperation programme for Northern Europe and Arctic regions. Covers northern parts of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Scotland. Supports climate adaptation, sustainable natural resource management, green transition, and resilient communities in peripheral and arctic coastal areas. Includes targeted measures for sensitive marine environments like the Gulf of Bothnia.

Source: https://interregaurora.eu/

Funding Details

Funder: Interreg Aurora
Funding Goal: Support cross-border cooperation in the northernmost parts of Europe and the Sápmi region, covering northern Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Scotland. Funds projects on green transition, climate adaptation, sustainable natural resource management, resilient communities, and Indigenous peoples' collaboration (Sámi). Specific objectives include sustainable natural resource management, green transition, social inclusion in sparsely populated and Arctic areas.
Funding Amount: ERDF co-financing; programme has both regular and smaller project tracks
Deadline: Periodic calls for applications; check interregaurora.eu/projects/calls-for-applications/ for open calls (periodic)
How to Apply: Apply via My Application portal (interregaurora.eu/my-application/). Programme Manual and support materials at interregaurora.eu/support/. Partner search facilitated through the programme.
Target Region: Northern periphery and Arctic: northern Finland, northern Sweden, northern Norway, Ireland, Scotland. Special Sápmi dimension.
Contact: County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, Stationsgatan 5; interregaurora@lansstyrelsen.se
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 08:26

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Partners must be from eligible Aurora area (northern FI, SE, NO, Ireland, Scotland, and/or Sápmi)
Cross-border partnership required (at least 2 eligible countries)

Project Scope

Projects must address Aurora's specific objectives (green transition, sustainable resources, resilient communities)
Sápmi dimension available for cross-border indigenous Sámi cooperation

Required Documents

Apply via My Application portal; check interregaurora.eu for open calls
Programme Manual required reading for project development

Constraints

ERDF co-financing; national co-funding required; geographic restriction to northern periphery area

Summary

Interreg Aurora is a cross-border cooperation programme under the 2021-2027 Interreg framework, covering the northernmost parts of Europe including northern Finland, northern Sweden, northern Norway, Ireland, and Scotland, with a special dimension for Sápmi (indigenous Sámi communities). It is managed by the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, Sweden. The programme focuses on opportunities and challenges unique to peripheral and Arctic regions: green transition, climate adaptation, sustainable natural resource management, resilient communities in sparsely populated areas, and cross-border cooperation among Sámi indigenous communities. The Gulf of Bothnia and Arctic marine environments are within scope. Eligible activities include cross-border pilot projects, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and development of cross-border solutions. Partners from at least two eligible countries must form a consortium. Eligible organisations include public authorities, research institutions, NGOs, businesses, and Sámi organisations. The programme offers support through calls for applications (listed on the website), a Programme Manual, partner search tools, and applicant support events. Applications are submitted via the My Application online portal. Projects are implemented across the eligible programme area. For marine and environmental work, the Arctic and Gulf of Bothnia marine environments fall within scope. However, the programme is primarily focused on northern peripheral communities, green transition, and sustainable resource management in Arctic contexts rather than specifically on Baltic Sea marine conservation or plastic waste.

Historical Context

New programme in the 2021-2027 period, replacing the previous Northern Periphery and Arctic programme. Focuses on unique challenges of northernmost European regions including sparsely populated areas, Arctic marine environments, and indigenous communities.

Why it was added

Northern Periphery and Arctic programme relevant to northern coastal and marine environmental protection

Sources

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