Interreg Atlantic Area Programme 2021-2027

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Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 13:41

Transnational cooperation programme for the Atlantic coast of Europe. Supports blue economy, marine environmental protection, coastal resilience, and climate adaptation. Partners include France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and parts of UK. Funds projects on coastal risks, sustainable maritime development, and ocean-related innovation.

Source: https://atlanticarea.eu/

Funding Details

Funder: Interreg Atlantic Area
Funding Goal: Support transnational cooperation among the Atlantic coastal regions of Europe: France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and parts of the UK. Thematic focus: blue economy and maritime innovation, marine environmental protection, coastal resilience and climate adaptation, sustainable maritime development, ocean-related innovation, and cross-border cultural/social projects. Funds research, pilots, capacity building, and governance projects addressing the Atlantic coastal space.
Funding Amount: ERDF co-financing; project budgets vary by call and priority
Deadline: 3rd call for projects: recently concluded with approved projects; upcoming calls TBD (periodic)
How to Apply: Apply via SIGI 21-27 online system (sigi2127.atlanticarea.eu). Check atlanticarea.eu/for-applicants/call-for-projects for open calls. Atlantic Connection Hub available for partnership development.
Target Region: Atlantic coast of Europe: France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, UK (parts)
Contact: js@atlanticarea.eu (Joint Secretariat), ma@atlanticarea.eu (Managing Authority)
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 08:28

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Partners must be from eligible Atlantic Area countries (France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, eligible UK regions)
Transnational partnership of at least 3 organisations from 3 different eligible countries required

Project Scope

Project must address one of the programme's thematic priorities (blue economy, coastal resilience, etc.)

Required Documents

Apply via SIGI 21-27 portal; check atlanticarea.eu for open call announcements
Atlantic Connection Hub available for partner-finding

Constraints

Geography restricted to Atlantic coastal areas — Baltic Sea, Denmark not covered
ERDF co-financing; national co-funding required from partners

Summary

The Interreg Atlantic Area Programme 2021-2027 is a transnational cooperation initiative funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), covering the Atlantic coast of Europe including France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and parts of the United Kingdom. The programme aims to enhance sustainable development, innovation, and resilience in the Atlantic coastal zone. Thematic priorities centre on the blue economy, marine environmental protection, coastal resilience, sustainable maritime development, climate adaptation, innovation, and social inclusion in Atlantic coastal communities. The programme covers ocean-related challenges specific to the Atlantic arc, including coastal risks, maritime heritage, sustainable fisheries, and marine biodiversity. Eligible partners include public administrations, NGOs, research institutions, businesses, municipalities, and civil society organisations from the five eligible country areas. Transnational partnerships of at least three organisations from three different countries are required. Applications are submitted through the SIGI 21-27 online portal. Three calls for projects have been completed in the current programming period, with the third call recently resulting in approved projects. A strategic GRAAL project (Governance and Regional Atlantic Area Lighthouse) has also been approved as an Operation of Strategic Importance. Future calls should be monitored at the programme website. For OPF, this programme covers the Atlantic Ocean coast rather than the Baltic Sea region. While the blue economy and marine environmental focus is thematically relevant, the geographic coverage (France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, UK) does not overlap with OPF's primary regions (Denmark, Baltic Sea) or secondary regions (Africa, SE Asia, India). However, marine plastic and ocean conservation concepts are relevant to Atlantic as well as Baltic work.

Historical Context

Three calls for projects have been conducted (2021-2027 period). Third call projects recently approved and listed on website. One strategic Operation of Strategic Importance (GRAAL) project recently approved. Programme includes marine and blue economy projects.

Why it was added

Atlantic Area programme funds marine/coastal projects complementary to North Sea and Baltic programmes

Sources

https://atlanticarea.eu/

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